Disciplinary hearings for Chicago police officers accused of egregious misconduct can’t be held in private, a panel of appellate judges ruled Friday.

The appellate court upheld a Cook County judge’s ruling that cops could bypass the Chicago Police Board and seek arbitration in the most serious disciplinary cases, but they must face public hearings.

The three-judge panel found that moving hearings behind closed doors would violate well-defined public policy, which favors “police accountability and transparency.” The yearslong battle over police discipline is now expected to wind its way to the state Supreme Court, as the Fraternal Order of Police has vowed to appeal Friday’s ruling.

Kyle Cooper, the police board president, called the ruling “a victory for both the residents of Chicago an

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