CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago police officers who are accused of serious misconduct will be able to plead their cases to an arbitrator, according to a Cook County judge's ruling announced Thursday. The arbitration, though, will be publicly accessible.
The ruling from Cook County Judge Michael Mullen settled a controversial case between city leaders and the Fraternal Order of Police, which dated back to summer 2023.
The union has argued that officers accused of misconduct are entitled to private arbitration, while Mayor Brandon Johnson and others have cited the need for transparency.
The split ruling attempts to find a compromise between the city and the union.
Mullen wrote, in part, that the argument made by an arbitrator in 2023 — that police officers facing the most serious disciplinary cases deserve a right to private proceedings — goes against a well-defined and dominant public policy of accountability and transparency regarding government services.
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