NEW ITEMS
Meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
County Board Room, County Building
Thursday, April 3, 2003, 10:00 A.M.
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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
ITEM #1
March 12, 2003
The Honorable,
The Board of Commissioners of Cook County
ATTENDANCE
Present: Chairman
Daley, Vice Chairman Steele, Commissioners Butler, Claypool, Collins, Gorman,
Goslin, Hansen, Maldonado, Moreno, Murphy, Peraica, Quigley, Silvestri, Sims,
Suffredin and President Stroger (17)
Absent: None
(0)
Also Present: Honorable Michael F. Sheahan – Sheriff of Cook County;
Patrick T. Driscoll, Jr. – Deputy State’s Attorney, Chief, Civil Actions
Bureau; Thomas V. Lyons – Deputy Chief, Civil Actions Bureau, State’s Attorney’s
Office; and E. Michael Kelly – Attorney, Hinshaw & Culbertson
Court Reporter: Anthony W. Lisanti, C.S.R.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Your Committee on Finance of the Board of
Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant to notice on Wednesday, March 12, 2003
at the hour of 1:00 P.M. in the Board Room, Room 569, County Building, 118
North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois.
Your Committee has considered the following items
and upon adoption of this report, the recommendations are as follows:
258066 INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED COOK COUNTY JAIL INMATE ABUSE RESOLUTION (PROPOSED
RESOLUTION). Submitting a Proposed
Resolution sponsored by Earlean Collins, County Commissioner; Co-sponsored by
Jerry Butler, Forrest Claypool, John P. Daley, Elizabeth Ann Doody Gorman,
Gregg Goslin, Carl R. Hansen, Roberto Maldonado, Joseph Mario Moreno, Joan
Patricia Murphy, Anthony J. Peraica, Mike Quigley, Peter N. Silvestri, Deborah
Sims, Bobbie L. Steele, Larry Suffredin and President John H. Stroger, Jr.,
County Commissioners.
PROPOSED
RESOLUTION
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED
COOK COUNTY JAIL INMATE ABUSE
WHEREAS, it is public policy and practice of the President
and the Board of Commissioners to protect the safety and rights of inmates as
well as law enforcement officials within the Cook County Jail System; and
WHEREAS, there has been considerable court litigation,
reports, publications and public demonstrations about alleged excessive use of
force and abuse by law enforcement officials and gang activities within Cook
County Jail System; and
WHEREAS, to maintain integrity of the Cook County Jail
System it is necessary that an investigation be conducted by an independent
body which has no past or present ties with the criminal justice system in Cook
County: such as universities and law
schools which are more cost effective, labor intensive, and could shorten the
completion time of the investigation.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the
President and the Board of Commissioners of Cook County authorize the commission
of an independent investigation of Cook County Jail System by a university or
law school through the RFP process; and
REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the RFP
process clearly defines the scope of services to be rendered which shall
include but are not limited to protecting the confidentiality of all
interviewees, a clearly defined plan to minimize disruptions of day-to-day
operations, and a time certain for completion.
*
Referred to the Finance Committee on March 6, 2003.
Following the Call of the Meeting, Chairman Daley informed committee
members that the meeting would be conducted according to a sequence, as
follows: (1) Patrick Driscoll, Deputy State’s Attorney, Chief of the Civil Actions
Bureau will give a brief opening statement.
(2) The Honorable Michael F.
Sheahan, Sheriff of Cook County, will make a presentation. (3)
Questions for the Sheriff from committee members will be
entertained. (4) Public testimony will be received.
Patrick Driscoll, Deputy State’s Attorney, requested that if anyone had
any questions regarding pending litigation, that they please address those
questions to the Litigation Subcommittee.
Sheriff Michael Sheahan thanked the committee for inviting him to
appear. He stated that there is pending
civil litigation regarding issues under consideration by the committee, and his
office has been working with both the State’s Attorney’s Office and the law
firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson.
