The city
has agreed to pay more than $250,000 to 16 people who were arrested in Bushwick
while on their way to a wake, according to their lawyer.

The
teenagers and young adults – who were among 32 people arrested in May 2007 –
will receive between $9,000 and $23,000 each for being falsely arrested and
prosecuted, said attorney Michael Scolnick. The other members of the group did
not pursue legal action.

The settlement,
reached earlier this month, will cost the city $257,000.

"This
is a good result for these young people," Scolnick said.

On May 21,
2007, the so-called Bushwick 32 – a mix of boys, girls and young adults ranging
in age from 13 to their early 20s – were walking to a train station to attend
the funeral of a slain friend. That’s when cops from the 83rd Precinct arrested
them and charged them with unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct.

"One
thing that was clear from the very beginning is that when these young people
were faced with a difficult situation … they behaved in a very smart
way," said Oona Chatterjee, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, a community-based organization that supports the
youngsters. "They complied with all police instructions."

Supporters
of the group will gather at 1 Police Plaza today at noon to announce the
settlement.

The Brooklyn district attorney’s office declined to comment.

Kate
O’Brien Ahlers, a spokeswoman for the city Law Department, said the settlement
had not been finalized.