Saved! That's one less trial Bernie Kerik -- and Rudy Giuliani -- have to worry about.

Granted, Kerik still faces trial on a sixteen-count criminal indictment for accepting bribes, cheating on taxes, and lying to the federal government. But no doubt it's good news for the Giuliani camp. Every little bit counts!

Yesterday, Eric DeRavin, a former New York City Correction Department officer, settled his discrimination lawsuit against the city. He'd charged that Kerik, when he led the department back in the 90's, had passed him over for promotions because he was African-American -- and because DeRavin made the mistake of crossing Kerik's mistress, Correction Officer Jeanette Pinero (one of Kerik's two mistresses who later visited Kerik at his 9/11 love nest). The court dismissed the claims about Pinero, but the city settled on the race discrimination claim for $125,000. The trial was due to begin soon, and Kerik was sure to testify. "I'm going to accept $125,000 and go away," DeRavin said, but added: "I hope Mr. Kerik gets his just desserts."

So Giuliani is spared the spectacle of Kerik testifying about why he'd passed over an African-American officer six times for promotion, the renewed focus on Kerik's romantic liaisons, and questions about why he hadn't been concerned about the fact that two different correction officers had sued the city, alleging that Kerik had retaliated against them because they'd crossed his mistress.

Because this wasn't the only suit, and it isn't the first time that the city has settled. Another correction officer, Herbert Reed, sued the city, claiming that Kerik and his underlings filed bogus disciplinary and sexual harassment actions against him after he wrote up a friend of Pinero's for insubordination. The city settled that one for $250,000 in 2003.

These were both longstanding suits (DeRavin filed in 2000, Reed in 2001), filed long before Giuliani was forced to break with Kerik in the wake of his disastrous nomination to be Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security in December, 2004. But Giuliani would probably say that we should file it away as just another aspect (click here for all the aspects) of Giuliani's admitted "mistake" in supporting Kerik for the nomination (after first appointing him commisioner of corrections, then the NYPD, then making him his business partner). Everybody makes mistakes, right?