Sheriff Sheahan noted the presence of Mr. Driscoll of the State’s
Attorney’s Office, and E. Michael Kelly representing Hinshaw & Culbertson,
and stated that legal counsel had advised him that he should not engage in
detailed discussion of any alleged incidents.
Sheriff Sheahan read a prepared statement, the text and appendices of
which are submitted hereto and made a part hereof.
Chairman Daley called upon Secretary Williams to read into the record a
letter from President Stroger to the Honorable Paul P. Beibel, Presiding Judge
of the Criminal Division, which is submitted hereto and made a part hereof.
At the request of President Stroger, Secretary
Williams read pertinent sections of the County Jail Act (730 ILCS 125/22,
125/23) into the record, all of which are submitted hereto and made a part
hereof.
President Stroger expressed his appreciation to Sheriff Sheahan for
appearing before the committee to submit a comprehensive report regarding what
his office’s response is to alleged jail brutality. He further stated that the State’s Attorney’s Office must be
allowed to do its part, as must the Chief Judge by statute and constitutional
authority. President Stroger called
upon the Board of Commissioners to support the Sheriff’s efforts to address the
issues of overpopulation and under-funding of correctional institutions.
Commissioner Collins noted her support for a Grand Jury convened by Chief
Judge Timothy Evans, because it would be made up of citizens and would
therefore be independent. She expressed
her desire for an ongoing review of alleged brutality.
Sheriff Sheahan said that he welcomes input from independent bodies. He offered the example of KPMG, the
consulting firm conducting a review of the Cook County Jail, using an outside
panel of law enforcement professionals.
He stated that the current average stay of an inmate is 180 days, up
from 90 days. There are almost 1,000
people who have been in jail over 2 years.
In response to Commissioner Collins’ question regarding whether the
Sheriff is reviewing all issues or only brutality, Sheriff Sheahan stated that
the consulting firm is looking at all relevant operational issues, specifically
within the Internal Affairs Division and with respect to inmate grievances.
Chairman Daley stated the letter from President Stroger was directed to
Judge Biebel in his role as Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division, not to
Chief Judge Timothy Evans.
President Stroger confirmed that the presiding judge of the criminal
division would oversee this matter. He
further noted that he does not intend to select any additional members for the
Sheriff’s investigative review panel at this time.
Commissioner Quigley expressed his belief that the Sheriff’s Office should
make the panel independent, as did Los Angeles.
REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
Sheriff Sheahan responded that his panel is independent, and that he has
no objection to the idea of a grand jury.
Commissioner Quigley suggested that if the Sheriff goes the extra step of
having an independent committee investigate the allegations, public faith in
the system would be restored.
In response to Commissioner Quigley’s question about whether the panel
will be reviewing the whole Sheriff’s system or just the jail, Sheriff Sheahan
responded just the jail.
In response to Commissioner Quigley’s question about what triggers an
inquiry by Internal Affairs, Sheriff Sheahan responded that any report made by
an inmate triggers a review by Internal Affairs, and if the complaint is deemed
significant, Internal Affairs investigates further, and, depending on the
severity of the charge, there is also a group of Sheriff’s police ready to
investigate. The Internal Affairs
Division is headed by the inspector general, who reviews all cases handled by
the department. He further stated that
there are mandatory reports that all officers who use force must submit, and
checks and balances are in place now that did not exist five years ago.
Commissioner Quigley stated that in the Litigation Subcommittee over the
past five years, it appeared to the members of the committee that only about
half of the complaints were being investigated by Internal Affairs.
Sheriff Sheahan said that may have been the case previously, but was not
the case presently. He also stated that
the Sheriff’s Office has a sophisticated detective team that seeks to uncover
criminal activity, and cited a recent example wherein a guard who struck a
suspect in a well known murder case in Palatine was terminated and is being
charged by the State’s Attorney’s Office.
