I feel compelled to respond to Joel Berger’s article that was published in the New York Law Journal on March 8th regarding punitive damages against New York City Police Officers. Like Mr. Berger, I served on the Executive Staff of the Corporation Counsel’s Office and worked extensively on matters relating to the NYPD and litigation brought against it and its officers.

Since leaving government in 1996, Mr. Berger has made his livelihood bringing lawsuits against the NYPD and the City and has been a frequent critic of law enforcement. In his recently published article, he suggests that the City’s indemnification of officers for punitive damages is nefarious and leaves officers “unscathed” and unpunished. That is not the case.