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So your probably sitting in your Manhattan apartment right now, still in shock from getting arrested for absolutly nothing. Maybe Midtown cops grabbed you outside Times Square claiming you were “soliciting.” Maybe Wall Street area officers decided you didn’t belong in the Financial District. Or maybe you got swept up in one of those protest arrests where they grab everyone first and sort it out later. Look, we get it. Your FURIOUS about being treated like a criminal in the “safest” borough. And you should be! Because Manhattan precincts are part of the NYPD machine that’s paid out over $750 MILLION in misconduct settlements since 2018!
Manhattan might seem “safer” than other boroughs, but false arrests here are absolutely OUT OF CONTROL. Since 2018, the NYPD has paid out $548,047,141 in misconduct settlements across the city, with Manhattan cases making up a huge chunk. We’re talking about YOUR tax dollars paying for cops who can’t follow the law!
Just look at the numbers: In 2018, there were 1,579 settlements with a median payout of $10,500. By 2023? 801 lawsuits settled at a median of $25,000 each! The payouts are getting BIGGER because the violations are getting WORSE. Manhattan precincts contribute millions to these totals every single year.
Here’s the real scandal – 12,748 cases totaling $1.2 BILLION were never even reported properly! The city is literaly hiding how bad the problem is. 6,925 lawsuits worth $654 million were settled within five years and nobody said anything!
Manhattan specific cases show the pattern: $250,000 for falsely arresting a Middle Eastern man outside a theater for “scalping tickets.” $26 MILLION to two men wrongly convicted of killing Malcolm X. Millions more for false arrests during protests in Union Square, Washington Square Park, and around City Hall.
Every Manhattan precinct has issues, but some are absolutely terrible for false arrests. Midtown North and Midtown South cover Times Square, Penn Station, Grand Central – tourist areas where cops arrest first and ask questions later. Your visiting from Ohio? Must be here to buy drugs. Taking photos? Must be a terrorist.
The 1st Precinct covering Wall Street and Financial District treats everyone who doesn’t wear a suit like there trespassing. Delivery workers, protestors, tourists – all suspects. The 9th Precinct in East Village arrests people for existing while young. The 6th Precinct in Greenwich Village still acts like its the 1970s, arresting people for “loitering” outside bars.
Central Park Precinct (22nd) arrests joggers for “suspicious behavior.” What’s suspicious? Being Black or Latino in Central Park after dark, apparently. The 13th covering Gramercy and Union Square sweeps up protestors even when there peacefully assembled. First Amendment? They don’t care.
Washington Heights precincts (33rd and 34th) operate like there still in the crack era. Stop-and-frisk might be “over” but they just call it something else now. Harlem precincts (25th, 26th, 28th, 30th, 32nd) treat long-time residents like criminals in there own neighborhoods while protecting new gentrifiers.
If your filing a lawsuit in Manhattan, you’ve got options. For state claims, its New York County Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007. This courthouse sees more civil rights cases than almost anywhere in the country. Judges here range from former prosecutors who worship cops to former civil rights lawyers who actualy get it.
For federal claims, you file in Southern District of New York at 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007. Federal court is where the big money cases go. Section 1983 claims, constitutional violations, pattern-and-practice lawsuits. Federal judges take these cases more seriously than state judges.
But remember – BEFORE filing anywhere, you MUST submit a Notice of Claim to NYC Comptroller within 90 DAYS! That’s at 1 Centre Street, literally across from the courthouse. Miss this deadline and your million-dollar case becomes worth ZERO. No exceptions, no excuses.
Criminal court for fighting false charges is at 100 Centre Street. That’s where you’ll deal with Manhattan DA’s office, which loves to protect cops. They work together every day, so don’t expect fairness. What you say in criminal court affects your civil case, so coordination is critical.
Manhattan false arrests have there own special flavor of injustice. First, there’s the tourism factor. Cops assume anyone in Times Square at night is buying drugs or prostitution. Penn Station? Must be homeless or dealing. Port Authority? Definately up to something illegal. Millions of tourists become potential criminals.
Second, Manhattan has the wealth divide. You can walk from billionaire’s row to public housing in five minutes. Cops protect the rich areas and harass everyone else. Wearing expensive clothes on the Upper East Side? Your fine. Wearing the same clothes in Washington Heights? Your suspicious.
Third, protest arrests are HUGE in Manhattan. Every major demonstration happens here – City Hall, Wall Street, Times Square, Union Square. NYPD does mass arrests knowing most charges get dropped. But you still spent 24 hours in custody, missed work, have an arrest record. They use false arrest as crowd control.
Fourth, Manhattan has more surveillance than anywhere. Cameras everywhere, but somehow footage that helps YOU always “malfunctions.” Footage that helps THEM is crystal clear. We’ve seen cases where ten cameras “broke” during a false arrest but worked perfectly five minutes before and after.
Let me give you REAL numbers from actual Manhattan cases, not fantasies. Based on recent settlement data:
Basic false arrest (few hours, released): $5,000-15,000. Overnight at Manhattan Central Booking: $10,000-25,000. Weekend at Rikers from Manhattan arrest: $20,000-50,000. False arrest with minor injuries: $50,000-150,000. Serious injuries or extended detention: $200,000+.
But here’s what affects YOUR settlement: Where in Manhattan? Upper East Side arrest might get more because jury thinks you don’t “belong” there. Arrest record? Even dismissed cases lower value. Tourist or resident? Tourists sometimes get more sympathy. Did you mouth off? Juries don’t like “attitude” even when cops are wrong.
