Judge Recommends Stiff Sanctions for NYPD's 'Pattern' of Delay, Noncompliance

Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak of the Eastern District of New York delivered a searing recommendation for sanctions against New York City over what Pollak called “an unprecedented and disturbing pattern of delay and failure to comply” with court orders.

The report and recommendation in Martinez v. City of New York, 16-cv-00079, outlines a multiyear legal battle that began when police arrested the plaintiff, Rosie Martinez, during a drug bust in late January 2015. Martinez claims that, during questioning at the 107 Precinct in central Queens, officers choked her, hit her and violently bent her fingers back, causing permanent injury to her right hand. She alleges she was denied medical care until she was transferred to central booking the next day.

Police have denied the allegations, claiming Martinez suffered self-induced injuries from punching a wall while in custody.