As Police Board President Kyle Cooper reported at previous Police Board meetings, the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents Chicago police officers below the rank of sergeant, has appealed two rulings that are part of the March 2024 Cook County Circuit Court decision that allows officers to choose to have the most serious police disciplinary cases heard by an arbitrator rather than the Police Board.

The case is before the Illinois Appellate Court, where the union is challenging the Circuit Court’s rulings that arbitration proceedings be open to the public and that accused officers may be suspended without pay while their case is pending. The Appellate Court has scheduled oral arguments for June 17. It therefore will be at least several months before the Appellate Court decides the case, and then there may be an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Four new disciplinary cases have been filed with the Police Board thus far in 2025. Three of the four accused officers have requested arbitration, bringing to 19 the total number of cases currently before the Police Board in which the accused officer has requested arbitration. These cases are on hold—there will be no arbitration hearings until the establishment of a public arbitration process, and there can be no Police Board hearing without the consent of the accused officer.

Five Police Board cases are moving forward because the accused officers elected to have a Police Board hearing rather than wait for arbitration.

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