COURT RULES THAT THE NYPD USES QUOTAS!

A Brooklyn jury declared Friday that city cops are motivated by their arrest numbers when making collars.

The potentially ground-breaking decision came in a civil trial brought by Carolyn Bryant, 46, who sued the NYPD for injuring her during a 2006 arrest.

Jurors came back with an invalid verdict, deciding there was no false arrest. But they still awarded punitive damages, prompting Bryant to accept a $75,000 out-of-court settlement.

But on the most explosive issue - the question of whether the police had a policy "regarding the number of arrests officers were to make that violated plaintiff's constitutional rights and contributed to her arrest" - the panel of six men answered "Yes."

Bryant's lawyer, Seth Harris, said the quota decision could affect future cases. "Other lawyers can now argue convincingly that the issue of quotas has been decided," he said.

Jurors said they were swayed by Capt. Alex Perez of the 81st Precinct, who testified arrest numbers are a factor in assessing cops.

City lawyer Zev Singer denied the NYPD used quotas.

"We are gratified that the jury found this was a lawful arrest," he said. "However, the New York City Police Department does not use quotas."

Bryant claimed she was hurt confronting cops who busted her son for drugs. Charges against her were dropped and the drug case against her son was dismissed.

"I'm very happy justice was served," she said after the verdict.

The payout was a pittance compared to the nearly $5 million her lawyer asked the jury to award. "It's a moral victory," Harris said. "It's not always about the money."



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