From Chicago Sun-Times · · 2m
Chicago police discipline battle heads to state Supreme Court
Chicago police misconduct cases face public hearings after state Supreme Court hearing.
In brief
Chicago police misconduct cases face public hearings after state Supreme Court hearing. Illinois Supreme Court will decide if Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct must have public disciplinary hearings. Originally reported by Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago police discipline battle
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State Supreme Court hearing
Illinois Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday on whether disciplinary hearings for Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct must remain open to the public.
Legal battle timeline
The case began in Summer 2023 when an arbitrator found state law allowed members the right to final and binding arbitration, like other public sector employees.
City Council rejection
City Council voted the decision down twice, handing the issue over to the courts.
Cook County ruling
In March 2024, a Cook County judge ruled officers could bypass the police board and have their cases heard by an arbitrator, but hearings could not be held in private.
Appellate court decision
Last August, a panel of appellate judges upheld the lower court’s ruling, finding that moving hearings behind closed doors would violate public policy, which favors police accountability and transparency.
Union appeal
The police union appealed, arguing the appellate panel ignored established state law that allows for private arbitration and drafted its own rules based on its policy preferences.
City response
The city argued moving hearings behind closed doors would break with a decades-old practice and represent a serious step back in the department’s reform efforts.
City transparency claim
The city wrote transparency has been crucial in Chicago, where the policing landscape is extraordinarily complex and many residents harbor mistrust towards police.
Attorney general stance
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul warned excluding the public from hearings would undermine the Consent Decree’s reforms and public confidence in CPD.
Current case status
Over two dozen officers with pending charges have chosen to take their cases to arbitration, leaving them in limbo as they await the court’s ruling.
Officer Eric Stillman case
Officer Eric Stillman, who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo during a foot chase into an alley in Little Village in March 2021, is among seven officers accused of using deadly force.
Next steps
Oral arguments begin Thursday at 9 a.m. and will be streamed on the Illinois Supreme Court’s website.
At a glance
Illinois Supreme Court will decide if Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct must have public disciplinary hearings.
