CHICAGO — The Chicago City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a $90 million settlement for nearly 200 civil rights violations involving a notorious former police sergeant who framed people for drug crimes they didn’t commit in one of the biggest police misconduct scandals in the city’s history.
The groundbreaking deal closes out 176 lawsuits involving 180 wrongfully convicted people who spent close to 200 years combined behind bars, marking an end to one of the Chicago Police Department’s darkest chapters.
kAms:D8C2465 7@C>6C A@=:46 $8E] #@?2=5 (2EED 2?5 E96 F?:E 96 =65 7@C ?62C=J 2 564256 F?E:= a_`a H2D 244FD65 @7 A=2?E:?8 5CF8D @? DFDA64ED[ 72=D:7J:?8 A@=:46 C6A@CED 2?5 72=D6=J 244FD:?8 9@FD:?8 AC@;64E C6D:56?ED 2?5 @E96CD @7 5CF8 4C:>6D F?=6DD E96J A2:5 E96 @77:46CD @77]k^Am
kAm“(2EED 2?5 9:D E62> @7 @77:46CD E6CC@C:K65 E96 q=24>F?:EJ 😕 E96 x52 q] (6==D 9@FD:?8 AC@;64E 7@C @G6C 2 564256[” %96C6D2 z=6:?92FD[ 2? 2EE@C?6J C6AC6D6?E:?8 E96 :?5:G:5F2=D :?G@=G65 😕 E96 D6EE=6>6?E[ D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E E@ %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD] “%9:D D6EE=6>6?E 8:G6D @FC 4=:6?ED D@>6 >62DFC6 @7 ;FDE:46 7@C H92E E96J H6?E E9C@F89]”k^Am
kAm(2EED C6D:8?65 7C@> E96 A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 A=62565 8F:=EJ 😕 a_`a E@ DE62=:?8 7C@> 2 7656C2= :?7@C>2?E A@D:?8 2D 2 9@>6=6DD >2? 2?5 5CF8 562=6C 2D A2CE @7 2? F?56C4@G6C uqx DE:?8] w6 H2D D6?E6?465 E@ aa >@?E9D 😕 AC:D@? 😕 a_a`]k^Am
kAmx? E96 J62CD 27E6C[ 5@K6?D @7 C6D:56?ED @7 E96 x52 q] (6==D w@>6D @? r9:428@’D $@FE9 $:56 3682? 4@>:?8 7@CH2C5 H:E9 4=2:>D E96J 925 366? HC@?8=J 2CC6DE65 3J E96 A@=:46 F?:E (2EED =65]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 4=@D6D 2 ?2DEJ 2?5 F8=J 492AE6C E92E >2?J J@F?8 >6? @? E96 $@FE9 $:56 6?5FC65[” p=5] y2D@? tCG:? D2:5 29625 @7 E96 r:EJ r@F?4:= G@E6 %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAmp9>65 z@D@>6?E @? E96 D6EE=6>6?E 3FE 4=2:>65 E92E (2EED “?6:E96C 2CC6DE65[ 244FD65[ ?@C E6DE:7:65 282:?DE E96 A=2:?E:77D]”k^Am
kAm“w:D :?G@=G6>6?E[ H96C6 :E 6I:DE65 2E 2==[ H2D =:>:E65 E@ 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 E2D6?E E@ E96 p!] “x? >2?J :?DE2?46D[ 96 H2D ?@E 6G6? @? 5FEJ H96? E96 :?4:56?ED @44FCC65]”k^Am
kAmpE 2 r:EJ r@F?4:= 7:?2?46 4@>>:EE66 >66E:?8 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ E96 4:EJ’D 2EE@C?6JD D2:5 E96 42D6D 925 2=C625J 4@DE r9:428@ >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD 2?5 H@F=5 =::==:@?D >@C6 :7 2 D6EE=6>6?E H2D ?@E C624965] |2?J @7 E96 4@>>:EE66’D >6>36CD 6IAC6DD65 C6=:67 E92E :E H@F=5?’E 4@DE E96 4:EJ >@C6 E@ C6D@=G6 E96 7656C2= 4:G:= C:89ED 42D6D]k^Am
kAmr9:428@ E2IA2J6CD 92G6 =@?8 366? 2DF=E:>:==:@?\5@==2C A@=:46 >:D4@?5F4E =2HDF:ED[ 7F6=:?8 2 365C@4:DECFDE 36EH66? E96 4:EJ’D C6D:56?ED 2?5 :ED A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%96 562= 2=D@ 4@>6D 2D r9:428@ 7246D 2 3F586E D9@CE72== @7 @G6C S` 3:==:@? 7@C a_ae[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r9:428@ u:?2?4:2= uFEFC6 %2D 2?5 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E 7@C 4@F?ECJ’D E9:C5\=2C86DE 4:EJ 2C6 6DA64:2==J 724:?8 3F586E AC@3=6>D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmp=5] }:49@=2D $A@D2E@ AC2:D65 E96 D6EE=6>6?E 2D “E96 562= @7 2 46?EFCJ” 5FC:?8 %9FCD52J’D >66E:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am