So Preckwinkle was shocked to show up for Wednesday’s full council meeting and get the news that the city had called the settlements off, at least for the time being.
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“Along with many of my other colleagues, we were anxious to vote on this today,” Preckwinkle said after Burke was done. “It should be as clear as we can possibly make it that this [delay] is not the result of city action in any way.”
“On those terms, we did not feel we could settle with that plaintiff,” she said. She added that the city would be bringing U.S. district court judge Marvin Aspen into further discussions but didn’t anticipate the problem would scuttle the settlements altogether. “We have talked with opposing counsel, which understands our position,” Georges said. “I think everyone had hoped these settlements would be able to proceed today.”
But at least some of the attorneys say the city is simply resorting to a tired old routine of its own built on false promises and delays.
Feuer said that should have only clarified, and not changed, the scope of the settlement, which focuses on Howard’s false murder conviction. Howard can neither sue nor give up his right to sue over the rape convictions unless evidence surfaces to show a problem with them, according to Feuer. “Maybe we’re guilty of overlawyering a bit,” he said. “But this is like putting a penny on the railroad track and watching the train crash.”
