Illinois Supreme Court Showdown in Consequential Hearing to Determine if Chicago Police Misconduct Hearings be heard Privately by Arbitration or Publically
by Chicago Police Board
January 3rd, 2025
Purpose: PUSH For 5 Coalition Official Statement on Illinois Supreme Court Hearing on Chicago Police Misconduct to be Heard by Arbitration or Chicago Police Board.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
The Push 5 Coalition EMPHATICALLY condemns the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for embracing a lack of transparcey to hold Chicago Police misconduct hearings from PUBLIC TO PRIVATE WITH AN ARBITRATOR.
Make no mistake about it, the FOP is mimicking the Trump Administration to turn back this society to the past. The old arbitration from the past like IPRA (Independent Police Review Authority) was Chicago’s civilian agency from 2007 to 2017 that investigated serious misconduct allegations against Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers, like excessive force or shootings, but it was replaced by COPA (Civilian Office of Police Accountability). Pre-LaQuan McDonald, these investigation agencies IPRA that is COPA, Chicago Police Board including arbitration would disregard evidence and would shield a Chicago Police Officer from accountability for its crimes towards civilians.,( 2021,CBS 2 Chicago).
According to WTTW, The state Supreme Court case puts 21 cases in limbo, as the Police Board is unable to move forward with any hearings amid the legal fight, (2025, Wadier). To explain more, we know that the case of Adam Toledo and Reginald Clay, Jr. both cases have secured evidenetary hearings that is scheduled to proceed in review by Chicago Police Board. However, WTTTW is correct that both these families remain in limbo until this is all resolved in a court proceeding.
As previously stated, the old arbitration proceedings, IPRA which is now COPA, and Chicago Police Board, was pro-Chicago Police to help them avoid accountability, but the murder of LaQuan McDonald by Former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke ushered in a new form of transparency and reform. Federal Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr, according to a released statement by the Chicago Mayor’s Press Office, mandated that “The State of Illinois and and the City of Chicago have entered into a Consent Decree that requires changes to the policies and operations of the Chicago Police Department, the Civilian Ofice of Police Accountability, and the Police Board., (2000, Chicago Police Board.
As it stands, because of Federal Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr willingness to examine the clear patterns of the Chicago Police consistent abuses of power in police misconduct, the Federal Consent decree recommended reform to the two independent agencies in Civilian Office Police Accountability (COPA) & Chicago Police Board, (2000, Chicago Police Board) because the investigative agencies was just as corrupt like the Chicago Police. On the other hand, John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge 7, continues to rely on a weak argument in general.
According to WTTW, they quote Catanzara by saying, “since police officers in Illinois don’t have the right to strike, state law gives them the option to have some discipline cases decided behind closed doors instead of through the Chicago Police Board’s public process, (2025, Wadier). However, what Mr. Cantanzara continues to overlook is that the reason why public opinion request these meetings remain public is because union contracts earned a tremendous amount of leeway in addition to immunity in criminal and civil liability. To explain, Chicago Police Officers was given what is known as a “bill of rights” during the LaQuan McDonald murder reported by “The Chicago Reporter.”
The Chicago Reporter says,
· officers can refuse lie detector tests.
· Officers can get in writing information about an investigation, including who will question them and what they’ll be asked.
· Cops who shoot civilians can delay making an official statement for several days, and investigators can’t interview them without providing transcripts of every prior interview or notifying them.
· Police complaint and disciplinary records must be destroyed in five or seven years based on the type of alleged offense, making it harder to show a pattern of misconduct, (2015, Emmanuel).
Even further, LaQuan McDonald era mandated change and the Federal Consent decree was something to show that this society is open for change. This change only occurred because activist and grassroot organization voiced loundly that reform is necessary. In other words, when a court has a defendant that appears in court, the plaintiff must show to confirm the allegations alleged against the defendant to proceed. However, if the plaintiff is absent, the case is dismissed and the the defendant is free. This example correlates to the LaQuan McDonald case. Reform was made possible because the plaintiff showed up to court and the federal judge had to recognize that the voices on this matter requires some reform.
WTTW reports, “The Illinois Supreme Court is set to weigh in next year on whether serious Chicago Police Department misconduct cases must be heard publicly.
This comes after the Fraternal Order of Police — Chicago’s largest police union — appealed an earlier ruling from a lower court requiring public disciplinary hearings to decide the fate of officers facing termination or suspension of at least a year, (2025, Wadier).
Reference:
Wadier, B.A., (2025, December 23). Battle Over Chicago Police Discipline Heads to State Supreme Court, Sparking Debate on Serious Misconduct Hearings.
https://news.wttw.com/2025/12/23/battle-over-chicago-police-discipline-heads-state-supreme-court-sparking-debate-serious
Chicago Police Board, (2000). Consent Decree. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cpb/supp_info/consent-decree.html#:~:text=The%20State%20of%20Illinois%20and,Accountability%2C%20and%20the%20Police%20Board.
Mayor’s Press Office, (2019, March 1.). Statement from Mayor Emanuel On Consent Decree, Monitor Selection.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2019/march/StatementConsentDecree.html#:~:text=With%20the%20appointment%20of%20the,CPD%2C%20and%20safer%20streets.%22
Emmanuel, A. (2015, December 10). Chicago police contract scrutinized in the aftermath of Laquan McDonald’s death. https://www.chicagoreporter.com/chicago-police-contract-scrutinized-in-the-aftermath-of-laquan-mcdonalds-
death/#:~:text=Part%20of%20the%20agreement%2C%20known,show%20a%20pattern%20of%20misconduct.
CBS 2 Chicago, (2021, June 4). Fired As Investigator At Police Watchdog Agency, Lorenzo Davis Awarded $1.1 Million In Damages In Whistleblower Lawsuit.
