Chicago City Wire

As reported previously, on March 21, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael Mullen issued a ruling allowing Chicago police officers to choose arbitration for the most serious disciplinary cases instead of having them heard by the Police Board. On April 19, the Fraternal Order of Police filed a notice of appeal against Judge Mullen’s decision. The union is contesting rulings that mandate arbitration proceedings be open to the public and permit accused officers to be suspended without pay while arbitration is pending.

The union's opening brief is due in July, indicating that it may take some time before the Illinois Appellate Court reaches a decision on the appeal. Since Judge Mullen’s ruling, as noted in the "Police Discipline" section of the Police Board website, 13 police officers with pending disciplinary cases have filed motions to transfer their cases to arbitration and terminate ongoing Police Board proceedings.

The Police Board continues to await further information from both parties regarding whether an agreement can be reached on a public arbitration process. The Board remains prepared to rule on these motions once this information is received.