The Chicago Code

When I became Chicago's Superintendent of Police,

I vowed to fight not just crime on the streets,

but crime in city hall.

Some great police work led

to city trash truck driver Ronald Underwood

transporting illegal drugs;

which we connected to Irish mobster Hugh Killian,

and then to Alderman Ronin Gibbons.

What seems like a slam-dunk case to the cops, though,

still needs to be heard by 16 grand jurors

before it can go to trial.

And in Chicago,

when it comes to prosecuting corruption,

you don't take anything for granted.

Now, remember, ladies and gentlemen

of the grand jury, this is not a trial.

This secret proceeding

is simply a fact-finding mission

in order to prove that a regular trial is warranted.

And later this afternoon,

Mr. Ronald Underwood will give testimony.

And you will hear a sordid tale

of drug trafficking, racketeering,

bribes, money laundering and murder.

And it starts down in the city garbage dumps

and ends way up in the pristine offices of city hall.

A trial we will prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt,

that Hugh Killian and Alderman Ronin Gibbons...

the killer and the politician...

were complicit in all of it. Now...

Superintendent Colvin,

would you please describe for the grand jury

in what capacity is Mr. Underwood employed by the city?

He works for the Chicago Department

of Waste and Sanitation as a garbage truck driver.

And what was he arrested for?

Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Narcotics you suspected

were distributed by Hugh Killian

and his Irish organized crime syndicate.

Yes.

How is it that

a criminal organization

gets access to city garbage trucks?

With the cooperation of Alderman Ronin Gibbons.

Alderman Gibbons controls the city contracts

for waste management.

City contracts that weren't awarded

but were actually sold by his office to the highest bidder?

- Yes, that's correct. - And all of this

will be corroborated by Ronald Underwood this afternoon.

Yes.

Since Mr. Underwood's arrest,

he's been cooperating with the police

to gather evidence against his employers.

He's got quite the story to tell.

You said four, right?

- Yeah, four. - Yeah, four.

Mr. Underwood, it's Detective Wysocki.

You did tell him we we're coming down, yeah?

Yeah, this morning. He said he'd be here.

We have less than an hour

to get this guy in front of a grand jury.

Come on, Ronnie, let's go!

- You looking for Ronnie? - Yeah.

- Ronnie's gone. - What? When?

- Couple hours ago. - Where?

Vacation, I suppose.

Rushed off with a couple bags.

Gave me his dog to watch.

Thank you.

You advised me not to put Underwood

into protective custody.

I could have had sheriffs there.

So that everyone could see the police posted outside his house?

Come on. The best way to keep the grand jury investigation

a secret, was to let Underwood live his life

and continue working the Killian organization

so he could feed us more information.

I promised those jurors a witness.

If we don't produce him, we both look like idiots

and this never even goes to trial.

What if I have more than just Underwood?

We've had an undercover police officer

embedded in the Killian organization for over a year.

And your officer actually works for Killian,

- isn't that right? - The investigation is still ongoing,

so I'm not at liberty to give many specifics,

but, yes, this person

is on Killian's payroll.

But this officer has been an eyewitness

to a variety of criminal activities, correct?

Yes, a very long list of felonies.

The most grave of which is first degree murder,

committed by Hugh Killian himself.

That undercover officer actually witnessed a murder firsthand? Yes.

Hugh Killian shot a man in cold blood

to protect his illegal interests

and those of Alderman Ronin Gibbons.

Is the officer going to come in and talk to us?

No. We need to protect the identity of the police officer

until we get an indictment and go to trial.

He must miss his family.

I think that's probably true.

All right, listen up.

The reason I've called you here

is 'cause I know you're all good police that I can trust.

All right, we're looking for this guy, Ronnie Underwood. He lives here.

I'll forward this picture to all you guys, okay?

That's the guy we pulled over with the meth in his truck.

Yes, it is. What'd he do now?

- Can't tell you that. - Thought you said you trusted us?

I did. But right now you have to trust me.

The less you know the better. As a matter of fact, nobody,

nobody outside of this group can know we are looking for this guy.

As far as the department is concerned,

we are looking for his car, which I just called in stolen.

What do you want us to do when we actually find him?

You grab him; you call me.

He's originally from Cleveland. His neighbor said

he left with some bags. So check the bus station,

check the train station.

Someone get out to the airport before he can skip town, okay?

Evers. Joiner, I know it's unorthodox,

but it's the only way it's going to work. Good?

Yeah, I'm good.

Ronnie's got a brother.

I'm about to get his address and his place of work

- down on the South Side. - I'll take it. Let's go.

Rest of you guys, happy hunting.

Evers, you're driving.

Let me see the small one.

Yeah. Ramona, yes.

I'm not sure I like this image.

I... look too serious.

People want their mayor to be serious.

Not all the time, man.

Lilly...

what do you think?

You look strong. Determined.

But you've already got my vote.

Alderman, I need a word. Ellis,

come take a look at these campaign materials, would you?

This can't wait.

We'll pick this up, uh, shortly.

Thank you,

ladies and gentlemen. Thank you.

Am I going to need a drink for this?

I just talked with Ken Watson,

our friend in Public Health.

About?

We'll, his wife has a friend who was summoned

for jury duty.

Apparently she was assigned to a grand jury.

Teresa Colvin testified this morning.

Well, what are they investigating?

You.

They have a witness that can tie you to Killian.

- That can't be true. - I'm afraid it is.

- No, I would have heard about it, Ellis, - I'm sorry, I don't know what to say.

from one of the thousands of people that I have given jobs to

in this city.

They would have warned me

that snakes and vultures are descending

to try to destroy my life's work.

Ronin, that's not all.

Teresa Colvin told the grand jury that there's

a undercover cop in Killian's crew.

You get Roger Kelly in front of me.

Right now.

You need a driver today?

Uh, well, yes and no.

I need a driver, but I also need a date.

And waiting for you to ask is taking way too long.

Excuse me?

I'm am taking the day off.

I want to go on a date.

I assume you've heard of those.

Yeah, uh, I've also heard that your father doesn't like

the hired help...

hitting on his daughter.

Well, he doesn't decide who I spend time with.

No, but he does sign my paycheck.

And he's probably just trying to protect you.

From what exactly?

You do have some idea what... me and the rest

of the crew do, don't you?

Do you have any idea what I do?

What?

You think my father sent me to business school,

had me study accounting to do grind work

for some firm in the Loop?

You keep the books?

The real ones anyway.

So, you see, I know...

everything that's going on,

a lot more than you.

My father's not protecting me from the family business,

he just...

wants to keep me his little girl.