Dan Webb Discusses Illustrious Career and Ability to Try a Large Caseload with Chicago Sun-Times

Winston & Strawn Co-Executive Chairman Dan Webb was featured in the Chicago Sun-Times where he discussed his career and the possibility of one judge and one jury successfully trying a large caseload, referencing a successful Chicago trial with over 20 defendants. 

“The ability of one judge and one jury to successfully try such a huge caseload is possible – and it happened in Chicago in 1973,” said Dan.

Dan was one of the federal prosecutors in the trial of Chicago Police Commander Clarence Braasch, who was accused of leading a major criminal enterprise within the police department from 1966 to 1970. The group of police officers led by Braasch extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from North Side nightclubs and bars during a four-year spree. In total the caseload consisted of 24 defendants. 

“Each defendant had … [his] own attorney, and we tried all 23 Braasch defendants at once before one judge and one jury, getting convictions on all but two,” Dan said.

According to Dan, that case put him on the map. He was hired by U.S. Attorney Bill Bauer’s office in 1970, straight out of Loyola Law school, where he graduated at the top of his class — fulfilling a promise he had made to the law school’s dean, John Hayes.

“He gave me a break, and I am forever grateful,” said Dan, who described himself “as just a country kid arriving in Chicago for the first time in my life … in my only suit and tie … and just enough train money in my pocket to go back home.”

Dan went on to serve as Chicago’s U.S. attorney from 1981 to 1985, where he oversaw the “Operation Greylord” trials of Cook County judges and the “Marquette 10” trial of Chicago police officers accused of pocketing drug dealer cash. He also served as the special prosecutor in the case of Jussie Smollett. 

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