Activists to Hold Protest Demanding Criminal Indictments Against Officers Under Former Commander Jon Burge
The Campaign to End the Death Penalty and family members of victims of police torture will rally to demand full disclosure of torture under former Chicago police Commander Jon Burge, criminal indictments against the officers responsible and new trials for torture victims. The event is to take place Friday, June 30, 2006 at 9 a.m. at Cook County Courthouse, 2600 S. California.
(PRWEB) June 15, 2006 -- The Campaign to End the Death Penalty and family members of victims of police torture will rally to demand full disclosure of torture under former Chicago police Commander Jon Burge, criminal indictments against the officers responsible and new trials for torture victims. The event is to take place Friday, June 30, 2006 at 9 a.m. at Cook County Courthouse, 2600 S. California.
Who: The Campaign to End the Death Penalty and family members of police torture victims.
What: Activists will rally to demand full disclosure of torture under former Chicago police Commander Jon Burge, criminal indictments against the officers responsible and new trials for torture victims.
When: Friday, June 30, 2006, 9 a.m.
Where: Cook County Courthouse, 2600 S. California
Activists and family members of inmates who say they were coerced into false confessions will rally Friday to demand justice for victims of police torture under former Commander Jon Burge. The rally outside the courthouse will take place just prior to a hearing during which special prosecutors Edward Egan and Robert Boyle will update the court on the status of their four-year, $7 million investigation into the torture. Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court removed the last legal hurdle to the release of the report, rejecting a last-ditch appeal by a former Assistant States Attorney and upholding the May 19 ruling of Judge Paul Biebel that allowed Egan and Boyle to release their findings. Now, with Egan indicating that he could release the report any day, family members of police torture victims hope that it will lead to justice for their loved ones.
Caroline Johnson says her son, Marcus Wiggins, was a victim of torture at the age of 13 by officers under Burge. “I’m coming out Friday because there are detectives who tortured my child and now he’s been wrongfully convicted by the same detectives who tortured him. I want a new trial for my son and we want justice to be done,” she said.
“We’re glad the courts have finally decided to release the report. But the report has to be only the beginning, not the end,“ said Julien Ball, an organizer with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty (CEDP) in Chicago. “We need the names of the torturers released, but we also need criminal prosecutions against them. And we at least need new trials for the victims”.
Burge and his detectives have been dogged by over 190 allegations of torture using techniques such as electroshock, Russian roulette and suffocation to extract false confessions from African American men on the South Side of Chicago while in police custody. Some of the torture victims, known as the Death Row 10, were sentenced to death, while many others still are serving long prison terms. Madison Hobley, one of the Death Row 10, was pardoned based on innocence by former Governor Ryan in 2003. ““I spent 13 years on Death Row because of corrupt and racist police officers.” he said. “I just hope the special prosecutors do the right thing.”
Family members of police torture victims are available for interview.
Contact: Julien Ball, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, 773-209-8476
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