Misconduct Suits Against New York City Police Department on the Rise
by Douglas Ankney
After two years of being on the decline, misconduct suits against New York City’s Police Department (“NYPD”) are on the rise. In 2018, there were 1,586 claims filed compared with 1,391 submitted in 2017. There has been a downward trend since 2014 when 3,084 claims were filed.
NYPD officials said they are improving, citing a 48.5 percent decline in lawsuits between 2015 and 2018. Spokeswoman Sgt. Jessica McRorie said, “That reduction in volume of litigation gains the public’s trust and respect, thereby advancing the goals of neighborhood policing—to collaboratively solve problems with community members, drive down crime and enhance public safety.”
But Tina Luongo from the Legal Aid Society believes the uptick in claims is cause for alarm: “This reporting sheds some more light on the rampant problem of misconduct at the New York City Police Department. We hope that this reporting helps to further the conversation to revamp the NYPD’s current disciplinary process so that officers who commit these heinous crimes and who betray the public’s trust will receive more than a slap on the wrist.”
The city paid out $57 million in NYPD settlements in 2018, compared with $14 million in 2014. But in 2017, the most money was paid—$142 million—to settle high-profile cases from 2014 through 2016. In the past five years, the NYPD has cost the city $384 million in lawsuit damages.
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Source: nypost.com
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
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- Stop Peeking Inside the Black Box
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- $250,000 Awarded to Woman Who Spent 96 Days in Jail, by Douglas Ankney
- Getting Rid of the ‘X’, by Jayson Hawkins
- FBI Using Private Ancestry Databases to Zero in on Suspects, by Edward Lyon
- Misconduct Suits Against New York City Police Department on the Rise, by Douglas Ankney
- Study: Technology Creates and Embeds Bias in the Criminal Justice System, by Douglas Ankney
- Modern Forensics Findings Not Always 100 Percent Reliable, by Edward Lyon
- Police Want Unfettered Access to Consumer DNA Databases, by Kevin Bliss
- Court’s in Session: The Honorable Algorithm Presiding, by Douglas Ankney
- Prosecutors Use Blacklists to Keep Dishonest Officers out of the Courtroom, by Kevin Bliss
- Taking Pictures in the Dark: Florida Police Not Forthcoming About Investigations Using Facial Recognition Software, by Douglas Ankney
- Killer Cops and Vilified Victims, by Jayson Hawkins
- Ohio Mayor’s Courts Are Huge Sources of Unjust Revenues, by Edward Lyon
- In a Rare Move, California Court of Appeal Discharges Prisoner from All Forms of Custody, Including Parole, After Finding Time Served in Prison Grossly Disproportionate to His Offense, by Douglas Ankney
- Fourth Circuit Tosses Evidence Discovered by Illegal GPS Tracker, by Dale Chappell
- Hawai’i Supreme Court: Cumulative Effect of Multiple Instances of Prosecutorial Misconduct Requires Reversal, by Douglas Ankney
- D.C. Circuit Holds Expert’s False Testimony ‘Material,’ Allowing Challenge to Four-Decade-Old Murder Conviction, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit Rules Robbery Committed Alone by Gang Member Not Enough for California Gang Enhancement, Despite Testimony of Gang Expert, by Dale Chappell
- Fourth Circuit Rules Assault on Government Official Under North Carolina Statute Not a ‘Crime of Violence’, by Chad Marks
- Eighth Circuit: Forfeited Claim of Miscalculated Criminal History Score Is Reviewable Under Plain Error Standard, by Douglas Ankney
- Violence in the House: Studies Find Cops’ Families Live Dangerous Lives, by Edward Lyon
- Ohio Supreme Court: Plea Defendant Must Be Informed of Maximum Penalty for Postrelease-Control Violation Prior to Pleading Guilty to a New Felony, by David Reutter
- Police Avoid Negative Publicity by Routinely Withholding Body-Cam Footage, by Kevin Bliss
- Indiana Supreme Court: IAC Where Lawyer Marks ‘Not Applicable’ to Immigration Consequences Warning on Court’s Advisement Form Without Knowing Client’s Immigration Status, by David Reutter
- Hawai’i Supreme Court Announces New Rule Requiring Tachibana Colloquy in All Trials, by Douglas Ankney
- Kansas Supreme Court: Correcting Illegal Sentence After Fully Served Violates Prohibition Against Double Jeopardy, by Matthew Clarke
- Missouri Supreme Court Issues Writ of Prohibition Prohibiting Circuit Court From Revoking Probation After Probation Term Had Already Expired, by Douglas Ankney
- Forced Self-Incrimination, by Larry N.
- Second Circuit Holds Government’s Misleading Disclosure of Inculpatory Statement Requires New Trial, by Dale Chappell
- Prosecutorial Power Used Too Often to Stop Prisoners From Getting Second Chance at Life, by Chad Marks
- 11th Circuit Holds Conviction Under Georgia’s Aggravated Assault Statute Is Not a ‘Crime of Violence’ When Based Upon a Mens Rea of Recklessness, by Douglas Ankney
- Attempted Felony-Murder Is Not a Cognizable Crime in West Virginia, by Douglas Ankney
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More from these topics:
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