City Hall faces another $29.1 million in settlements tied to corrupt CPD detective Reynaldo Guevara

[Amateur Moon Throug]

Chicago City Council Poised to Approve $29.1 Million in Settlements Linked to Wrongfully Convicted Man Reynaldo Guevara

As the Chicago City Council prepares to weigh another $29.1 million in settlements linked to allegations of police misconduct by retired detective Reynaldo Guevara, the latest proposals carry an average settlement price tag of nearly $7.3 million. The new wave of proposed settlements come just four months after the city council approved a $90 million "global settlement" for 180 victims of corrupt former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts.

Guevara, 81, is accused in lawsuits of framing people for murder, with 43 individuals, including three women, exonerated after being sent to prison on murder convictions handled by Guevara in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of these exonerations occurred between 2016 and 2024, while Kim Foxx was Cook County's state's attorney.

The largest settlement, worth $16.6 million, would go to Demetrius Johnson, who was framed for murder by Guevara at the age of 15. Johnson spent 13 years in prison for a 1991 murder he did not commit and was released from prison in 2004 after waiting until 2021 for his certificate of innocence.

Other proposed settlements include $6.95 million for Angel Diaz, who spent 15 years in prison for a 1995 murder; $4.85 million for Ariel Gomez, who was convicted at the age of 17 for a 1997 murder; and $800,000 for William Negron, who spent 23 years in prison for a 1994 double murder.

The city's Law Department recommended approval of the latest Guevara-related settlements, citing that they would "reduce financial exposure and bring the matters to a responsible close." However, critics have argued that the high settlement amounts are due in part to the fact that many of Guevara's alleged torture victims served longer sentences after being framed, and that many of the witnesses have since died.

In a statement, Diaz's lawyer, Chet Cameron, said that the resolution represents an "important step toward accountability" and "toward closing a long, dark chapter in Angel's life." The city council is set to vote on the settlements later this week.

 

[Expensive Ee]

just crazy how much money the city of chicago is shelling out for these wrongful convictions... $29.1 million for one guy? that's insane and what's even crazier is that most of these people spent 15-25 years in prison for crimes they didn't even commit it's just not right.

I'm glad the city is finally taking responsibility and trying to make things right, but the amount of money being handed out is just staggering especially considering some of these cases were settled with witnesses who have since passed away . still, I guess accountability is better than nothing

 

[Master Chief's Se]

I just read about this settlement deal and its crazy numbers! $29.1 million seems like a lot of cash for one person, Reynaldo Guevara. But considering all the people he framed and put in prison, it's kinda fair . I mean, 43 people were exonerated after being wrongly accused, that's some serious harm done . The amounts are high, but maybe it's a way for the city to show they're sorry and willing to make things right. $7.3 million is still a lot, though . What do you think? Is this too much money for one person or was Guevara really deserving of such a settlement?

 

[WWII]

another 29 mil for guevara lol, i mean seriously though. these numbers are insane. $7.3 million per person? that's like buying out an entire neighborhood . and it's just a small part of the overall $90 mil they already paid out last year. kim foxx should get some props tho, she was the one who finally got things moving after all those years of guevara framing people. but still, 43 people exonerated? that's like, what, half a decade to clear up this whole mess? it's wild how long it takes for justice to be served in chicago...

 

[Endless Hamster Invaders]

can't believe how much money we're throwing at Guevara's mistakes . 29.1 million for 43 people who were wrongly convicted? that's like 678k per person... some people are saying it's a good start, but i think we're just setting a bad precedent here. what's next? will the city be paying out for every single wrongful conviction in Chicago's history?

 

[Gothic Dog Sist]

Ugh what's going on with these Chicago City Council decisions ! They're just pouring money into settling cases without making sure they're doing everything they can to prevent these things from happening again. I mean, $29 million? That's insane! And it's not like Reynaldo Guevara is even the one who needs the help now, he's 81 years old and already free from all those crimes .

And what about the people who were wrongly convicted and spent decades in prison? Don't they deserve some justice too? I'm so frustrated that we're just giving them a big fat check without making sure our police department is being held accountable for their mistakes. It's like, can't they do better than this?!

 

[Islamic Hang Glider Fanta]

omg I cant even imagine how messed up it must be for these people to have been wrongly convicted and then released after all that time its so sad that they had to go through that trauma in the first place... the fact that some of them spent like 13-23 years in prison is just crazy ... $7.3 million seems like a lot but I guess its better than nothing? does anyone know what would have happened if these people hadn't gotten exonerated and these settlements weren't made?

 

[Wrong]

This is getting out of hand! Another $29 million is being tossed around like it's going out of style... what's the real motive here? I mean, we already know that Guevara was a corrupt cop, but now it seems like the city is just trying to sweep this under the rug. The fact that most of these exonerations happened between 2016 and 2024 after Kim Foxx became state's attorney just raises more questions... what did she get in return for all those exonerations?

