Chicago to Approve Another $15M in CPD Misconduct Settlements; Ald Says "No End in Sight" to Cases

Chicago City Council's Finance Committee expected to approve payouts linked to notorious officers, wrongful convictions on Monday; City Council worries additional cases will stretch years into the future

Disgraced Chicago Cop Jon Burge responsible for another $15 million payout to settle more police misconduct lawsuitsPhoto byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

CHICAGO - Chicago is preparing to approve a $15 million settlement package related to multiple police misconduct cases, with the City Council's Finance Committee set to vote on Monday. The proposed payouts stem from five lawsuits filed since 2019 in both state and federal courts, involving two of the Chicago Police Department's most controversial figures, Jon Burge and Ronald Watts.

Among the cases set for settlement, the largest sum—$11.6 million—would go to Anthony Jakes. Jakes was coerced into falsely confessing to a 1991 murder when he was only 15 years old after being beaten by members of Burge’s infamous "midnight crew." He spent 20 years behind bars before his release in 2012.

In another significant case, Michael Liggins is set to receive $2.5 million. Liggins was wrongfully charged with murder in 2014 and spent years in Cook County Jail before his eventual acquittal at trial.

A separate lawsuit involving Alvin Waddy, who was falsely charged with drug crimes in 2007 by Sgt. Watts and his team, is set to settle for $500,000. Waddy was later exonerated, receiving a certificate of innocence in 2019.

These settlements represent just a fraction of the financial burden tied to police misconduct in the city. Chicago continues to grapple with a $223 million budget shortfall and a nearly $1 billion gap projected for 2025. Finance Committee Chair Pat Dowell acknowledged the ongoing fiscal challenges.

“There’s no end in sight,” Dowell said, referencing the number of pending cases related to Burge, Watts, and other officers. She pointed to efforts to manage risk by the city’s Law Department but noted the volume of cases that still remain in the system. "The one thing I’m pleased about is that [corporation] counsel has put in place a risk management division, and that they’re carefully weighing these cases and settlement requests."

The financial implications of these lawsuits continue to grow. Earlier this week, a federal jury awarded $50 million in damages to Marcel Brown, who was wrongfully convicted of a 2008 murder, setting a new benchmark for police misconduct payouts.

The Jakes case, which accounts for the largest settlement before the Finance Committee, highlights the lasting impact of Burge’s reign over the Chicago Police Department. Jakes was convicted based solely on a coerced confession, extracted by detectives working under Burge, who had a history of abusing suspects. After Jakes’ release, the Illinois Torture and Relief Commission found credible evidence that detectives tortured him into confessing. A Cook County special prosecutor eventually dismissed all charges.

Burge, who was sentenced to four and a half years in federal prison in 2011 for lying under oath about police torture, was not directly implicated in Jakes’ case. However, the shadow of his actions looms large over the city's police force and legal system. Burge died in 2018, and the lawsuit against the city was filed months after his death.

The Liggins settlement, set at $2.5 million, involves his wrongful arrest in connection to a 2008 murder. Liggins was falsely identified as one of the suspects in a failed robbery at a West Side grocery store. Though he wasn’t arrested until 2014, Liggins spent more than five years in jail before he was acquitted in 2019.

Alvin Waddy, who is in line for a $500,000 settlement, was a victim of Sgt. Watts and his team, who have been accused of falsifying arrests and extorting money from drug dealers. Waddy was arrested in 2007 on false drug charges at the Ida B. Wells housing project. After pleading guilty and serving time, Waddy’s conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was declared innocent.

Watts, like Burge, left a lasting impact on the city’s legal and law enforcement systems. He was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison in 2013 for his role in an FBI sting, where he was caught stealing from a homeless man posing as a drug dealer. Watts’ partner, Officer Kallatt Mohammed, was also sentenced to 18 months for his involvement.

The financial burden of settling these cases continues to mount. According to records from the city's Law Department, Chicago has paid $73 million in judgments and settlements related to lawsuits involving city agencies so far this year alone.