Dolton board approves multiple settlements; attorney discloses two in-custody deaths
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Summary
The Dolton Village Board approved three settlement agreements, including one resolving a wrongful-death claim after an in-custody suicide. Village attorney said policies were violated in the incidents and the administration settled to avoid trial; officials scheduled executive session for legal matters.
The Dolton Village Board on Feb. 2 moved to resolve several outstanding legal matters, approving settlements the mayor and counsel said were necessary to close long-running litigation.
Attorney Mike McGrath told trustees the village inherited roughly 83–84 litigation files from the prior administration and that his office has "resolved 37 of those cases." He asked the board to approve three additional settlements that he said would reduce active matters handled directly by village counsel.
McGrath described one of the approved settlements in case number 2023L010831 as arising from the death of Darius Wilson, who was arrested on a domestic-battery charge and "was not checked over a period of time and was found to be, committed suicide in the jail cell." McGrath said the complaint alleged multiple rule and policy violations; the village chose to settle the case "for a large sum" rather than proceed to trial and said the incident — he added — followed a prior suicide in the same cell months earlier. "It's been discussed in executive session," McGrath said, and "we're not going to trial because, if we'd gone to trial, I think there would have been a judgment much larger than what this case settled for."
The board also approved settlements in case numbers 2024CH04190 and 2025M6010974 by roll call votes that were recorded as ayes from all trustees present. McGrath said three additional cases were being recommended for settlement that evening and that the number of open files managed directly by the village counsel would fall as settlements conclude.
McGrath provided an update on other litigation: the village filed a motion to dismiss in a vendor case (John's Poultry/Tree Service), won on four of five counts at the appellate level and expects one count to return to trial court for further proceedings. He noted roughly 10 matters were being handled by outside law firms and that legal fees have started to decline as cases resolve.
Mayor and trustees did not discuss settlement amounts on the record. McGrath warned the settled incidents could affect the village's insurance rates going forward.
The board voted to enter executive session for legal matters immediately following the public meeting; the mayor said no action would be taken after the executive session.
