The Associated Press commented that New York City settled with resident Jill Coccaro for a sum of $29,000 in regards to her arrest for exposing her breasts. Coccaro, who now goes by the name Phoenix Feeley, had been arrested two years ago for a topless stroll in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Feeley had chosen to walk bare-breasted after running a city marathon, stating, “I’ve always felt that was something natural. I’ve kind of always done it out of practicality.”Feeley claimed mistreatment in the arrest, noting she had been held without charges for 12 hours, had been pulled from the patrol car by her hair, and had been forced to undergo psychiatric evaluation. However, officers failed to recognize that a 1992 state appeals court ruling protected women’s right to take off their shirts in public. The ruling, which stands as a state precedent, maintains that women should have the same rights as men in this respect.City representatives refused to admit or deny any wrongdoing. Feeley’s attorney commented, “We hope the police learn a lesson and respect the rights of women to go topless.” more