In response to Commissioner Quigley’s suggestion that it might be prudent
for the Sheriff’s Office to go back over cases which settled and where the
officers involved were not disciplined, Sheriff Sheahan responded that the
Sheriff’s Office is tracking all prior allegations of use of force, whether the
allegation was sustained or not.
In response to Commissioner Quigley’s question whether the Sheriff’s
Office is going to review these cases, Sheriff Sheahan responded that the
consulting firm is going to devise policies based on these cases, but that
these cases will not be reopened.
Commissioner Quigley noted that the Litigation Subcommittee would
appreciate receiving these reports on an ongoing basis.
Sheriff Sheahan stated that since 1998 he has moved to fire 176 employees,
for failing drug tests, excessive force, job abandonment, domestic violence and
other charges, and that in general he is proactive when it comes to firing
employees who violate the law.
Commissioner Silvestri noted that at the most recent subcommittee meeting
the State’s Attorney’s Office agreed to provide the employment status of any
employee involved in litigation.
Commissioner Quigley asked how the Sheriff’s Office intends to utilize
alternative programs to alleviate the overcrowding in Cook County Jail.
Sheriff Sheahan stated that the Jail has 11,000 inmates, and an additional
5,500-6,000 on alternative programs.
Inmates are classified according to the crimes they commit. A recent study showed that detainees on
electronic monitoring are more likely to show up to court than those out on
bond. This program, along with
progressive discipline, is very successful.
He stated that other alternatives are Day Reporting, Boot Camp and drug
treatment. He further stated that just
when the overpopulation problem was being brought to heel, the state
transferred 1,257 parole holds to the jail, and that the Sheriff’s Office is
not allowed to put these parole holds in alternative programs.
Commissioner Quigley noted that in a report from approximately five years
ago, it was indicated that there were, at the time, approximately 6,000 people
being held on $1,000 bond, in addition to people who were homeless or didn’t
have a telephone, and therefore could not be put on electronic monitoring.
REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
Sheriff Sheahan disputed this figure, explaining that there are 1,600
murder detainees, another 2,400 are rapists or have committed armed robbery or
aggravated battery. Sheriff Sheahan
stated that he believes that more people can be put in alternative programs,
but that it would require a financial commitment from the Board of
Commissioners, because the programs are at their budgetary limits.
Commissioner Quigley offered the opinion that perhaps the criteria used to
funnel people into alternative programs is a little rigid. He questioned the lack of alternative,
community-based housing, and said that poor people with no phone are not
allowed to be released into programs that require monitoring.
Sheriff Sheahan replied that there is currently a pilot program underway
where those without a phone are given a wireless phone. He commented that he would put out as many
people as he could as long as they could be monitored and were not a threat to
society. He reiterated that the
overcrowding problem is due to an unanticipated 1,200 detainees who cannot be
bonded out and are not going through the system in a timely manner.
Chairman Daley asked Commissioner Quigley to identify the report to which
he was referring.
Commissioner Quigley replied that the report is a 2001 draft that was part
of CORT (County Operational Report Team) Report that the President had
commissioned. He further stated that
the numbers of detainees at the Jail don’t seem to add up.
Sheriff Sheahan responded that the real problem is those who are property
of the state and cannot get a parole hold meeting.
In response to President Stroger’s question whether the legislature has
addressed the issue of detainees committing crimes while out on parole, Sheriff
Sheahan responded that within its first year the community was protesting the
use of the I bond because a number of those out on bond were committing crimes.
Commissioner Quigley stated that it would be wise to do a system-wide,
rather than jail-wide, study, that many of the ideas that Sheriff Sheahan had
talked about were in the 1992 Kolts study from Los Angeles County, including
the early warning system, the responsive grievance process, the aggressive
internal investigations, and using litigation to learn from mistakes as a
management tool.
Sheriff Sheahan stated that he had been to the Los Angeles jail and that
he believes Cook County’s jail is managed better.
