Chicago — City lawyers stepped up efforts to protect Mayor Lori Lightfoot from witnessing under oath in a sexual assault proceeding against former Chicago Police Department police officer Eddie Johnson. ..
In a petition filed last week, a city lawyer asked that questions about Lightfoot be submitted in a written questionnaire rather than a testimony record.
“The mayor’s request to take testimony is a pressured tactic rather than a true attempt to obtain relevant information,” the city’s lawyer wrote.
Filing is part of the 2020 proceedingsGht by Cynthia Donald against Johnson and the CityA CPD officer who claims to have exposed her to sexual assault and harassment while Johnson was assigned to the details of the former director.
Donald also claims that she was relocated at the direction of Lightfoot after Johnson was involved in an embarrassing drunk driving incident near his home in Bridgeport in October 2019.
In a filing Monday morning, both Donald and Johnson lawyers opposed the city’s latest attempt to evade Lightfoot’s testimony, writing: Unique personal knowledge of the plaintiff’s chief and / or defendant Johnson’s defense of important disputed facts and cases. “
Earlier this month, city lawyers demanded that “discussion” about possible Lightfoot deposits be put on hold until the discovery phase of the case was completed. City lawyers said no testimony had been taken as of early February and that about 55 other people may have information related to the case.
Judge Elaine Bucklo of the US District Court announced her denial the day after the motion was filed, writing:
By acknowledging the city’s motion, about 55 (or more) individuals estimated that the current discovery schedule is fantastic and the city is likely to have discoverable information are taking testimony records. The discovery will not end until it is done. Then, and only then, according to the city’s motion, the city’s attorney would find it appropriate to “discuss” with the plaintiff’s attorney about the role of Mayor Lightfoot in the case. Neither discovery, the basic principles of proceedings management, nor the governing principles of how lawyers interact in proceedings allow the city to do what it is trying to do here. The city’s motion was rejected.
After the proceedings were filed, a spokesperson for the city’s Legal Department issued a statement stating: .. “
In his statement, Johnson flatly denied the claim, calling it “inhumane charges against true victims of sexual assault and harassment at work.”
“The claim is an insult to everything I believe and support,” Johnson added.
The next hearing in this case is scheduled for Tuesday.
Lightfoot fired Johnson in December 2019, shortly before he was scheduled to retire from CPD.Lightfoot said Johnson lied She about the events surrounding the drunk driving case It happened two months ago.
City lawyers are trying to prevent Lightfoot’s testimony from being taken in Eddie Johnson’s sexual assault proceedings
Source link City lawyers are trying to prevent Lightfoot’s testimony from being taken in Eddie Johnson’s sexual assault proceedings
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