Scharf Banks Marmor Wins Witness Tampering Investigation Decision for Cook County Sheriff

Scharf Banks Marmor LLC represented the Sheriff of Cook County in a successful appeal before the Illinois Appellate Court, which affirmed  the disciplinary termination of a former Sheriff's police officer because the officer failed to report a request to engage in witness tampering.  The former Sheriff's officer was terminated following an internal investigation of her misconduct, which involved two suspects detained at the County Jail.  After the Circuit Court of Cook County affirmed the officer's firing, the officer appealed to the Illinois Appellate Court.  Holding that the evidence supported the finding that the officer was asked to engage in witness tampering and lied about the illicit request, the Appellate Court stated that the "job of a police officer requires the utmost integrity and honesty," and that the Sheriff was correct to terminate the officer from her job.   The appellate Opinion, Rios v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd., 2020 IL App (1st) 191399, is attached here.  The lead attorneys on this appeal were George Sax and Stephanie Scharf.