NEWS FLASH
CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Today, the City Council decides what 383 years of stolen life are worth.
Aldermen are expected to vote Wednesday on a $260.8 million settlement for 17 men whose murder convictions were thrown out in cases tied to former Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara. If it passes, it would rank among the largest wrongful-conviction payouts in American history — possibly the largest police misconduct payout ever.
The deal, announced October 1 by Mayor Brandon Johnson and Acting Corporation Counsel Renee Hatcher, resolves 16 lawsuits at once. The plaintiffs say they were framed for murders in the 1980s and 1990s on misconduct by Guevara and other officers. Every one of their convictions was vacated and the charges dismissed. The money would be paid out over two years, beginning in 2027.
The vote is not without friction. Ald. Raymond Lopez of the 15th Ward, joined by 12 colleagues, has pressed the city’s top attorney to rethink how these settlements get paid — pointing to Francisco Nanez, who collected an $8 million payout after his conviction was overturned in 2022 and later landed back in custody. The Law Department says this settlement will be distributed over two years rather than in a single check. Lopez called that “a step in the right direction.”
The alternative to settling is stark: city attorneys estimate fighting on could burn another $300 to $400 million in legal fees alone.
Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for the vote and what comes next.
Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.
