New Database Reveals Impact of Wrongful Convictions on Taxpayers and Communities in City of Chicago

The Truth, Hope and Justice Initiative, global law firm Ropes & Gray, the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, and global professional services firm Aon announced today the creation of a searchable database comprising information on Section 1983 civil rights lawsuits filed against the City of Chicago and personnel from the Chicago Police Department since the year 2000.

The first-of-its-kind database captures the parties’ demographics, the plaintiffs’ claims, the disposition of closed cases, and the associated financial costs to City of Chicago taxpayers from paying out jury awards, settlements, and outside counsel fees to defend these cases. The database is designed to improve the outcomes and impact of civil rights litigation and advance criminal justice reform nationwide.

“This analysis shows the staggering costs of wrongful convictions and police misconduct in the City of Chicago,” said Chicago-based civil rights attorney Andrew M. Stroth, founder of the non-profit Truth, Hope and Justice Initiative and architect of the project. “Taking a data-driven approach and leveraging technology allows us to measure risks and evaluate outcomes for plaintiffs and defendants and help improve future conduct by the Chicago Police Department.”

Using this database, attorneys for litigants pursuing claims in wrongful convictions cases will be able to access information that provides them with additional context and fact patterns that may be useful in constructing their cases. Attorneys defending the City against these claims will be able to use the database to streamline their efforts by gaining insight on how prior wrongful conviction cases have been resolved to better allocate their resources in responding to these lawsuits. Criminal justice reform advocates can access the database to help evaluate the impact of the monetary costs of these cases to the City of Chicago and help drive reform.

“The platform is the first to drill into the hundreds of wrongful conviction cases brought against the city of Chicago over the past 23 years, capturing data on plaintiffs, defendants, jury verdicts, settlements, litigation expenses, and more,” said Chicago-based Ropes & Gray partner Matt Jones. “Our goal is to help streamline the amount of time these cases spend in the court system and reduce the exorbitant cost to City of Chicago taxpayers.”

Among key findings from the database, over 300 wrongful convictions and civil actions brought against the City of Chicago between 2000 and March 2023 resulted in verdicts or settlements costing the city more than a half billion dollars.

Looking ahead to a wider U.S. rollout, the database platform will serve as a tool for future litigation and a resource to educate the greater public. 

“This project is about utilizing data to help local governments across the U.S. make decisions that are better for their cities, their taxpayers, the judicial system, and for victims of past misconduct,” said Darren Zeidel, EVP, general counsel and company secretary, Aon. “We are proud to collaborate on this initiative as we engage with our community partners to achieve a more just and inclusive society.”