The union representing Chicago police officers wants a special prosecutor to replace Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in any case where a cop is the victim of a crime or has been accused of misconduct.
Citing a “deep mistrust” of Foxx’s office in a letter dated Monday, the Fraternal Order of Police leaders note that special prosecutors have been appointed to replace Foxx in two recent cases — an apparent reference to a judge’s order appointing a special prosecutor to re-investigate the criminal case against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett and Foxx’s decision to recuse herself from the prosecution of activist Jedidiah Brown after officer filed a petition claiming Brown battered them at a demonstration.
“A deep mistrust now exists between your office and ours. We no longer believe that your office will treat our members fairly either in the arrests they make or when they are victims of crimes,” reads the letter, signed by FOP President Kevin Graham, Vice Presidents Pat Murray and Martin Preib, and Legal Defense Co-Chair Robert Bartlett.
“We are therefore demanding that all cases in which our members are the victims of crimes or accused of misconduct be turned over to a special prosecutor. This is the only way we can guarantee fair treatment to our members.”
The letter goes on to claim “numerous allegations” that Foxx’s prosecutors have dismissed or reduced charges against defendants accused of crimes against police officers, and states that Foxx has “arbitrarily” dropped cases defendants have claimed they were wrongfully convicted because of police misconduct.
Foxx’s office released a statement Tuesday, calling the FOP’s letter a “stunt” and an effort to “divide.” The statement pointed that just last week, Foxx and Chicago police Supt. Eddie Johnson “joined other leading prosecutors and police chiefs at a national gathering in Washington, D.C. to build partnerships, agree upon a shared set of values, and address criminal justice reform and public safety – together.”
“This is a continued effort by the FOP to incite conflict and divide us when in fact, the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Chicago Police Department are working together to address violent crime in our communities....The SAO is committed to seeking justice on behalf of all crime victims and will not let this latest stunt deter us from our work,” the statement said.
In a statement, Johnson noted that he attended a national meeting with Foxx last week and that police officers and prosecutors work “side by side.” He said the state’s attorney “has (been) and will continue to be a formidable partner to CPD and our efforts to combat violence throughout Chicago.”
“We have much more work ahead and together, we are committed to solving one of our city’s largest challenges,” Johnson’s statement read.
The FOP’s letter is the latest salvo in the police union’s long-running critique of Foxx, who has come under fire for her handling of the Smollett prosecution since charges against the actor were dismissed in March without any apparent plea bargain — a development that was blasted by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPD Supt. Eddie Johnson, as well as an organization of suburban police chiefs and a union representing line prosecutors across the state. Union officials led a protest outside Foxx’s downtown offices in April, facing down counter-protesters.
In recent months, the FOP has tried, unsuccessfully, to block petitions by defendants seeking certificates of innocence — formal legal recognition that they were wrongfully convicted of crimes and have been exonerated — claiming that the certificates are used to buttress claims of abuse by Chicago police officers made in civil lawsuits.
