New York City Agrees to Largest Occupy Wall Street Settlement Ever

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/new-york-city-agrees-largest-occupy-wall-street-settlement-ever-1402499824

During Occupy Wall Street’s heyday in 2011 and 2012, the NYPD made them pay, again and again and again, for exercising their right to assembly and free speech. Nearly three years later, New York City taxpayers are still paying for the NYPD's approach to policing lawful protest. Today, lawyers announced the largest settlement with New York City yet, with the city paying out $583,024 to 14 protesters who were arrested for disorderly conduct on January 1, 2012.

Sources familiar with today’s settlement said that that the case was ready to go to trial before Judge Shira Scheindlin until a few months ago, when, while being deposed for the trial, a senior NYPD official who was present during the arrests was unable to point out in videos of the event a single moment when any of the defendants committed any act of disorderly conduct.

According to the protesters' complaint, the demonstrators were part of a march passing through the East Village that night when police ordered them to disperse.

“This was a constitutionally unlawful order,” said Wylie Stecklow, a lawyer for the protesters, at a press conference at City Hall today. “The march was not yet blocking the sidewalk, and just minutes before this unlawful dispersal order, the police had ordered the marchers to keep walking.”

[lob1]

1. It should be for 50 million more for trampling on the protestors constitutional rights

and enjoying themselves while they did it.

[snot]

2. + 1000. And all our rights, since

those there represented many more of us who couldn't be.

[markpkessinger]

3. Although it may be the largest settlement with Occupy protesters . . .

. . . it is hardly the largest settlement the4 city has paid for NYPD thuggery. In January, the City agreed to pai $18 million for the NYPD's improper arrrests during the 2004 GOP Convention (see http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/new-york-agrees-settlement-2004-republican-convention ). And unfortunately, $583,024 -- or even $18 million -- barely even qualifies as a rounding error in a city with a $70 billion annual budget. Neither suim is enough to create the kind of public pressure needed to rein in the NYPD. These sums will be seen by the NYPD as a mere "cost of doing business," and nothing more. The settlements will do absolutely nothing to change the NYPD's behavior.

[Hissyspit]

4. Taxpayers get to foot the bill for the .1% shutting down the conversation.

A bargain.

[johnnyreb]

5. A sound investment in status quo.

With billions in pocket change flying around, what's a few constitutional claims.

[Leme]

6. how much did the innocent "wilding in Central park"" kids receive?

[sabrina 1]

7. That makes me wonder, could the American People file a class action suit against the

NSA for some of the billions they have received from the taxpayers while violating their Constitutional Rights?

At least such a suit would bring attention to the crimes. Hard to lie in a court the way you apparently can to Congress, without consequences?

Good that they won that case.