# Chicago police discipline battle heads to state Supreme Court

> Chicago police misconduct cases face public hearings after state Supreme Court hearing.
- Title: Chicago police discipline battle heads to state Supreme Court
- Summary: Chicago police misconduct cases face public hearings after state Supreme Court hearing. Illinois Supreme Court will decide if Chicago police officers accused…
- Keywords: chicago police, illinois supreme court, police misconduct, disciplinary hearings, arbitration, police union, city council, public hearings, transparency, cpd, fraternal order of police, consent decree
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/police-reform/2026/09/23/chicago-police-misconduct-supreme-court
- Published: 2026-09-23T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: chicago police, illinois supreme court, police misconduct, disciplinary hearings, arbitration, police union, city council, public hearings, transparency, cpd, fraternal order of police, consent decree
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Illinois Supreme Court will decide if Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct must have public disciplinary hearings.