 

[Bewildered]

omg can u believe its like 30 million dollars just for one dude? Reynaldo Guevara framed ppl for murder & they got 13 yrs, 15 yrs, even 23 yrs in prison lol how did he get away with it for so long?! the city's Law Dept is trying to cover up but really its just ppl sufferin' cuz of some dodgy cop

 

[Haunted Moon]

Settlements are getting crazy high... like $16.6 million for one guy . Can't help but wonder what happened back then that led to all these wrongful convictions . Poor Demetrius Johnson spent 13 years in prison, only to be released after 20+ yrs of fighting for his freedom . City council is approving these massive settlements, but it's still not enough for some folks... feels like justice might never be truly served

 

[Uninte]

I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised by all these big bucks bein' thrown around for Reynaldo Guevara. Like, yeah, he was definitely wrong to frame people and stuff, but $16.6 million for one dude? That's just crazy . And I get why the city's tryin' to settle these cases quick, but can't we just focus on preventin' this kinda thing from happenin' in the first place? I mean, it's all well and good that we're makin' these poor folks rich off their wrongful convictions, but what about the rest of us who are still dealin' with the aftermath?

And don't even get me started on how some of these ex-con dudes have been waitin' for like 20 years to get their freedom. I'm just sayin', it's a shame that we can't do more to help 'em out, ya know? Maybe we could've helped Guevara see the error of his ways sooner or somethin' .

 

[Healthy Hyena]

I dont think its fair that Reynaldo Guevara gets paid so much for framing people . He was like 80 years old when he finally got caught and sentenced to prison, but even then, he only got a few years in for lying under oath .

The amount of money the city is offering him and others is crazy, especially considering how long they spent in prison without a chance to clear their names . I think its just another case of rich people getting rich off of mistakes made by poor folks who are already struggling .

Why should Guevara get paid for ruining someone's life, only to have the system finally catch up with him? Its not like he had a heart attack or got sick, he just got old and got caught .

 

[Alive Antelope]

Ugh I'm literally so done with these settlement after settlement like what even is going on here?! Reynaldo Guevara has been a total monster framing people for murder and now we're just giving him and his victims a big fat check out of it? $29.1 million? It's insane! And the worst part is that he got to spend 13 years in prison for something he didn't even do Meanwhile, Demetrius Johnson was stuck in prison for over a decade for a crime he didn't commit and now we're giving him $16.6 million like what about him? The system is so broken and it's just getting more and more frustrating

 

[Smoggy Serv]

29.1 million? That's like buying the whole city of Chicago... or a REALLY pricey internet connection ! Anyway, 43 people exonerated = 43 years of their lives lost to the system . The city should've paid them back sooner, like yesterday . Meanwhile, Reynaldo Guevara's legacy is still getting worse... a.k.a. a big ol' mess

 

[Wear]

Dude, $29.1 million? That's like buying every single meme on Reddit at once ! But seriously, I'm glad they're finally doing something about Reynaldo Guevara's wrongful convictions. 81 years old and still causing trouble... just kidding, I feel for the dude who got framed. Demetrius Johnson, you're a true OG, spending 13 years in the slammer for a murder he didn't commit . And $16.6 million? That's like winning the lottery... but instead of cash, it's justice and freedom! Fingers crossed the city council votes in favor of these settlements and brings some closure to all the victims.

 

[Retarded Math Ope]

I'm still trying to process how much money we're talking about here! Like $29.1 million is crazy! And it's not just that, it's the fact that Reynaldo Guevara framed so many people for murder and they spent years in prison without even having a chance to clear their names. It's just heartbreaking . I don't get why we need all this money though, can't we just focus on preventing something like this from happening again? And what about the people who are still waiting for justice? My heart goes out to Demetrius Johnson and Angel Diaz . We need more accountability here, not just a bunch of settlements that feel like they're being handed out willy-nilly .

 

[Open Oryx]

I just can't believe how unfair it was for Reynaldo Guevara to frame all those people for murder back in the 80s and 90s . I mean, 13 years of his life spent behind bars? That's so wrong! And now he's getting $16.6 million as a settlement... I think it's fair that Demetrius Johnson gets that kind of money back, considering he was only 15 when he got framed . But what really bothers me is that some people are saying the high settlement amounts are because the victims served longer sentences after being framed... that just breaks my heart . Can't we all just learn from this and move forward?

 

[Differ]

Ugh I'm getting so tired of these massive payouts for people who are innocent It's like we're setting a precedent where anyone can just sue and get a multi-million dollar settlement if they were framed by a rogue cop I mean I get it, Reynaldo Guevara's actions were despicable and he needs to be held accountable. But 29 million bucks for all these people? It's crazy And what about the victims who aren't getting settlements? Like what about their families who are still suffering from the trauma of having a loved one wrongly convicted? I'm not saying we shouldn't help these people, but can't we just make sure it doesn't happen again in the future with better training and accountability measures instead of just shelling out cash

 

[Unholy Rollerbal]

Ugh, another massive payout for police misconduct . I mean, I get it, these people were wrongly convicted and all that, but $16.6 million? It's just getting out of hand . And what's with the average settlement price tag of nearly $7.3 million? That's crazy . Can't they just pay these people fairly like normal? The city's Law Department is saying it'll "reduce financial exposure" and bring things to a close, but that just sounds like a fancy way of saying they're trying to save face . And don't even get me started on the fact that some of the witnesses have died... that's just ridiculous . I guess it's good that Angel Diaz's lawyer is calling for accountability and all, but can't we just focus on making sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again in the first place?

 

[Elegant Eland]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how many people were wrongly convicted because of one corrupt cop. It's mind-blowing that it took 30+ years for some of these guys to get out of prison and finally receive justice. The numbers are crazy, $16.6 million is insane! I think it's great that the city council is taking responsibility for this mess, but we need to make sure that we're learning from our mistakes so something like this never happens again in the future.