Thursday, November 05, 2009
A group of Chicago police officers has been accused of making false arrests to pad their overtime, according to a lawsuit filed against the city. Clinton Ware claims in her federal suit that she was arrested on phony charges that were later dropped. She also insists that the arresting officer, Joe Parker, is one of many Chicago cops who make DUI and other arrests in order to attend court and get paid overtime.
Parker, who ranked eighth in the state for most DUI citations, has reportedly resigned “as part of a deal to avoid criminal prosecution.” Another officer said to be one of the “most prolific” DUI writers was placed on administrative leave pending an Internal Affairs investigation, according to Ware’s complaint. The champion DUI cop in Chicago was John Haleas, who made 718 arrests in 2005-2006 and appeared as the primary witness in hundreds of cases until he himself was indicted for perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Cops Make Hay From Bad Busts, Woman Says (by Bridget Freeland, Courthouse News Service)
Clinton Ware v. City of Chicago (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division) (PDF)
Details Told in Case Against Top DUI Cop (by David Heinzmann, Chicago Tribune)
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