Cook County Judge Vacates 5 Convictions Tied To Former CPD Sergeant

by P. J. McNeal, The Chicago Times

November 4, 2021

CHICAGO – Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx stated Thursday that five convictions related to corrupt former Chicago Police Sergeant Ronald Watts have been overturned.

At the request of prosecutors, Cook County Judge Erica Reddick vacated convictions on Thursday, bringing the total number of invalidated Watts cases to 114.

For nearly ten years, Watts led a police team that planted drugs or falsely accused residents of housing projects and others of drug offenses unless they paid off the officers.

“As prosecutors, we know that harm was caused, some of it was done by this office, and it is now our duty to make sure that those harms are addressed and never repeated. Today is a step towards righting the wrongs of the past and giving these individuals their names back.” Foxx said in a statement.

Watts pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2012 after taking $5,000 from an undercover informant.