arrow Police officers graduating at a ceremony at the Barclays Center in 2013. Andrew Gombert/EPA/Shutterstock On Tuesday, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a challenge from a coalition of police and other unions that sought to bar New York City agencies from releasing thousands of previously secret NYPD disciplinary records. The decision could usher in unprecedented public access to the NYPD’s closely-guarded disciplinary records. While we wait for the unions to announce whether they will appeal the ruling, Gothamist/WNYC has gained access to a small trove of the NYPD’s misconduct findings and disciplinary decisions, giving us a unique window into what the larger release of NYPD records could reveal. The records were released by the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office, in response to a Freedom of Information Law request by the media organization. Prosecutors maintain records on NYPD misconduct because they are required by law to share information that could undermine the credibility of police witnesses with defendants.