Commissioner Goslin asked that Sheriff Sheahan get back to the Commissioners
regarding how many detainees are held on bond of $1,000 or less, because from a
cost/benefit analysis it might be better to create an alternative program for
them, especially if the numbers Commissioner Quigley quotes are accurate.
Sheriff Sheahan responded that yes he would do this, but advised that some
of the detainees have a history of crime and it is not prudent for them to be
out on bond. He stated that, as a
former teacher, he believes that people will better themselves given a chance
and this is why so many alternative programs have been developed.
Vice-Chairman Steele said that she hopes the panel will be expanded by at
least two or three people. She asked
what time frame the Sheriff had for the panel to produce a report.
Sheriff Sheahan said that those parameters would be set in a meeting
tomorrow, and this information would be conveyed to the commissioners.
In response to Vice Chairman Steele’s request for a specific explanation
of the grievance process, Sheriff Sheahan referred the commissioners to Exhibit
E of his report which contains a detailed explanation.
In response to Vice Chairman Steele’s request for an explanation of parole
holds, Sheriff Sheahan responded that these are people who have violated their
parole by committing another crime, but cannot be transferred downstate because
of pending hearings in Cook County.
They get put into the system here and the system moves slowly and they
are not allowed to go into any alternative programs. He stated that what his office would like to see, if it is a
minor charge, is to have a hearing quickly in a parole court. He stated that the state will not contribute
any money for more judges.
REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
President Stroger commented that it is necessary for the state to take
some responsibility.
Sheriff Sheahan stated that active parolees have unduly burdened the
system. He stated that under the
direction of President Stroger and Bill Quinlan, he has had repeated meetings
with all the principals, including the Illinois Department of Corrections
(IDOC), to no avail. He stated that he
even suggested that parolees be sent to Joliet, but instead the State shut down
Joliet.
In response to Vice Chairman Steele’s observation that 10% of the jail population
is mentally ill, Sheriff Sheahan noted that the State has closed many of its
mental institutions. He stated that a
number of inmates are treated with medication by jail doctors.
President Stroger noted that the State has abdicated its responsibility to
the homeless, especially the mentally ill, who only get treatment while in
jail. He noted that the Board of
Commissioners must work with legislators to spur legislative action.
In response to Commissioner Sims’ question regarding whether the Sheriff
has pursued any grants, or considered purchasing the building across the street
from the jail to house the mentally ill, Sheriff Sheahan stated that Cermak
Hospital does an analysis of each incoming inmate for mental illness, and his
office has worked with the Illinois Department of Mental Health trying to get
grants for mentally ill female inmates.
He noted that the County tried to purchase the building across the
street but that it was overvalued and therefore not a good investment.
In response to Vice Chairman Steele’s question about what the Special
Operations Response Teams (SORT) does, Sheriff Sheahan explained that every
major penal institution has Special Operations Response Teams, and that these
teams engage in a number of activities, including taking a prisoner to court or
downstate, responding to fights, and conducting contraband searches. He stated that most of the SORT teams
operate in maximum-security divisions.
He also stated that there are cameras now for contraband searches and
sweeps. He further stated that cameras
were implemented earlier with officers conducting traffic stops and that he
expected resistance to these early cameras but that there was none. With these officers an order was developed,
and this order will be followed in the jails.
He stated that cameras afford the ability to review what took place and
mete out appropriate discipline, including firing and criminal prosecution.
In response to Commissioner Murphy’s question regarding how the
drug/alcohol offenders and those with minor violations get mixed into the
general population, Sheriff Sheahan replied that the general population is
segregated from the most violent inmates, and includes minimum and medium
security. He further clarified that
maximum security takes up about 40% of the jail.
Commissioner Maldonado commented that he approves of the videotaping. He also commented that the SORT teams are
held suspect by the public. He asked
who would be doing the videotaping.
