Prairie State Wire

In a recent Illinois Supreme Court case, Justice Thomas Kilbride provided the lone dissenting vote in favor of the Fraternal Order of Police, drawing immediate criticism from Illinois GOP chairman Tim Schneider.

In case of the City of Chicago vs. the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7, Kilbride – an FOP political ally and major donation recipient – cast the only vote in favor of destroying police disciplinary records after five years as previously agreed in their collective bargaining agreement.

The remaining Justices agreed that requiring the destruction of police disciplinary records after five years violates public records law.

“It’s clear why Justice Kilbride felt he needed to be the lone voice against positive police reform that conservatives, moderates and liberals all agree upon. said Tim Schneider, Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. "Kilbride is up for a tough retention campaign and needs the support of the FOP and other law enforcement groups that bailed him out in 2010. Political calculations should have no place in the decision making process of our judiciary. Justice Kilbride should be ashamed,” 

Kilbride’s decision goes against the current police reform movement that Republicans and Democrats nationwide are embracing requiring law enforcement to retain records for longer periods of time.

“Both conservative justices from downstate (Garman, Karmeier) and liberal justices from Chicago (Burke, Neville, Theis) came together to recognize the illegality and bad faith nature of the FOP’s effort to protect cops with a history of disciplinary actions, but Kilbride stood alone in dissent. Even more troubling than Justice Kilbride’s decision is the glaringly obvious motivation for him to be the lone dissenting vote,” Illinois Republicans said in a June 22 press release. 

“The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police was his saving grace during his 2010 retention campaign as he came under attack for his record on crime," the release said. "The FOP and other police groups rushed to his defense and came through for Kilbride with an endorsement and major campaign support. Kilbride ran his retention campaign with a central theme as being a strong ally to law enforcement, even touting an award from the Illinois Crime Commission / Police Athletic League of Illinois and each of his ads painting Kilbride as 'tough on crime.'"

South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott’s “Justice Act,” currently under consideration at the federal level, requires 30 year record-keeping.