Ahead of DOJ report release, Progressive Caucus demands City Hall address concerns

around Law Departments handling of evidence, FOIA

CHICAGO (January 12, 2016)--The Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus on Thursday
demanded that the Emanuel administration address an apparent pattern of obfuscation by the City
Department of Law. The Caucus voiced concern that federal judges have sanctioned the Law
Department several times for withholding evidence in police abuse cases, most recently by U.S.
District Court Judge Joan Gottschall, who ruled that the Department acted in "bad faith" during the
discovery process in a recent lawsuit. It was the eighth such sanction since 2011. This is in addition
to more than 20 suits where the City has paid out nearly $700,000 in court-ordered legal fees for
violating the Freedom of Information Act.
The call from the Progressive Caucus comes as the U.S. Department of Justice prepares to release a
report on its own civil pattern or practice investigation into Chicago Police Department (CPD),
sparked in part by the scandal surrounding the murder of Laquan McDonald.
The 11-member Caucus urged the Emanuel administration to clarify the Citys plan to address
serious concerns raised by Judge Gottschall and others regarding the Law Departments evidentiary
practices.
This is an ongoing problem, and it starts at the top, said Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6), who is also chair
of the City Council Black Caucus. Eight sanctions in six years isnt a coincidence--its a sign of an
intentional practice of concealment on the part of the Law Department. We need to know what the
Emanuel administration plans to do to address this before taxpayers get hit with even more lawsuits.
Any day now, Chicago will once again be the center of attention for its troubled criminal justice
system. Mayor Emanuel must seize this moment to truly clean house, said Progressive Caucus
Chair Ald. Scott Waguespack (32). The leadership in our Law Department has consistently
concealed information and prevented true transparency on many issues. The fifth floor must address
this issue forcefully and clearly, and it must do it now.
Mayor Emanuel pledged to be the most open, accountable, and transparent government that the
City of Chicago has ever seen. Now is his chance to make good on that commitment, said Ald.
Leslie Hairston (5). He must lay out a clear plan to reform the Law Department and restore public
faith in that office and in our criminal justice system as a whole.
The aldermen said they planned to ask the Office of the Inspector General and the Illinois Attorney
General to review the Law Departments evidentiary and disclosure procedures.
The 11-member Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus includes Ald. Sophia King (4), Ald.
Leslie Hairston (5), Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6), Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10), Ald. Toni Foulkes
(16), Ald David Moore (17), Ald. Ricardo Muoz (22), Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29), Ald. Scott
Waguespack (32), Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) and Ald. John Arena (45).

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