Sheriff Sheahan stated that right now a SORT member would be doing the
videotaping, but that in the future, specially trained personnel would do
it. He commented that in the police
videotaping, the tape is immediately put into a locked box, and only a sergeant
can take it out. He stated that also,
at the Markham Courthouse, there is a video camera taping the lockup. He stated that he’d like to have stationary
videotaping in all of the courthouses and in the jail.
Commissioner Maldonado asked what safeguards the Sheriff is going to put
into place to prevent the SORT team member who is handling the video camera
from turning it off once altercations ensue.
He further stated that the public needs to know that there will be
safeguards.
Sheriff Sheahan replied that an inmate could also hit the corrections
officer holding the camera. He stated
that this is why he would like a camera on the wall. He further stated that there will be timers on the video cameras.
In response to Commissioner Maldonado’s question about how a SORT team
gets its orders, Sheriff Sheahan stated that, under the supervision of
commanding officers, SORT teams deal mainly with the security of the jail or
the security of inmates.
In response to Commissioner Maldonado’s question about who can stop an
investigation in Internal Affairs, Sheriff Sheahan replied that only the
Inspector General can stop an investigation in Internal Affairs.
REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
In response to Commissioner Maldonado’s question about whether it is
typical for an investigation to last over two to three years, Sheriff Sheahan
replied that yes, if a case involves litigation, it could be put on hold for
several years.
In response to Commissioner Maldonado’s question about whether a case
investigated by Internal Affairs has its findings reviewed by the Inspector
General, Sheriff Sheahan replied that yes, the Inspector General reviews the
findings and recommends disciplinary action, and then the findings go back to
the jail to the Command Channel Review, first to the Executive Director and
then to the Undersheriff.
In response to Commissioner Maldonado’s question about whether it was the
practice that a request for medical attention should always be responded to,
Sheriff Sheahan responded that it depended on the circumstances, but that yes,
this was the generally the case.
Commissioner Maldonado commented that he had heard of an entity in other
jurisdictions called critical incident review team that reviews critical
incidents to make sure that the incident conforms to the proper policies and
procedures.
Sheriff Sheahan replied that while there is no formal acronym, he meets
with the executive director and superintendents of the jail to discuss any
unusual circumstances. He further
stated that good supervision is critical.
Commissioner Maldonado stated that he and the Sheriff had previously
discussed the possible appointment of a person of Latino descent to the new
panel.
Commissioner Peraica noted that over the past ninety days the Board has
approved over $500,000 in consulting contracts for lobbyists in
Springfield. He stated that he hopes
that the Sheriff’s Office takes the opportunity to work with some of these
lobbyists to procure funding and legislative initiatives from Springfield. He further stated that it has been asserted
that there is racism at the jail, and asked for a breakdown of the racial
makeup of the correctional officers.
Sheriff Sheahan replied that the racial makeup of the staff is mostly
African American, then white, then Hispanic.
He noted that the staff is dedicated and the job is tough. He also stated that the Jail has partnered
with Moraine Valley Community College to support the staff earning college
credit. He further stated that the
American Correctional Association (ACA) has consistently rated Cook County as
the highest among the major jails. He
reiterated, the major problems confronting the jail are overcrowding, and that
cases move too slow through the system.
Additional problems include turf wars between gang members and inmates
testifying against each other.
In response to Commissioner Peraica’s question about whether the jail has
a representative on the Judicial Advisory Council, Sheriff Sheahan replied yes.
In response to Commissioner Peraica’s question about what legislative initiatives
the Cook County Board of Commissioners should support, Sheriff Sheahan replied
that the biggest issue confronting the jail is getting parole holds to a
speedier resolve. He stated another
initiative would be a limitation on how long it takes for someone to get a
trial. He stated that a third
initiative would be for the state to give the jail more funding.
Commissioner Silvestri commented that the state government is in deep
financial debt and that the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Cook
County jail should not rely on it for funding.
He then asked whether there has been any effort, since the Budget
Hearings, to come up with a way to work with the judiciary so that, for
example, existing judges could be reassigned to the parole system.
