Sonya Massey Tragedy: Updates from Mayers II, Esq.

Carlton Mayers II
Aug 15, 2024
3 min read

Updated: May 1

Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Enacts Mayers II, Esq.'s Recommendations

Mayers II Esq. presented during Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board's (ILETSB) public comments period on October 11, 2024 about their proposed administrative rules for discretionary decertification of law enforcement for misconduct in relation to the Sonya Massey tragedy.

• Positive Response: Recommendation for the explicit and detailed description of the Emergency Suspension process for law enforcement officers arrested for committing a felony

• Positive Response: Recommendation for the explicit and detailed description of the Reconsideration process for law enforcement officers who are decertified by ILETSB and disagree with this decision

• No Response: Recommendation for all ILETSB’s standing meetings, including Q&A portion, to be conducted both in person and virtually (similar to Washington State, Colorado, Wyoming, etc.)

• No Response: Recommendation for the creation of a specific process and mechanism to address notice of violation of certification complaints from civilian oversight authorities in a separate manner from notice of violation of certification complaints from civilians (similar to Vermont)

For next steps, we urge the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to revisit the recommendations that received no response. These measures would increase transparency, accessibility, and accountability in the decertification process. We encourage ILETSB to act on these recommendations and engage stakeholders in further dialogue to ensure meaningful public participation and trust.

Mayers II, Esq. Presents to Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILESTB)

Mayers II, Esq. presented public comments about ILESTB's proposed administrative rules for discretionary decertification of law enforcement for misconduct in October 2024.

Mayers, Esq. Featured on CBN News to Discuss Sonya Massey Tragedy

Mayers said in an interview with CBN News, "We can see that law enforcement did not utilize the training that is now mandated under state law when it comes to de-escalation when it comes to crisis intervention techniques, trainings, and even when it comes to just, in general, implicit bias and how you engage with people that have a different lived experience than your own."

Event Held with Chicago Westside NAACP to Lead Workshop about Decertification

Former Deputy Grayson Should Lose His Law Enforcement License for the Death of Sonya Massey - He Does Not Need to Be Convicted to Be Decertified

We must hold former Deputy Sean Grayson accountable and ensure that this does not happen again! Learn more about how decertification can be used as a tool to keep dangerous officers off the street in the articles below. If you are interested in receiving this information and/or partnering to conduct a decertification workshop in your community, contact me here.

Download the "How to File a Complaint" Excerpt to Decertify Former Deputy Grayson & other Wandering Officers

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If Chicago Police Department officers are affiliated with criminal organizations or hate groups or make false statements about their stops and arrests, how can they be held accountable? The typical answer includes criminal liability, civil liability and internal administrative discipline, such as the Chicago Police Board or its more police-friendly alternative of arbitration — but seldom decertification.

To be sure, these mechanisms for accountability are appropriate, but they are often incomplete since they do not prevent officers who engaged in misconduct from transferring to another police department. The decertification process, however, is independent from criminal, civil and internal disciplinary hearing processes.

Learn about the difference between certification and decertification and how it can be used to ensure police accountability.

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Since the highly publicized deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, communities have grappled with how best to hold police officers who commit misconduct accountable and prevent them from engaging in future misconduct. In addition to internal administrative discipline by police departments, police officers can be held accountable for misconduct through criminal liability, civil liability and decertification.