As we previously reported, Attorney Brent Eames was retained to represent seven disabled police officers from the City of North Chicago after the City attempted to recall them all to active duty as a result of an alleged emergency which resulted from what was claimed to be an inadequately staffed dispatch department. Relying upon an obscure provision of the Illinois Pension Code, the City sought to require these disabled officers to report back to work for the City for no compensation aside from their previously earned disability pensions. After these disabled officers allegedly did not fulfill their legal obligations under the Pension Code, the City filed a petition with the Police Pension Board to revoke their disability pensions.
This matter was originally scheduled to proceed to hearing before the pension board in March of 2020, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hearing was continued indefinitely. In the meantime, the City has agreed to drop their petition pertaining to five of our clients, but has refused to drop their case against two of these disabled officers. CBS Chicago, which previously covered this story in 2019, did a follow-up story this past week by interviewing these two remaining disabled officers, as well as Attorney Brent Eames. Those interviews can be found here, or in the video below.
This story has also been featured in the Chicago Tribune and Yahoo News. We will continue to keep our readers updated regarding the progress of this case as more information becomes available.
The content of this blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute or establish an attorney-client relationship, nor constitute legal advice. If you wish to discuss any further aspect of the material contained herein, please contact an attorney at Eames Law Group, Ltd.
