A new study has revealed the states that have paid out the most amount of money in police misconduct settlements, with New York coming first.
Personal Injury lawyers at Whitley Law Firm analyzed the number of police misconduct cases and their settlements in each state using the National Police Funding database. An average compensation amount was calculated based on the number of cases with a settlement and the total compensation paid to reveal the rankings.
New York ranks first as the state that has paid the most in settlement money for police misconduct, spending an average of $72,961,800 per settlement case.
In total, the state has spent a staggering $1.094 billion on settlements.
Between 2010 and 2014, New York City spent $601.3 million on police misconduct settlements, with nearly $270 million more spent in 2017 and 2018. Nassau County spent a further $100 million on lawsuit settlements and judgments between 2006 and 2013.
Illinois is second, paying an average of $22,007,000 per settlement case.
Overall, the state has spent $330.1 million on police misconduct cases, with Chicago responsible for over 75% of this amount between 2010 and 2014. More recently in 2022, Chicago paid an additional $14.25 million to Daniel Taylor, after he spent 21 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit.
In third is Pennsylvania; the state has spent an average of $14,798,000 per police misconduct settlement.
Despite only having four settlements, Pennsylvania has paid out a total of $59,192,000 in settlement money, the fifth-largest sum of any state. Between 2010 and 2014, the City of Philadelphia spent $54.3 million on police misconduct cases. The most recent case awarded $2.5 million to the family of Walter Wallace, who was shot and killed by Philadelphia police in 2020.
Kentucky ranks fourth, paying an average of $12,000,000 per settlement case.
Unlike other states in the top ten, Kentucky has only had one police misconduct settlement case, but it is one of the largest settlements in US history. The City of Louisville paid $12 million to the Taylor family in connection with the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was asleep when police entered her home after obtaining a ‘no-knock’ warrant. Her boyfriend fired a warning shot to scare off intruders, and the police then shot Breonna five times.
In fifth is California; the state has paid an average of $11,873,393 per settlement case.
In total, California has spent $332.5 million on police misconduct cases, the second-largest amount in the US. The state also has the highest number of settlement cases, at 29—an 81% increase over New York, which has the second-highest number, at 16. Between 2005 and 2018, Los Angeles paid $190 million for police misconduct settlements.
Wisconsin is sixth, paying an average of $11,075,000 per police misconduct settlement case. The state has only had two settlement cases, most recently involving NBA player Sterling Brown, who accepted a $750,000 settlement to drop his lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department after they used excessive force against him for parking in a handicapped spot.
Massachusetts is seventh, spending an average of $7,849,999 per settlement case. In total, the state has paid $39,249,997 on police misconduct cases. In 2022, a jury awarded Lee Hutchins Sr. $250,000 after a trial related to a police brutality case.
In eighth is Arizona; the state has paid approximately $7,400,000 per settlement case. There have been five cases in Arizona, with four of those ending in compensation. In 2020, the City of Phoenix settled a lawsuit by the family of Ryan Whitaker for $3 million.
Maryland is ninth, paying $6,773,250 on average per police misconduct settlement case. In 2012, Prince George’s County paid a total of $3.6 million to 10 University of Maryland students who alleged they were wrongfully arrested, and several assaulted, following local riots in 2010.
Michigan is tenth, paying an average of $6,478,333 per settlement case. Between 2015 and 2018, Detroit paid $19.1 million on police misconduct settlements, with the two largest claims resulting from unlawful shooting claims.
| Rank | State | Compensation per settlement case |
| 1 | New York | $72,961,800 |
| 2 | Illinois | $22,007,000 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $14,798,000 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $12,000,000 |
| 5 | California | $11,873,393 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $11,075,000 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $7,849,999 |
| 8 | Arizona | $7,400,000 |
| 9 | Maryland | $6,773,250 |
| 10 | Michigan | $6,478,333 |
A spokesperson from Whitley Law Firm has commented on the findings: “When we see states from every region in the top ten, it’s a powerful reminder that police misconduct isn’t a localized issue. It’s a nationwide challenge that requires a unified commitment to reform.
“These settlement costs reflect a deeper problem that impacts both citizens and the entire justice system itself. The goal should be to create policies and training that protects both communities and officers.
“Every dollar spent on a misconduct settlement is a dollar that could have been invested in community resources, safety initiatives, and police training. It’s critical that we work to ensure that these settlements become rare, not routine.”
