Ex-cop jailed for lying about torture of suspects
Source: Agencies |
January 23, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A DECORATED former police officer whose name has become synonymous with police brutality in Chicago was sentenced on Friday to four years in federal prison for lying about the torture of suspects.
Dozens of suspects - almost all of them black men - have claimed for decades that Jon Burge and his officers electrically shocked, suffocated and beat them into confessing to crimes ranging from armed robbery to murder. After the hearing, several victims and their supporters said the sentence wasn't stiff enough.
"It's outrageous," said Mark Clements, who claims Burge's officers tortured him into giving a false confession in 1981 when he was 16. Tears ran down his face and his voice rose in anger. "It's not justice."
Standing nearby, community activist Fred Hampton Jr echoed the outrage, saying the white officer's sentence was disproportionately low compared to what others receive for lesser crimes.
"People in our community get more time than this for fist fights," said Hampton, whose father was a Black Panther, a militant political group that fought for black rights, leader killed by police.
Flint Taylor, an attorney who has represented several police torture victims, predicted the sentence would become an issue in the Chicago mayor's election.
A host of candidates, including former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, are vying to replace retiring Mayor Richard Daley.
"The new mayor will have to apologize," Taylor said.
But others were satisfied with the verdict, including US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, whose office prosecuted Burge.
"Justice delayed isn't justice completely denied," Fitzgerald said.
US District Judge Joan Lefkow said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the allegations.
Burge was charged with lying when he testified in a civil lawsuit brought by Madison Hobley, who was sentenced to death for a 1987 fire that killed seven people, including his wife and son. Hobley was later pardoned.
While the former police commander denied during his five-week trial that torture took place, Lefkow noted the jury hadn't believed him and neither had she. In considering a sentence, Lefkow told Burge she took into account his "unwillingness to acknowledge the truth in the face of all the evidence."
Dozens of suspects - almost all of them black men - have claimed for decades that Jon Burge and his officers electrically shocked, suffocated and beat them into confessing to crimes ranging from armed robbery to murder. After the hearing, several victims and their supporters said the sentence wasn't stiff enough.
"It's outrageous," said Mark Clements, who claims Burge's officers tortured him into giving a false confession in 1981 when he was 16. Tears ran down his face and his voice rose in anger. "It's not justice."
Standing nearby, community activist Fred Hampton Jr echoed the outrage, saying the white officer's sentence was disproportionately low compared to what others receive for lesser crimes.
"People in our community get more time than this for fist fights," said Hampton, whose father was a Black Panther, a militant political group that fought for black rights, leader killed by police.
Flint Taylor, an attorney who has represented several police torture victims, predicted the sentence would become an issue in the Chicago mayor's election.
A host of candidates, including former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, are vying to replace retiring Mayor Richard Daley.
"The new mayor will have to apologize," Taylor said.
But others were satisfied with the verdict, including US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, whose office prosecuted Burge.
"Justice delayed isn't justice completely denied," Fitzgerald said.
US District Judge Joan Lefkow said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the allegations.
Burge was charged with lying when he testified in a civil lawsuit brought by Madison Hobley, who was sentenced to death for a 1987 fire that killed seven people, including his wife and son. Hobley was later pardoned.
While the former police commander denied during his five-week trial that torture took place, Lefkow noted the jury hadn't believed him and neither had she. In considering a sentence, Lefkow told Burge she took into account his "unwillingness to acknowledge the truth in the face of all the evidence."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
