Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to weigh in against Chicago police consent decree

Once again wading into the contentious battle over policing and violent crime in Chicago, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced he would file a statement in federal court opposing the proposed court order that would force sweeping changes to the city’s Police Department.

Sessions’ announcement came the day after President Donald Trump — who has repeatedly highlighted Chicago’s stubborn gun violence — suggested the department employ stop-and-frisk policing to battle crime.

Sessions revealed his plan weeks before a federal judge is scheduled to hear public comments on the proposed consent decree, a court order that would mandate reforms overseen by an independent monitoring team. The decree would likely stand as one of the most significant consequences of the push for police reform sparked nearly three years ago with the release of the video of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times.

On Friday, Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.

The written announcement from the Department of Justice referenced another controversial oversight deal governing policing in Chicago — the agreement between the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the city that required cops to more thoroughly document street stops. Sessions argued that the deal led to a spike in homicides.

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