Sheriff Sheahan stated that a request was made from the State for more
judges, but that the State did not have the funds.
Commissioner Butler commented on reports that one detainee in particular
was currently located in an area where an alleged incident was said to occur,
and he wondered if it might be prudent to relocate this detainee.
Sheriff Sheahan replied that he would take Commissioner Butler’s comment
under advisement.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
In response to Commissioner Suffredin’s question about whether suspected
criminal activities are referred to the State’s Attorney’s Office, Sheriff
Sheahan replied yes.
In response to Commissioner Suffredin’s question about whether the Merit
Board plays any role in the reports of the Internal Affairs Division, Sheriff
Sheahan replied that the Merit Board reviews firings. He stated that in cases of less than 30 days discipline, the case
remains internal.
Commissioner Suffredin asked how the Sheriff is apprised of these
happenings, and whether the Sheriff receives reports from the Inspector General
or the Internal Affairs Division.
Sheriff Sheahan explained that the case routing is as follows: the case goes to the Inspector General, who
makes a recommendation for discipline, then the case goes to the department
from which it came, then it goes to Command Channel Review, then to the
Undersheriff who concurs with or modifies the recommendation.
In response to Commissioner Suffredin’s inquiry about the 1999 and 2000
cases, Sheriff Sheahan responded that they were handled by Internal Affairs.
Commissioner Suffredin encouraged a speedy resolution of these cases
because they could hold up the reappointments to the Merit Board, and this
would be unfortunate. Commissioner Suffredin
concluded by stating that he believes the committee should continue to work on
the resolution offered by Commissioner Collins.
In response to Commissioner Hansen’s question about whether the State’s
Attorney’s Office has considered filing a suit against the State of Illinois
because parole holds are wards of the state and therefore the state should be
held accountable, Patrick Driscoll replied no such suit is planned but that he
would be willing to discuss it.
Sheriff Sheahan noted that his figures currently show 1,257 parole holds
at the jail, and this figure causes severe budgetary pressures.
In response to Commissioner Gorman’s question about whether the
understaffing at the jail is a budgetary issue or a result of the hiring
criteria, Sheriff Sheahan replied it is primarily a budgetary issue, but also a
result of the early retirement program.
In response to an inquiry from Commissioner Sims, Tom Lyons of the State’s
Attorney’s Office made the distinction between several categories of parole holds,
including one category comprised of new arrests that are pending trial.
Chairman Daley asked the Secretary to the Board to call upon the
registered public speakers.
The following people offered public testimony:
1. Joseph
Watkins – Voice of the Ex-Offender
2. Paul
McKinley – Voice of the Ex-Offender
3. Howard
Saffold – President & CEO - Positive Anti-Crime Thrust, Inc.
4. Charlotte
Lee-Thomas – Sister of deceased inmate
5. Martavius
Carter – Voice of the Ex-Offender
6. David
Bates – Justice Coalition
7. Mary L.
Johnson – Justice Coalition
8. Harriet
McCullough – Executive Director, Citizens Alert
9. Aaron
Patterson – APDC
10. Jeff
Tichelar – Minister
11. William
F. Wendt – Citizen
Commissioner Collins, seconded by
Commissioner Silvestri, moved to defer consideration of Communication No.
258066. The motion carried.
Commissioner Quigley voted no.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FINANCE
continued
ITEM #1 cont'd
258067 COMMUNICATION
FROM COMMISSIONER MIKE QUIGLEY.
Transmitting a Communication from Mike Quigley, County Commissioner,
dated February 2003:
Re:
Litigation involving the Sheriff
The following is a synopsis of the Communication
from Commissioner Mike Quigley.
Over the course of the past few years, members of
the Litigation Subcommittee of the Cook County Board Finance Committee have
grown increasingly frustrated by ongoing payouts to victims of brutality and
excessive force at the hands of Cook County Sheriff’s Deputies. While a certain measure of litigation is
always inevitable, some of the outrageous fact patterns in the suits against
the Sheriff's Department add to the Commissioners’ sense that oversight and
accountability at the Sheriff's Department is lacking.
