Basketfield v. Police Bd. of City of Chicago

• Decision Date: 31 January 1974
• Docket Number: No. 45356,45356
• Parties: William BASKETFIELD, Appellee, v. The POLICE BOARD OF the CITY OF CHICAGO, Appellant.
• Court: Illinois Supreme Court

Page 371

307 N.E.2d 371

56 Ill.2d 351

William BASKETFIELD, Appellee, v. The POLICE BOARD OF the CITY OF CHICAGO, Appellant.

No. 45356.

Supreme Court of Illinois.

Jan. 31, 1974.

Richard L. Curry, Corporation Counsel, Chicago (William R. Quinlan, Thomas J. Cachor, and Daniel Pascale, Asst. Corporation Counsels, of counsel), for appellant.

Charles A. Bellows, Chicago, for appellee.

PER CURIAM:

Appellee, Lieutenant William Basketfield, filed a complaint for administrative review in the circuit court of Cook County (Ill.Rev.Stat.1969, ch. 110, par. 264 et seq.) seeking to set aside a decision of the Police Board of the City of Chicago, appellant herein, which had ordered that he be discharged from the police department. The circuit court reversed this decision and ordered that appellee be reinstated solely because the administrative findings were contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence. The appellate court affirmed, one judge dissenting (6 Ill.App.3d 370, 285 N.E.2d 801), and we granted leave to appeal. The principal issue presented concerns the permissible scope of evidentiary review in these proceedings.

After a hearing appellant issued its decision finding that Basketfield had violated certain departmental rules. It concluded that he had committed an unlawful act by obtaining control over a quantity of lost or mislaid tires and, although he knew or could have known of the owner, he failed to reasonably act to return the tires, with the intent to deprive the owner of them; that he committed acts of official misconduct for the reasons heretofore specified; that he conspired with two other police officers to retain unauthorized control of the tires for their personal benefit; that he failed to comply with 'the provisions of General Order 67--21, when alleged misconduct by members of his command was brought to his attention'; that he failed to comply with the order of a superior officer to conduct an investigation into alleged misconduct; that he gave false information in an official report on November 4, 1967; and that he failed to report the alleged unlawful conduct of members of his command to his superiors.

It is undisputed that on October 10, 1967, about 60 tires belonging to the Vogue Tyre and Rubber Co. were stolen. A number of these tires were Vogue brand and were wrapped, and the remainder were 'standard equipment' tires used on new cars. Officer Jack Muller of Area 5 Auto Theft was assigned to the investigation. On Wednesday, October 18, Officer Cyril McCarthy of Area 2 Auto Theft, in accordance with an assignment, had a conversation with a man who told him about a garage located on the south side of Chicago. McCarthy examined the garage but saw only a car parked in it. Because of his inability to carry on his investigation due to illness, on Thursday morning he contacted Basketfield, who was the Area 2 unit commander. He advised him that tires would be stored in the garage and that the area should be placed under surveillance particularly at night. McCarthy had no knowledge of any report regarding stolen tires. Marks Cohen, the owner of an auto supply shop, testified that late Thursday afternoon Officers Walsh and Murray of Area 2 Auto Theft delivered about 20 tires to his shop. Some of these were Vogue tires and were wrapped, others appeared to have been used. Friday afternoon, October 20, Officer Frank Lynch went to the supply shop and, pursuant to Walsh's earlier telephone instruction to Cohen, these tires were placed in his police car and delivered to Area 2 headquarters about 2:30 P.M. They were later marked with the initials 'J.M.', and returned to their owner at 5:00 P.M. that day.

Elzie Norswether testified that On October 19, at the request of Walsh and another officer, he opened the garage located behind his home and there saw a number of tires, some of which were wrapped. He said that he then left. The next day he and Muller re-entered the garage and found no tires. They proceeded to Area 2 headquarters where he saw Walsh. Norswether and Muller went out to the station parking area and waited in a police car. Shortly thereafter they observed a vehicle being driven into the lot and saw that it contained many tires. Muller went to the vehicle and began to mark the tires.

Frank Lynch testified that he drove the car into the lot and did not see Muller. He gave the car keys to Walsh but did not inventory the tires although such procedure would be required. About two weeks later Lynch spoke to Basketfield concerning a statement which the former was to give to the police Internal Investigation Division in regard to the tires. He said that Basketfield asked him to disclaim any knowledge of transporting the tires to the station in an effort to prevent Walsh and Murray from being 'dumped.' Lynch said that he agreed and then made a false statement asserting that the tires had never been taken from the station. Lynch admitted that his lawyer, after conferring with members of the State's Attorney's office, had told him he would be indicted if he did not tell the truth.

Jack Muller testified that after he spoke to Norswether, looked in his garage and canvassed the area to determine if any resident saw policemen removing tires, he called numerous police stations in the vicinity including Area 2 Auto Theft to determine who may have taken the tires. He and Norswether went to Area 2 headquarters but after a thorough inspection found no tires in the 'lock-up' section. After unsuccessful attempts to locate the tires in the burglary and auto theft divisions located in this building, Muller spoke to Officer Beckman, who informed him that Walsh knew about the tires. Muller and Norswether returned to the car and waited until the vehicle driven by Lynch arrived. Lynch walked away without responding to Muller's inquiry as to his identity. Muller noted the time of arrival at 2:22 P.M. and in Walsh's presence initialed the tires which were wrapped in gold foil and stamped with the name 'Vogue.'

Muller then went to Basketfield's office from where he had a telephone conversation with his superior, Lieutenant Fisher. Basketfield came in at 3:45 P.M. and, according to Muller, stated that the latter had interfered with his luncheon date at the 'country club.' Muller claimed that Basketfield took a radio from his desk and turned it on so that their conversation could not be overheard. At this point Walsh entered and Muller criticized his conduct and informed Basketfield that Walsh had created a difficult situation. He further said to Basketfield that Walsh told him of Basketfield's knowledge that the tires had not been brought to the station for inventory and their arrangement to sell the tires and divide the proceeds if the tires did not 'turn up hot.' In response to this accusation Basketfield purportedly admitted that it was true and asked Muller for a 'break' but the request was refused. Muller and Walsh left Basketfield's office about 3:50 P.M. and Walsh inventoried the tires. This was completed in 10 minutes and the inventory book was returned to Officer Bangert.

During cross-examination it was established that Muller had compiled notes on scraps of paper on the day of the confrontation with Basketfield. However, only the notes referring to the type of car driven by Lynch, its license number and the quantity of tires it contained were available. Muller explained that on October 21, in Area 5 headquarters, he rewrote his notes which pertained to his recollection of the events which transpired with Basketfield the previous day. He inserted certain matters which he recalled and made some corrections. He tore the original notes and threw the pieces in the toilet. He placed the rewritten notes in his police locker and subsequently took them to a relative's home in Wisconsin because he wanted no one but the State's Attorney to know of their content during the pending investigation. Muller produced these notes during a court hearing on criminal charges which were later brought against Basketfield relating to this matter and which resulted in his acquittal after a jury trial.

Comparison of Muller's notes with his testimony at the disciplinary hearing reveals that references to many of the statements purportedly made by Basketfield were not contained in the rewritten notes. It was determined that an official police report compiled by Muller on November 5, 1967, referred to several portions of the alleged conversation not set forth in his rewritten notes. This report was made one day after Basketfield was again questioned by Muller in the presence of a deputy chief of police. Basketfield denied any wrongdoing during this interrogation.

Officer John Beckman, who was assigned to Area 2 Auto Theft, testified that he received a call from Muller on the morning of October 20. He asked other officers about the tires and checked the inventory book at 9:00 A.M. but did not find any...