In 2009, Chicago’s court system was hopelessly clogged by cases alleging police misconduct. For years, the city’s Department of Law had watched as the number of misconduct allegations crept upward. With the increasing strain on municipal resources, Chicago’s attorneys were forced to settle many cases out of court, which reflected poorly on the city’s bottom line and police force.
But Chicago found a somewhat counterintuitive way to save money and save face -- by taking every single police misconduct case to court.
The result?
- The move is working better than anyone had anticipated. In the first year after the city began taking every case to court, the number of federal civil rights cases filed against police officers dropped by almost 50 percent. In addition, cases brought against officers are being voluntarily dismissed at higher rates. In 2009, about 18 percent of plaintiffs voluntarily dropped their case. By October 2010, nearly 46 percent of plaintiffs dropped their case. The Department of Law told the city that the results are "nothing short of astonishing."
Astonishing only to anyone who wasn't paying attention for years. It is a simple fact of economics - if you reward misbehavior by plaintiffs, you are going to get more of it. If you fight it, and fight it early and wholeheartedly, you will get less. In this case, a whole lot less.
There is no doubt in our minds that certain law firms were getting a lot of business steered in their direction by the lure of easy payouts from the city. And we don't doubt more than a few of those settlement dollars found their way into certain political campaigns. We're glad someone finally saw the light and shut off this spigot.
There is no doubt in our minds that certain law firms were getting a lot of business steered in their direction by the lure of easy payouts from the city. And we don't doubt more than a few of those settlement dollars found their way into certain political campaigns. We're glad someone finally saw the light and shut off this spigot.