Story by 89 WLS reporter Bill Cameron
The 'code of silence' ruling is expected to cost the city a lot of money in police misconduct cases.

Two weeks ago Mayor Emanuel said the city needed the code of silence finding to go silent for two reasons, "This agreement closes a chapter on something before I was mayor and it also allows us to protect the city against future lawsuits."

And he claimed the police department has cleaned up its act since the Abbate case.

Mayor Emanuel continued saying, "I have zero tolerance for anybody who's in the police department to act like they're above the law when they are there to uphold the law."

But the new ruling will give the green light to plaintiff lawyers to argue a code of silence for the cases they already have.

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By MICHAEL TARM
CHICAGO (AP) - A federal judge has denied a request by the city of Chicago to set aside a landmark verdict that found Chicago police adhere to a code of silence when it comes to rogue officers.

The ruling stems from a civil trial that ended last month with a verdict against the city. Jurors awarded bartender Karolina Obrycka $850,000 after off-duty officer Anthony Abbate beat her. A videotape of the attack went viral.

In her Thursday ruling, Judge Amy St. Eve wrote that the judgment has "social value to the judicial system and the public at large."

The city wanted the verdict tossed so it couldn't be used as a precedent - though it said it would still pay the bartender.

Critics accused the city of trying to avoid accountability.

Copyright © 2012 Associated Press