THE CITY’s Lawsuit Reveals Botched Domestic Violence Responses

January 22, 2026

THE CITY struck a blow for transparency and media access to criminal justice data with our January 2026 investigation into the NYPD’s handling of domestic violence. 

In 2023, THE CITY sued the NYPD for illegally withholding police misconduct records in violation of New York’s public records law. 

In June 2024, the New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of THE CITY’s lawsuit, and ordered the police to hand over all misconduct cases — including those that ended in private settlements, which the police had been holding back. 

After nearly three years of litigation, and a painstaking analysis of more than 2,000 pages of disciplinary records, THE CITY revealed a consistent lack of serious repercussions for officer wrongdoing, notably in many cases where domestic violence calls were mishandled. In 20 of the 130 domestic violence cases that we examined, the cops themselves were the perpetrators.

Our reporting has also helped families find closure and gain insight into the cases of their loved ones, and our lawsuit could set an important legal precedent for other journalists seeking records of private settlements of disciplinary cases.

Thank you for reading — and for being a part of what makes the city and THE CITY so great. Please consider donating to help keep our reporters on the beat. 

To read more about THE CITY’s impact, view our impact page. Or, read our latest impact report.