A Brooklyn man suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder from 9/11 was awarded $20,360 by a judge after he and his Italian greyhound service dog were barred from entering a state building to claim benefits. more ›

Payouts from the NYPD in settlements and judgments soared during the last fiscal year, according to a report from Comptroller William Thompson detailing the city's payouts. Overall, the city paid $567.9 million as a result of lawsuits, an increase of about 2% over the previous time period. But the NYPD's payouts increased 11% percent, to $102.8 during fiscal year 2008, which ended September 30th. Of that amount, $35.2 million was paid in settlements over charges of improper police action, up 40% over the previous year. more ›