BOFPC/Sgt. Gorski Decision - Feb. 17

It now looks like it will be one year and three days after the Woodstock Board of Fire and Police Commissioners (BOFPC) ruled, that Judge Maureen McIntyre will issue her Decision in this case.

All the details don't need to be re-hashed. In summary, the BOFPC ruled on February 14, 2008, that the police chief had not proven his case against Sgt. Steve Gorski and it directed the City to pay Sgt. Gorski all his back pay. The Findings and Decision of the BOFPC is a public record and can be viewed at City Hall, if you are interested.

If you are bashful (or prudent) and prefer not to ask the City to show you a copy, contact me and I'll be happy to share my copy with you. If I had a little more computer savvy, I'd figure out how to post it here. Basically, the report exonerates Sgt. Gorski.

The case in Circuit Court is not really against Sgt. Gorski, although he is named as a Defendant. In fact, it is curious to me why Sgt. Gorski is even named as a Defendant, because nothing in the Complaint is aimed at Gorski. Naming him as a Defendant only serves to drive up his legal expenses.

The case is Case No. 08MR60: ROBERT W. LOWEN, Chief of Police, v. BOARD OF FIRE & (sic) POLICE COMMISSIONERS OF WOODSTOCK, RONALD GIORDANO, LAWRENCE HOWELL, THOMAS SCHROEDER, and STEVEN GORSKI.

From the use of capitals in the naming of the case, the defendants are 1) the Board, 2) the three individual members of the Board, and 3) the City employee in whose favor the Board ruled. It seems to me that there are five (5) defendants in this case.

Does each Board member have his own attorney? There is a lawyer representing the BOFPC - John Broihier of Naperville. I wonder if he represents only the Board or if he also represents the three commissioners.

On the Order issued on January 13, setting February 17 for the Decision, only the City's lawyer and Sgt. Gorski's lawyer are noted on the Distribution list. I wonder why counsel for the BOFPC isn't being given Notice of the date for Decision. The Board is the real Defendant in this case.

Hopefully, Judge McIntyre will have recovered sufficiently to hold court on February 17. Last year the BOFPC met quarterly. If it follows the same schedule as in 2008, there will be a meeting in March. However, this year the BOFPC will meet only in Special Meetings on a minimum of 48 hours' notice, as no Regular Meetings appear on the 2009 Boards and Commissions Schedule of Meetings.

This means that concerned residents are going to have to lurk around the Agenda webpages of the various Commissions and Boards, in order to learn of Special Meetings. Or you can keep reading the Woodstock Advocate, because I'll keep you informed of Special Meetings, at least of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and the Liquor Commission.