Overview

• A Cook County appellate panel is set to rule Friday on whether serious-misconduct arbitration hearings for Chicago police can be closed to the public
• Nineteen of 23 officers facing grave allegations have elected binding arbitration instead of public Police Board proceedings, effectively stalling the board’s work
• Officer Eric Stillman, who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Little Village, is among six officers facing dismissal who chose arbitration
• City attorneys argue that transparent hearings are essential for maintaining public trust, while the Fraternal Order of Police cites state labor law to secure private, binding arbitration
• The appellate ruling could be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court and influence a six-decade federal transparency requirement for police discipline