$260M "global" settlement of Guevara abuse cases advances

CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- Seventeen people who say a retired Chicago police detective beat and coerced them into falsely confessing to murder could be in line for part of a history-making payment from city taxpayers, following a vote in a City Council committee.

Members of the Council's Finance Committee voted Monday to advance a proposed $260 million payment to settle 16 separate lawsuits from people who say they were mistreated by former Det. Reynaldo Guevara, who retired in 2005.

"The mass settlement of these 16 cases is in the best interest of taxpayers," Jessica Felker from the city of Chicago Law Department told aldermen during the morning hearing. "Juries are unpredictable. The city's potential liability is more than a half a billion dollars" if the lawsuits are allowed to go to trial, she added.

The people covered by this potential payment ranged in age from 14 to 28 when they were arrested, and spent a collective 383 years behind bars for murders they say they did not commit. Under the agreement, the city will split the total amount into four equal payments to be made over the next two years.

"Swallowing this is like bad medicine," said Southwest side Ald. Raymond Lopez, who has been a critic of past settlements but said he would "hold his tongue" and vote in favor of it while voicing concern about whether and how the city would find the money for future settlements.

"We really need to watch where we're going moving forward with this," said Ald. Lopez (15th Ward). "This body needs to have a broader, more in-depth conversation with regard to settlements."

South side Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor noted that 40% of that $260 million payment will go to lawyers, and not the plaintiffs: "What they've lost in years, this money is not going to replace."

She also expressed frustration that Det. Guevara was able to retire without being charged with a crime, and under state law is still entitled to collect a pension.

"We're paying two times for this person," said Ald. Taylor (20th Ward), whose ward will be the site of the city's future monument to victims of police misconduct. "Over 50 lawsuits, and then he gets a pension."

The full Council is set to consider final passage on October 14.