Proposed $90M settlement aims to resolve Chicago police misconduct lawsuits

CHICAGO (WGN) – There’s a proposed settlement of $90 million the city of Chicago must pay in relation to a disgraced former police sergeant.

Chicago’s corporate counsel is proposing a $90 million settlement to end 176 lawsuits against the city, all 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.

All of those 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 difficult to accomplish,” Corporation Counsel Mary B. Richardson-Lowry said. “The liability of the city from my perspective was clear.”

According to Richardson-Lowry, if the city dragged this out and tried to settle each case individually, the total cost would have been between $350 million and $500 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.

Supporters of the settlement, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, argue the settlement would actually save the city from paying more.

“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.

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.”