That $250,000 settlement for the Middle Eastern man falsely arrested for scalping? He was humiliated in public, detained for hours, and clearly profiled. The $26 million for the Malcolm X case? Decades in prison for something they didn’t do. Your case value depends entirely on specifics.
Media attention changes everything in Manhattan. Get coverage in the Post or Daily News? Settlement goes up. Video goes viral? Way up. Manhattan cases get more media than outer boroughs, which helps and hurts. Helps with settlement pressure, hurts if you look bad on camera.
Manhattan juries are wildcards. You might get Wall Street executives who think cops can do no wrong. Or young professionals who’ve been harassed themselves. Or long-time residents who remember when NYPD was even worse. The diversity makes outcomes unpredictable.
State court judges at 60 Centre Street vary wildly. Some are former prosecutors who spent careers working with cops. They’ll find any excuse to dismiss your case. Others are former legal aid or civil rights lawyers who know cops lie constantly. Getting the right judge can mean difference between dismissal and millions.
Federal judges in Southern District are generally better for civil rights cases. They follow federal law more strictly. They’re less connected to NYPD. But they also grant qualified immunity often, protecting cops from lawsuits. They want “clearly established” violations, not just obvious wrongs.
Manhattan juries award higher damages than outer boroughs sometimes. They understand lost wages because salaries are higher. They understand reputation damage because careers matter more here. But they also expect more “proof” because they’re used to professional presentations.
Living or working in Manhattan, you’ve seen these false arrests happen:
Times Square sweeps where anyone standing around gets arrested for “loitering for prostitution” or “drug activity.” Doesn’t matter if your waiting for a friend or taking photos. Cops have quotas to fill and tourists are easy targets.
Wall Street area arrests during any protest or demonstration. You could be walking to work and get swept up because you were near protesters. They kettle everyone, arrest in mass, sort it out later when your already processed.
Hotel arrests are huge – cops called for noise complaint, arrest everyone in room for “drugs” that turn out to be legal CBD or nothing at all. Your visiting NYC for vacation, end up in central booking over nothing.
Manhattan false arrests get more media coverage, which cuts both ways. Good: Public pressure forces better settlements, Politicians pay attention when voters see abuse, Video evidence harder to “lose” when media wants it. Bad: Your name in papers forever, Prosecutors fight harder to justify arrest, Cops union attacks you publicly.
We’ve seen cases where NY Post runs your mugshot with “ARRESTED FOR DRUGS” then tiny correction later saying charges dropped. That image follows you forever online. We’ve seen Daily News champion false arrest victims and force policy changes. Media strategy is critical in Manhattan cases.
Social media matters enormously here. Video of your false arrest goes viral? Could help or destroy your case depending on what it shows. Even if your completely innocent, edited clips can make you look bad. We manage media carefully to protect your reputation while building pressure for settlement.
High-profile location arrests get attention. False arrest at Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, or Yankee Stadium? Media loves those stories. Random street in Washington Heights? Harder to get coverage unless there’s video or pattern of abuse.
Manhattan courts see themselves as the “premier” courts in NYC. They handle high-profile cases, rich defendants, major corporations. This affects how they treat false arrest cases. Some judges think these cases are beneath them. Others take them extra seriously because of visibility.
The Manhattan DA’s office has different priorities than outer boroughs. They care more about white-collar crime, less about street crime. This means they might dismiss your false arrest charges easier, but also means they protect cops who arrest protesters and activists.
Court scheduling is actually better in Manhattan sometimes. Faster trial dates, more resources, better facilities. But also more crowded, more media, more pressure. Your case might move quicker but also face more scrutiny.
Settlement conferences at 60 Centre Street can be more productive. Judges push harder for resolution because they have huge caseloads. City lawyers have more authority to settle because Manhattan cases get more attention. But they also fight harder on principle in high-visibility cases.
Look, every lawyer in Manhattan claims they can handle false arrest cases. But most just want quick settlements to move on to the next case. We actually FIGHT these cases because we know Manhattan false arrests aren’t just about money – there about your reputation, your career, your future in this city.
We know every Manhattan precinct’s patterns. We know which judges at 60 Centre Street actualy hold cops accountable. We know which federal judges will consider constitutional claims seriously. We know which city lawyers have real settlement authority. This isn’t our first rodeo in Manhattan courts.
We handle both the criminal and civil sides. Most Manhattan firms do one or the other. If your still facing charges from false arrest, we make sure your criminal defense helps your civil case, not hurts it. We coordinate everything strategically.
Most importantly, we’re not intimidated by NYPD or city lawyers. They know we’ll take cases to trial in front of Manhattan juries. They know we’ll get media attention when it helps. They know we have resources to fight for years if needed. That leverage gets you better settlements.
Call us RIGHT NOW at 212-300-5196
Manhattan false arrests need Manhattan fighters!
Don’t let them get away with violating your rights just because they have a badge! Every day you wait, evidence disappears. That tourist who filmed your arrest? Gone back to Iowa. That store surveillance video? Deleted after 30 days. Those bruises? Healed and undocumented.
The NYPD thinks Manhattan residents and workers will just accept false arrests as “part of city life.” They think you’re too busy to fight back. They think you’ll take a quick settlement and move on. PROVE THEM WRONG! Your rights matter whether your on Wall Street or 181st Street!
Disclaimer: Settlement amounts vary based on specific facts. Past results don’t guarantee future outcomes. We serve all Manhattan neighborhoods from Battery Park to Inwood.
Very diligent, organized associates; got my case dismissed. Hard working attorneys who can put up with your anxiousness. I was accused of robbing a gemstone dealer. Definitely A law group that lays out all possible options and best alternative routes. Recommended for sure.
- ROBIN, GUN CHARGES ROBIN
NJ CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS