Chicago SunTimes © 09-01-1999 


Monitor appointed to laborers council

C AM SIMPSON
Federal Court Reporter

    A federal judge Tuesday picked former top prosecutor and an ex- Supreme Court justice to spearhead the fight against organized crime at a Chicago  labor organization.

    U.S. District District Judge Robert W. Gettleman also entered a consent decree placing the Chicago Labor District Council under  the control of the monitor.

The consent decree resulted from a lawsuit filed in August by the Justice Department and the Laborers'  International Union of North America. It's the first time an international has joined the government  to place one of its own under the control of a court- ordered monitor ,

 The monitor will be Steven ,Miller, a partner at the Chicago law firm of Sachoff & Weaver. Miller, 46,was a a federal prosecutor in Chicago for 18 years. He gained a nationwide reputation for unraveling complex and unsolvable cases.

     Miller, in private practice since 1994, also headed the special prosecution division In the U.S. attorney office, which handles corruption cases. Joining Miller as the chief judicial officer for the union will be former Illinois Supreme Court justice Seymour Simon, $4, who also is  in private practice. Miller's job, will. be to act like a prosecutor in. his quest to rid the union of mob influence; Simon will act like a judge.