Chicago committee approves $260M police misconduct settlement

A Chicago City Council committee has approved a settlement exceeding $260 million to resolve wrongful conviction lawsuits involving former Chicago Police Department Detective Reynaldo Guevara. The settlement aims to compensate more than a dozen exonerated individuals who were framed by Guevara, some of whom spent nearly 400 years collectively behind bars for crimes they did not commit.

If the full City Council approves the measure, it could become the largest single police misconduct settlement in United States history. Mayor Brandon Johnson stated that the city has an obligation to address the harm caused by the system and provide forms of reparation. The funds for the settlement are expected to be drawn from the city’s 2027 budget.