Six Cleveland police officers have been fired and six others suspended in the deadly 2012 police chase, but the appeal process is just starting, something that is likely to cost taxpayers more than a million dollars.
According to Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association lead attorney Brian Moriarty, the police union has started a long appeal, a process he believes could take up to two years.
Moriarty told newsnet5.com grievances have already been filed with the city on behalf of the six officers who were fired, and the same will happen for the six other officers who were issued suspensions.
Both the City of Cleveland and CPPA will then select a mutually-agreed-upon arbitrator.
Moriarty said arbitration for each officer named in the disciplinary action will take about two days, with a ruling made in each case within 30 days.
The city can then appeal the arbitrator's ruling to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, and then take the cases to the court of appeals.
newsnet5.com did a study on the seven Cleveland police officers fired between 2010 at 2014 and determined six of the officers were awarded their jobs back through the arbitration process.
"They know that they know that these cases are going to get reversed later on down the road," said Moriarty. "But yet they still do it so that they politically say 'Hey look, we're doing all that we can.' "
newsnet5.com also obtained documents on the 144 Cleveland police officers charged in 2014 and determined none of the officers were given any more than a 10 days suspension.
The City of Cleveland can appeal each case all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.
