A judge late Friday issued a temporary restraining order against the Chicago police union president, prohibiting him from making public statements that encourage members not to report their COVID-19 vaccine status to the city.
Cook County Circuit Judge Cecilia Horan ruled there was potential irreparable harm if local Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara persisted in making such statements. City attorneys argued they were tantamount to him advocating "sedition" and "anarchy" because he was directing members to disobey an order from their superiors.
It was the latest twist in the high-stakes standoff between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the local police union over the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. With both sides accusing the other of illegally risking the safety of the city over the issue, the fight shifted into the courts Friday with dueling lawsuits.
Lightfoot asked the courts to intervene after the union chief told members to disobey Friday's deadline to report their vaccine status. The local Fraternal Order of Police in turn filed its own lawsuit against the city, mayor and police Superintendent David Brown that seeks to force arbitration over the matter.
During a lengthy emergency hearing Friday evening, Horan ruled that the restraining order be in place until Oct. 25, when another court session is to take place. Earlier, FOP attorney Joel D'Alba had asked the city to stop ordering workers to report their vaccine status during that time, but city attorneys would not agree to that.
"What's truly extraordinary is they want to silence somebody who is the elected president of the union," said D'Alba, who in the course of the hearing noted that Catanzara himself is vaccinated.
In court, city lawyers argued Catanzara was effectively calling for an illegal work action, since the FOP isn't allowed by contract to strike.
"That is a work stoppage. That is a strike," attorney Michael Warner said. "It might not result in a shortfall of officers over the weekend, but it will in a matter of days."
The nearly two-hour hearing began with arguments from the city that Catanzara was holding the city "hostage" to the point of "municipal sedition and treason." However, Warner also conceded the vaccination reporting policy was unpopular with the police union.
Minutes after the hearing concluded, Catanzara uploaded another YouTube video encouraging FOP members to "do what's in their hearts and minds." Then he held up a "John Catanzara for Mayor 2023″ sign and said, "Enough is enough."
The court actions and mutual name-calling were indicative of a growing standoff between the city and the police union over the vaccine mandate, which has escalated in recent days even after Lightfoot agreed to give employees the option of submitting to COVID-19 testing for the rest of the year if they're not yet fully vaccinated.
"People are upset because their senior leaders let them down, and none of them are raising their hands and accepting accountability or saying, 'We messed this up.'"After the clip went viral, Scheller was sent to a military prison and then hit with a slew of charges, including contempt toward officials, willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer, failure to obey lawful general orders and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.
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Tim Parlatore, an attorney representing Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, said his client accepted responsibility for his actions during the court-martial this morning. In addition to the reprimand, Scheller will have to forfeit $5,000 in pay."He has submitted his resignation and the Secretary of Navy will decide what the appropriate characterization of service whether it's an honorable or a general under honorable circumstances."He had said in videos that he was resigning and giving up his $2million pension because he was so appalled with how the situation in Afghanistan had unfolded.
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