Chicago Police Board: Arbitration appeal delays several disciplinary hearings

Vice President Claudia Badillo told the Chicago Police Board at its April 17 meeting that the Fraternal Order of Police has appealed parts of a March 2024 Cook County Circuit Court decision that allowed officers to choose arbitration over police-board hearings. "We learned earlier this week that the appellate court has scheduled oral arguments for June 17," Badillo said.

Badillo said the union is challenging the circuit court's rulings that arbitration proceedings be open to the public and that accused officers may be suspended without pay while cases are pending. She said that, as a result, there will be at least several months before the appellate court decides the case and that there may be a subsequent appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Badillo provided caseload figures: four new disciplinary cases were filed in the past month; 17 cases currently before the board involve accused officers who have requested arbitration and are therefore on hold. Five police-board cases are moving forward because the accused officers elected a board hearing rather than await arbitration.

The board did not set new hearing dates at the meeting and Badillo directed members and the public to the police board website for updates. "There will be no arbitration hearings until the establishment of a public arbitration process, and there will be no police board hearings without the consent of the accused officer," she said.

The board did not vote on new policy changes regarding arbitration during the meeting. Next procedural steps will depend on appellate outcomes and any subsequent court rulings.

The police board said it would post written decisions and notices of any scheduling changes on its website, chicago.gov/policeboard.