- Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration asked a federal judge Monday to set aside a jury verdict in the infamous videotaped beating of a female bartender by an off-duty Chicago police officer — essentially agreeing to pay the woman $850,000 now in return for erasing the jury's finding that a police "code of silence" protected the cop.
The unusual request is an attempt to prevent last month's damaging verdict from being cited by lawyers in other lawsuits against the Police Department. The former bartender filed the motion jointly with the city; she stands to quickly collect the jury award she won without risking the chance of losing on appeal or having the trial judge reduce the amount.
It will be up to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve to weigh the interests of the parties involved in the lawsuit against the interest of the public in having the record of the jury's verdict stand. City lawyers said they plan to appear before the judge Monday.
So they're going to buy a verdict adjustment in order to prevent themselves from having to defend any future allegations of a code of silence?
What about all the rest of Kirby's scandals where the clout heavy were covered up for years? What about the "Friends of Phil" program? And that's only the high profile cases. How about ongoing sexual harassment beefs? EEOC complaints? Grievances ignored/dismissed because bosses close ranks around serial problems and pretend nothing happened?