IPRA chief makes new agency appointments

In a March 11 email from the then-head of the Independent Police Review Authority, Scott Ando, he asks about forwarding witness interview transcripts to the city’s law department “for their use in [lawsuit] settlement negotiations with” the McDonald family.

The acting head of the authority that investigates complaints against Chicago Police will tout her plans for reforming the agency following outrage over shootings by police including one in which a video showed a white officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. The video prompted protests and led to a civil rights investigation of the entire department by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Chang’s Monday ruling throws out an April jury decision that two officers were justified in killing Darius Pinex during a 2011 traffic stop. Both officers testified at the trial that they had pulled Pinex’s Oldsmobile over because it matched a description they’d heard over their police radios of a auto wanted in an earlier shooting.

“Attorneys who might be tempted to bury late-surfacing information need to know that, if discovered, any verdict they win will be forfeit and their clients will pay the price”, the judge wrote.

A federal judge in Chicago has ordered a new trial in a civil case focused on a fatal police shooting after he concluded a city lawyer sought to hide evidence. It also said it was reviewing its training and evidence-gathering procedures.

“He said the attorney for the city had intentionally hidden evidence, which is very troubling”, Steve Greenberg, the attorney for Pinex’s family, told CNN affiliate WBBM.

Rauner commented on the growing Chicago police misconduct scandal and allegations of a coverup by his friend, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

“In this case, I think that they should release any and all reports and statements from witnesses at the scene”.

A statement from the department says Jordan Marsh submitted his resignation Monday.

Rauner also vowed to block funding for Chicago’s severely cash-strapped public schools, which have warned of massive layoffs in the months ahead without a state rescue, unless Emanuel’s administration backs the Republican governor’s efforts to pass business-friendly legislation making it harder for injured workers to collect damages and to weaken public-sector labor unions.

Sharon Fairley said IPRA still won’t be able to divulge all the details about investigations while they are underway.