Chicago Settles Federal Lawsuit Over Cop 'Code Of Silence'

CHICAGO (AP) -- The city of Chicago has settled a lawsuit over whether a police code of silence protected a detective before he drove drunk and killed two men in a 2009 crash.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall announced the settlement during a break in closing arguments Friday.

The trial stemmed from a wrongful-death lawsuit by the victims' families against Joseph Frugoli and the city. They argued that even though Frugoli had been off duty, the code of silence helped conceal years of bad behavior and led him to believe he could drive drunk "with impunity."

Terms of the settlement weren't immediately released.

Frugoli was convicted of aggravated driving under the influence and fleeing the scene of an accident. A judge in 2012 sentenced him to eight years in prison.

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