CHICAGO (WGN) – The city of Chicago’s law department is proposing a $90 million settlement for dozens of cases connected to a disgraced former police sergeant.
Chicago’s corporate counsel is proposing the settlement to resolve the remaining 176 lawsuits against the city tied to former police Sgt. Ronald Watts and another officer who pleaded guilty more than a decade ago to stealing money from an FBI informant.
The lawsuits represented people who allege their convictions were based on fabricated evidence from Watts and his team.
Their convictions have been vacated, and nearly all plaintiffs were granted certificates of innocence.
“This was not a difficult conclusion for me to reach. It was a difficult task to accomplish,” Corporation Counsel Mary B. Richardson-Lowry said. “The liability of the city from my perspective was clear.”
Supporters of the settlement, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, argue the settlement would (delete actually) save the city from paying more.
According to Richardson-Lowry, if the city tried to settle each case individually, the total cost would have been between $350 million and $500 million. The city has already paid $25 million.
Under what’s referred to as a global settlement, each plaintiff will receive between $150,000 and $3 million, depending on the specifics of their cases and how long they spent in prison.
“It’s a big win for the city and a big win for the taxpayer,” Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward), vice chair of the Finance Committee, said. “We need to make sure we’re righting the wrongs of the past while making sure we’re taking care of Chicago’s future.”
“It is in the City’s best interest to resolve the Ronald Watts saga in a manner that does not place a deeper financial burden on taxpayers. This is a good settlement. It is my hope that my colleagues will support this settlement agreement so we can close the door on these cases and focus on restoring the public’s trust in policing our communities,” Ald. Pat Dowell said in a statement.
The mayor said in a statement, “It’s a historic moment that reflects our commitment to accountability and healing.”
Ald. Brian Hopkins agrees the settlement is the right move, despite some reservations.
“Today’s police department has been reformed to the extent that a police officer like Ronald Watts could not exist any longer,” Hopkins said. “It’s very difficult for us as a city council to vote to give millions of dollars to people we believe are guilty of other crimes, and that’s certainly the case here…it’s a black eye on Chicago, but it’s from the past and it’s time to pay these lawyers and make this go away once and for all.”
The city said all plaintiffs and their attorneys have accepted the proposed settlement. It will be presented to City Council for a vote on Monday, Sept. 15. It will also be presented to the finance committee that same day.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys sent the following statement on the proposed settlement:
“After nearly a decade of litigation, we are happy that the parties were able to work together to reach a resolution to this dark chapter in the City’s history. This was the responsible thing to do and is ultimately a fair result for all parties.”
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