Via NY Daily News:
“The NYPD has taken on a prosecutorial role in a new effort to fend off lawsuits — a move civil rights advocates consider a conflict of interest and an attempt to chill political protest.
NYPD brass told the Daily News too many cases involving people they consider professional protesters are dismissed in summons court, paving the way for a civil lawsuit and settlement with the city.
“We’re trying to put some teeth into issuing these summons,” said Larry Byrne, Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters at the NYPD.
But the new police presence in court has left some defendants feeling uneasy.”