*
Referred to the Finance Committee on March 6, 2003.
Commissioner Suffredin, seconded by
Commissioner Hansen, moved to defer consideration of Communication No.
258067. The motion carried.
Commissioner Quigley voted no.
Commissioner Hansen moved to adjourn
the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Silvestri. The motion carried unanimously and the meeting was adjourned.
The transcript for this meeting is available in the Office of the
Secretary to the Board, 118 North Clark Street, Room 567, Chicago,
Illinois 60602.
Respectfully submitted,
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
JOHN P. DALEY, Chairman
ATTEST: SANDRA K. WILLIAMS,
Secretary
_________________________
Commissioner Maldonado,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this
matter may be considered. The motion
carried unanimously.
Commissioner Daley, seconded
by Commissioner Silvestri, moved that the Report of the Committee on Finance be
approved and adopted. The motion
carried unanimously.
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ITEM #2
Submitting a Proposed
Resolution sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR.,
PRESIDENT and JOHN P. DALEY, County Commissioners
JERRY BUTLER, FORREST
CLAYPOOL, EARLEAN COLLINS,
ELIZABETH ANN DOODY GORMAN,
GREGG GOSLIN, CARL R. HANSEN,
ROBERTO MALDONADO, JOSEPH
MARIO MORENO, JOAN PATRICIA MURPHY,
ANTHONY J. PERAICA, MIKE
QUIGLEY, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS,
BOBBIE L. STEELE and LARRY
SUFFREDIN, County Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS,
Almighty God in His infinite wisdom has called from our midst George Connor at
the age of 78; and
PROPOSED RESOLUTION continued
ITEM #2 cont'd
WHEREAS,
George Connor attended De LaSalle High School in Chicago where he was a star
football player; and
WHEREAS,
George Connor was an All-American football player at Holy Cross before World
War II interrupted his college career; and
WHEREAS,
when he returned from duty, he attended Notre Dame where he was a two year
starter at left tackle and the leader of a dominating group of Notre Dame
offensive lineman in the late 1940s; and
WHEREAS,
in recognition of his athletic talent, he earned the prestigious Outland Trophy
in 1946; and
WHEREAS,
he was one of seven lineman on the 1947 Notre Dame team to earn All-American
honors; and
WHEREAS,
his success continued on the professional level, during an eight year career
with the Chicago Bears; and
WHEREAS,
he would earn fame as a five-time all-NFL selection who played on both sides of
the ball; and
WHEREAS,
after a knee injury forced his retirement, he served as an assistant coach and
later a broadcaster; and
WHEREAS,
his professional football career was topped off with the 1975 induction into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame presented by George Halas; and
WHEREAS,
off the field, he was a successful businessman and gave of his time and talents
supporting the Maryville Orphanage and other worthy charities; and
WHEREAS,
he leaves behind his wife, Suzanne; sons, George, Jr. and Albert; a sister,
MaryEllen Woodward; a brother, Jack; and several nieces and nephews.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners hereby
extends to the family of George Connor its most heartfelt sympathy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread in everlasting thoughts
upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body, and a suitable copy be
provided to the family of George Connor, that his memory may be so honored an
ever cherished.
_________________________
Commissioner Maldonado,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this
matter may be considered. The motion
carried unanimously.
Commissioner Silvestri,
seconded by Commissioner Gorman, moved that the Resolution be approved and
adopted. The motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
ITEM #3
Pursuant to Rule 4-30,
Delores Quinn, addressed the President and Members of the Cook County Board of
Commissioners. Ms. Quinn spoke
regarding her experience at Cook County Jail.
* * *
* *
ITEM #4
Pursuant to Rule 4-30,
George Blakemore, addressed the President and Members of the Cook County Board
of Commissioners. Mr. Blakemore spoke
concerning several issues regarding Cook County.