|
Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: |
 |
|
|
|
|
Happy Friday, Chicago. It’s going to be chilly this weekend, so brace yourself for the cold with these stories from WTTW News. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) |
|
Chicago taxpayers spent $204.6 million to resolve lawsuits brought by 22 people wrongfully convicted based on evidence gathered by Chicago Police Department since the start of the year, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.
That is more than double what the city paid to resolve 48 lawsuits filed by Chicagoans who had their conviction reversed between 2019 and 2024, according to the analysis.
Some backstory:
In the latest case to be settled, the Chicago City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $15.4 million to Robert Smith, Jr., who spent 33 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the 1987 double murder of his wife’s mother and grandmother.
For nearly four decades, Smith has said he was tortured by Chicago police detectives trained by Jon Burge, a disgraced former Chicago police commander, before confessing to the murders. Smith has been declared innocent by a judge.
Chicago taxpayers paid an additional $2.37 million to defend former CPD Supt. Phillip Cline and the other Chicago police officers named in Smith’s lawsuit, which was filed in 2021, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Between 2019 and 2023, taxpayers paid $49.5 million to resolve 41 reversed conviction cases, according to the analysis. In 2024, taxpayers paid $45.25 million to resolve seven reversed conviction cases, according to the analysis.
The yet-to-be final tally does not include the $90 million the Chicago City Council agreed to pay to 180 people who spent a combined nearly 200 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted based on what they allege was fabricated evidence gathered by former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts, who was convicted in 2013 of taking bribes, and other officers.
Nor does it include the $120 million a federal jury awarded in March to two men who were wrongfully convicted of a 2003 murder and spent a combined 32 years in prison, setting a new city record for a wrongful conviction case. Lawyers for the city have appealed that verdict.
Since 2019, settlements and verdicts prompted by wrongful convictions cost Chicago taxpayers more to resolve than lawsuits caused by other kinds of police misconduct, including excessive force and botched pursuits. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sponsor Message |
|
Make your holiday shopping extraordinary this season at Merz Apothecary, celebrating 150 years of bringing unique treasures to Chicago. Step into a world where shopping is an experience, not a chore—our knowledgeable staff are ready to help you discover hard-to-find gifts from across the globe, perfect for everyone on your list and every budget. From artisan soaps and European skincare to distinctive home goods and specialty items, we curate products you won't find anywhere else. Rediscover the joy of personalized service and thoughtful curation. This holiday season, skip the crowds and clicks—visit Merz Apothecary, where finding the perfect gift is part of the celebration. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
A Federal Patrol agent's badge is seen near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley, File) |
|
A Cook County judge determined Monday that residents of 7500 S. South Shore Drive — the apartment building raided by federal agents in September — must vacate their apartments by Friday.
Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied a 60-day extension request saying “it would be inhumane for this court not to relocate people as quickly as possible,” citing gas leaks and plumbing issues.
Tenants have demanded that the court-appointed receiver of the building, property management company Friedman Communities, work toward restoring amenities like heat and electricity, which remain non-functional.
At a news conference, residents acknowledged the terrible living conditions, but they expressed a lack of other places to go.
Dixon Romeo, executive director of Southside Together, a community organization serving Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods, said the conditions were bad before the raid, but have been exacerbated.
“The doors off the hinges, the lack of light, gas. All of the things the judge named we know are the case,” he said. “The issues the tenants have named is the receiver has not tried to relocate anyone. They’ve offered relocation assistance, which isn’t the same thing as relocating. It’s really hard to get a lease on Dec. 12 or 13. That’s why we and the tenants filed the motion to get the extension. But ultimately it wasn’t successful.”
As of this week, some tenants were still looking for a home.
“(There are) 37 units worth of folks that are in the tenant union. I know of at least 15 units of those that we have to move out tomorrow morning,” Romeo said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Officer Krystal Rivera. (Courtesy of Chicago Police Department) |
|
The family of Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera, who was fatally shot in the line of duty this year by a fellow officer, says the shooting came after she broke off a romantic relationship with her partner.
That claim comes as part of a nine-count wrongful death lawsuit filed by Rivera’s family, who allege that her partner, Officer Carlos A. Baker, failed to render aid and attempted to cover the shooting up after he fired a single shot that struck her during a foot pursuit in Chatham on June 5
“We miss her laughter, her bold spirit, her light,” Rivera’s mother, Yolanda Rivera, said at a press conference Thursday. “That grief does not ease with time — it doesn’t ease — it follows us every day. From this moment forward, my purpose is simple — that those responsible for her death must be held accountable.”
More context:
Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for the Rivera family, said that Rivera and Baker became involved in an on-again, off-again romantic relationship dating back to 2023, which was known to other CPD employees.
Rivera eventually broke that relationship off this year after learning Baker was involved with another woman, attorneys said Thursday, and threatened to inform the other woman of their relationship.
Attorney Maura White said Rivera expressed concerns about Baker’s “adverse reaction” to the breakup and his continued attempts to contact her outside of work. Less than 48 hours before she was shot, Baker showed up at Rivera’s home uninvited after she told him not to come, White said. |
|
|
|
|
|
Back in the Day: Dec. 12, 1965 - Bears Rookie Gale Sayers Scores Six Touchdowns
|
|
If you’re an NFL player and you score a touchdown, that’s a good game. If you notch two or three, that’s a career highlight. But if you somehow manage to score six, that’s going in the history books, and people will be talking about it 60 years later. On this day in 1965, Bears rookie running back Gale Sayers managed to score six in a 61-20 victory at Wrigley Field against the San Francisco 49ers. Sayers tallied 131 rushing yards with four TDs, 89 receiving yards with a TD, and one TD on a punt return. He tied Dub Jones’ NFL record for most TDs in a single game. The record has yet to be broken, but Saints running back Alvin Kamara was the first to tie it in 2020, 55 years later.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
The 2025 Holiday Events Guide |
 |
|
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Presents: (Provided) |
|
Every Friday, WTTW News highlights the must-attend fairs, festivals, markets and neighborhood gatherings this season. For more holiday happenings, click here to find the full list.
Dec. 12: Preservation Hall Jazz Band Presents: A Creole Christmas | Cahn Auditorium (Evanston)
Watch these New Orleans jazz legends celebrate the season.
Dec. 12-14: “Home Alone” in Concert | Symphony Center
This movie is a holiday classic. Ever wanted to watch it scored live by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra? Now’s your chance.
Dec. 12-31: It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play | Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture
The best Christmas movie of all-time gets a stage adaptation throughout December with a 1940s-style live radio play.
Dec. 14: Hanukkah Menorah Lighting | Andersonville
Head up to the North Side neighborhood for a Menorah lighting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What’s your best advice for recent Chicagoans on how to deal with the cold weather? |
|
|
|
Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. Here's what you had to say:
"I’m Scandinavian and we have a saying: there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes! Bundle up and GET OUT THERE! Embrace the cold, see the beauty in the snow, revel in the silence while it falls, and you’ll start to enjoy winter instead of dreading these months. Change begins with your attitude!" — Julie Therese A.
“Rescue a shelter dog, and watch their delight zooming through the snow! It will thaw the coldest heart.” — Gwen R.
"If you know someone who needs a more proper coat, buy one for them." — Edgewater Presbyterian Church
Buy blue jeans that are lined with flannel (for cold weather) and thinsulate (for extreme cold weather). I wish I had them when the Air Force stuck me in Grand Forks, ND. Menards has them.— Larry N. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
5:30 PM | 7:00 PM |
|
|
|
|
Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
|
Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
|
|
|
|
