February 12, 2012 · www.gothamgazette.com

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Settlement Payments by City Drop
The City paid out $521 million in personal injury and property damage tort settlements and judgments last year; 7 percent less than in 2009, according to this report by New York City Comptroller John Liu. (June 16, 2011)

Merged Bronx Court
Five years after the merger of the Bronx County Criminal Court and the Bronx County Supreme Court’s criminal term, a report from the state Unified Court System found the merger has led to more efficient adjudication of misdemeanor cases, but the number of felony trials has fallen while a backlog grew. As a result, the court will establish special parts to address the oldest felonies and misdemeanors, among other measures. (November 9, 2009)

Claims Against City Up
A new report from New York City Comptroller William Thompson found the city paid $567.9 million in settlements and judgments for personal injury, property damage and law claims in fiscal year 2008. During fiscal year 2007, according to the report, the city paid $558.3 million. In fiscal year 2008, the city had 26,798 new claims -- the second highest number since 1999. The Department of Transportation and the Police Department had the highest number of claims against them. (March 17, 2009)

Wrongful Convictions
Incorrect identification, errors by a prosecutor, law enforcement personnel or judge, and mistakes in handling evidence were the leading causes of wrongful convictions in New York State, according to a recent report by a New York State Bar Association task force. The panel, which examined 53 cases, said the convictions generally resulted from several factors and called for a number of changes to prevent such errors in the future. (February 24, 2009)

Reforming the State's Drug Laws
The state must reform its drug laws, according to a new report by the Sentencing Commission, which was appointed by former governor Eliot Spitzer nearly two years ago. For successful reform, the commission calls for community-based drug treatment, providing statewide access to substance abuse treatment programs, alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, and a uniform statewide drug diversion model. (February 5, 2009)

Legal Aid Society
The largest public defender in the country, providing legal services to children and homeless. The cause is noble, the site useful but dull.
Independent Budget Office
One of the illuminating features of the site: It will calculate exactly how your tax payments are divided up and spent at each level of government (city, state, and federal) both by broad category and by selected programs. Just input your taxes paid and adjusted income from your tax returns (or you can just estimate them, of course), and it will calculate the results.
A Brief History Of Election Law In New York
A timeline of voting and elections in New York.
NYC Law Department
The Web site for the city's law department is a basic site with information about the department's history and its mission, as well as legal opinon articles that it publishes and links to its annual reports.
Public Advocate
Official website of the Public Advocate, who is responsible for reporting the failure of any City agency or official to comply with the New York City Charter. The office also monitors the effectiveness of the City's public information and education efforts about citywide initiatives.

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