NYC Faces Budget Strain from Police Settlements
Legacy cases contributed to $14M of 2025 wrongful conviction payouts.
Eric Smokes and David Warren received $13M and $11.1M settlements.
Kenneth Bacote and Steven Lopez got $5.75M and $3.9M payouts.
City Hall reviews pending lawsuits amid $5.4B budget shortfall.
Advocates call payouts a 'culture of impunity'.
2 days ago