City taxpayers paid out almost $206 million to settle NYPD police misconduct lawsuits last year, the highest amount since 2018, as reported by Legal Aid Society.
The total settlements since 2018 have exceeded $750 million, with some cases settled before lawsuits were filed, potentially leading to even higher costs, the report mentioned.
Amanda Jack, the society’s policy director for criminal reform, expressed concern over the city’s willingness to spend millions in taxpayer funds annually instead of addressing the culture of impunity within the NYPD.
The society criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, the NYPD, and prosecutors for their efforts to amend the state’s evidence-sharing requirements, known as discovery.
The proposed changes aim to limit the time defense lawyers have to request case dismissals over discovery violations, reducing the chances of defendants being released due to technicalities.
The Legal Aid Society warned that such measures could lead to more wrongful convictions and injustices.
Jack stated, “If they succeed, injustices will surge, and taxpayers will ultimately bear the financial cost.”
However, the NYPD refuted the statistics provided by the Legal Aid Society, pointing out that nearly half of the cases are over 20 years old and involve claims of prosecutorial misconduct and wrongful convictions, not just police actions.
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