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Morning Headlines: Judge to Review DOJ’s Push to Drop Mayor Adams Case, Legal Questions Over ICE at Rikers, and NYPD Misconduct Settlements Rise

A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday on the Trump administration’s directive to dismiss the criminal case against Mayor Eric Adams. Meanwhile, legal experts are debating whether Adams’ plan to allow federal immigration agents back onto Rikers Island conflicts with a 2014 city law. Plus, a new analysis from the New York Legal Aid Society reveals that New York City paid over $200 million last year to settle police misconduct claims, an $89 million increase from the previous year.

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Janae Pierre: Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, February 18th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill.

Michae Hill: As you've been hearing, a federal judge will hear today why the Trump administration has directed federal prosecutors in New York to dismiss the criminal case against Mayor Adams. WNYC's Samantha Max explains.

Samantha Max: President Trump's administration last week directed New York prosecutors to drop the charges against Adams so he can focus on immigration enforcement. Several attorneys quit in protest, then prosecutors in D.C. asked a judge to drop the case. Judge Dale Ho said in an order that he wants prosecutors and defense attorneys to come to court to talk about why they think the case should be thrown out. Legal expert Carl Tobias says it's hard to know what the judge might decide in such an atypical case.

Carl Tobias: I think he would like to shed some light on what's happened.

Samantha Max: Adams has denied wrongdoing.

Michae Hill: Mayor Adams' plan to allow federal immigration agents back onto Rikers Island has legal experts debating whether that's even allowed under a 2014 city statute. That law permits the return of immigration officers to Rikers for ''purposes unrelated to the enforcement of civil immigration laws.'' Louis Cholden-Brown worked as an attorney in City Council when the bill was passed. He says, ''The devil is in the details as to whether Adams, through an executive order, will adhere to the law or skirt it.''

Louis Cholden-Brown: Time will tell what exact verbiage and authority the mayor seeks to invoke in that executive order.

Michael Hill: The mayor has not released details yet, but he says the federal officers would target violent criminals and gangs. The New York Legal Aid Society says New York City is paying much more each year to settle police misconduct civil lawsuits. A new analysis from Legal Aid says the city paid more than $200 million to settle police misconduct claims last year. That's an increase of more than $89 million over the year before. The payouts last year included a number of multimillion-dollar settlements with people who had been wrongly convicted of crimes.

Legal Aid used data about misconduct claims the city is required to publish twice a year. An NYPD spokesperson says the data relate to misconduct by prosecutors as well as police officers. It's cold out there, 19 and clear now. Increasing clouds, feeling much colder than 30. Wind chill down to 5 to 15 degrees and gusty.

Janae Pierre: Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.

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