Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments on changes to Chicago police disciplinary hearing rules
The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday was set to hear legal arguments in a years-long case over whether Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct can have their disciplinary hearings held behind closed doors.
The union wants to give officers the right to have their cases decided by an arbitrator instead of the Chicago Police Board.
The Fraternal Order of Police pushed for the option of closed-door hearings during contract negotiations in 2023. Arbitrator Edwin Benn ruled at the time that officers facing a suspension of at least a year or termination have the right to have their cases decided by an arbitrator.
In December 2023, the City Council voted 33-16 to reject Benn's ruling. At the time, Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) said moving misconduct cases against police officers behind closed doors "would take away the public's confidence in the disciplinary process."
But the police union's most vocal supporters in City Council emphasized at the time that state law requires police officers to have the option of having disciplinary cases decided through arbitration, in part because they don't have the right to strike.
After the City Council vote, Benn reaffirmed his decision, putting the ball back in the council's court. The City Council went on to reject the ruling again in February 2024, by a vote of 32-18.
In March 2024, a judge ruled that officers facing dismissal or suspensions of more than a year can have their disciplinary cases decided in arbitration, rather than by the Chicago Police Board, but those hearings must be open to the public.
This led to an appeal. The Illinois Appellate Court later upheld the judge's ruling, and the Fraternal Order of Police appealed to the state Supreme Court.
