Chicago Police Board finds officer not guilty in residency case; board cautions arbitration outcome remains unsettled

The Chicago Police Board voted unanimously on June 18 to find Officer Paris Sevier not guilty of failing to reside in the city of Chicago and adopted written findings that will be entered, sent to the parties and posted on the board's website.

"The motion passes by a vote of 8 to 0," Board President Kyle Cooper announced after calling the roll on a motion to find the officer not guilty in case 24PB3041. Cooper said the written findings and decision had been reviewed by participating board members before being adopted for entry.

Cooper used the time following the vote to update the public on litigation over arbitration for the city’s most serious disciplinary cases. He said the Fraternal Order of Police has appealed portions of a March 2024 Cook County circuit-court ruling that, among other things, allows officers to choose arbitration over a board hearing, requires arbitration proceedings to be open to the public and permits suspension without pay while cases are pending. "The case is pending before the Illinois appellate court," Cooper said, noting oral arguments were held this week and a decision could take months and might be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Because the appellate timeline is uncertain, Cooper advised officers facing the most serious charges to consider electing a police board hearing rather than waiting for an undefined arbitration process. "Given the long amount of time it likely will take to resolve the arbitration issue, I just wanna take this moment to encourage officers facing the most serious cases of police disciplinary conduct to elect to have their cases heard before the police board rather than wait an indefinite amount of time," he said.

Cooper provided background figures he said the board has reported since 2021: "the police board has decided 43 cases following a full hearing on the charges," and, as he stated it, a set of outcome figures: "In 37% of those cases, the board ordered the accused officer discharge," "in 35 of those cases, the board imposed a lesser penalty than that recommended by the superintendent," and "in 28 of those cases, the board found the officer not guilty of all the accused charges." These statements were made during Cooper's update; the numbers as reported in the meeting transcript are internally inconsistent (see audit notes).

The board’s website (chicago.gov/policeboard) will carry the written decisions and updates on the litigation, Cooper said. He emphasized the board's stated commitment to fair hearings and due process, including rights to cross-examine witnesses and present mitigation evidence.

What happens next: the written findings in case 24PB3041 will be posted and the appellate litigation over arbitration remains pending; no timeline for a final appellate disposition was given.