• Filed under , Civil Rights , Police Misconduct , Wrongful Conviction

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Using firm client Jawaun Fraser’s recent trial victory as a case study, ProPublica published an article today exposing how the New York City Law Department’s aggressive approach to litigating civil rights cases prevents police reform, costs New York taxpayers millions of dollars, and delays justice for victims of police misconduct. Mr. Fraser recovered $1.5 million in compensatory damages for his 1 ½ years in state prison and $425,000 in punitive damages. A federal jury in Manhattan found, after a seven-day trial before Senior District Court Judge Colleen McMahon, that undercover NYPD narcotics detectives had fabricated the case and also withheld evidence from the defense that was favorable to Mr. Fraser: their own history of being sued for misconduct.  The jury further found that their misconduct resulted from the unlawful policies and training practices of the NYPD, exposing NYC to liability in other cases. You can view the article here.