Taxpayers are victims in jail lawsuit

For nearly 10 years, Cook County has been wrestling with a lawsuit involving female inmates who claimed their civil rights were violated as a result of repeated weekend lockdowns at the Cook County jail. The litigation finally has come to an end now that the Cook County Board has agreed to $1 million settlement.

Now this sounds like a big payday for the plaintiffs, but in reality the plaintiffs’ lawyers get to keep $850,000 of the total while the actual victims only get to keep $153,000. So of the $1 million settlement, 85 percent goes to the lawyers and 15 percent goes to the victims. Cook County Board member Elizabeth Gorman’s reaction was to observe, “It seems like it only solidifies that the bulk of the money only goes to the lawyers.”

I concur, but then again, isn’t this always how it works? In too many cases, the lawyers get a big payday and the victims walk away with pocket change.

But what makes this case even more egregious is the money being spent here is taxpayer money. Money going to pay lawyers is money that could be spent on repairing roads and bridges or going to law enforcement. After a nearly 10-year fight, the Cook County Board had little choice but to settle. But this case is a good illustration of what ails Illinois courts, and in this case, it is taxpayers who are the ultimate losers.

Travis Akin

Executive director

Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch

Marion