The Illinois Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling allowing for a new hearing for a man convicted of a 1982 rape who long claimed his confession was physically coerced from him by former Chicago Police Lt. Jon Burge. more ›

Mayor Emanuel told the Sun-Times in an exclusive "it is time we end" the remaining lawsuits against the city stemming from the history of police torture by former Cmdr. Jon Burge. more ›

Because the torture allegations against former police Cmdr. Jon Burge occurred during Richard Daley's tenure, the City Law Department is obligated to pay for his defense. more ›

Leave it to a judge to piss in the lemonade of Richard Daley's mayoral retirement. more ›

Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge is set to report to prison Wednesday and he'll be serving his 4-1/2 year sentence at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex near Raleigh, NC. That's the prison that also houses noted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. more ›

Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit today to immediately strip former Chicago Police Lieutenant Jon Burge of his pension, which was saved last week when the four cops elected to the eight-person pension review board deadlocked the vote to revoke Burge's pension. more ›

Looks like the "Jon Burge gets to keep his pension" saga isn't over just yet. Rev. Jesse Jackson announced Saturday that he plans on filing a lawsuit to have Burge's pension revoked. Last Thursday the police pension board deadlocked on whether Burge's pension should be revoked. The four who voted to let Burge keep his pension were all current or former cops elected to the pension board by the Police Department and said that Burge's conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice was not related to the allegations of police torture with which Burge has become synonymous. more ›

For people who believe the 4-1/2 years in prison former Chicago Police lieutenant Jon Burge received last week wasn't nearly enough, today's vote by the police pension board that allows Burge to retain his pension should have all the flavor of a sugar-coated turd. Five votes were needed to revoke Burge's pension and the eight member-panel — half voted to the board by the Police Department, half appointed by Mayor Daley — was split right down the middle. Want to take a guess as to which side voted for Burge to keep his pension? more ›

John Conroy, whose work detailing the police brutality of former Chicago Police Lieutenant Jon Burge and his underlings for close to two decades at the Reader is one of the best local examples of stellar journalism you'll ever read, was the proverbial fly on the wall as Burge was sentenced last week to 4-1/2 years in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice. Conroy's account of Judge Joan Lefkow's lengthy rebuke of Burge before handing down the sentence can be read at the Better Government Association's website. It makes for a fitting epilogue to what really has become Conroy's life's work. more ›

As was mentioned briefly last night in "Extra Extra," former Chicago Police Lieutenant Jon Burge was sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison for his perjury and obstruction of justice convictions. the sentence imposed by Judge Joan Lefkow is more than the 15-21 months recommended by the federal probation sentencing board, but a far cry from the 24-30 years prosecutors were allegedly aiming for. more ›

The sentencing hearing for former Chicago Police lieutenant Jon Burge enters its second day. Yesterday saw testimony from both victims of Burge's torture practices when he was at Area 2 Headquarters and from colleagues and friends of the man who's come to epitomize police brutality in Chicago. more ›

The sentencing hearing for former Chicago Police lieutenant Jon Burge began this morning to a packed courtroom. Over the next two days, victims of Burge's torture tactics while he was at Area 2 Headquarters are expected to offer emotional testimony and ask Judge Joan Lefkow to impose a harsh prison term to the policeman who came to epitomize police brutality in Chicago. more ›

U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said today she will not recuse herself before the sentencing of former Chicago police lieutenant Jon Burge. Burge was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice last June for statements he made in a civil case related to extreme interrogation techniques he and other police at Area 2 headquarters used to coerce confessions from suspects. more ›

Based on their calculations, prosecutors could ask for a prison term of anywhere from 24-30 years, far and above the 15 to 21 months recommended by the probation department. Prosecutors aren't showing their hand, only requesting of Judge Joan Lefkow that the sentence be "substantial." Burge was convicted this summer of perjury and obstruction of justice. more ›

• 13-year-old Ronald Freeman, an incoming eighth grader at Oglesby Elementary School, was killed while riding his bike in West Pullman last night, shot 22 times by a gunman who police are continuing to search for.
• Convicted former police commander Jon Burge will continue to receive his pension until the moment he is sentenced.
• At the press conference where Mayor Daley took on Michigan, oil, and Asian Carp, it was also announced 225 “non-instructional” employees will be laid off from City Colleges.

• Rep. Mike Quigley got a Congressional resolution honoring the Blackhawks passed, though there were five 'no' votes.
• Interesting story from LAist in the wake of our post on the latest Critical Mass mess here: the L.A. Critical Mass group held a ride the LAPD and all went well.
• Mark Kirk, still apologizing.

A jury has found former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge guilty on all charges of perjury (one charge) and obstruction of justice (two charges) connected to testimony he made during a 2003 civil trial. Earlier today, John Conroy, who's credited with breaking the torture story years ago while at the Reader, had a lengthy explanation of other evidence - specifically, more accusations of police torture - that the jury was not privy to during the trial. more ›

Jon Burge's fate is now in the hands of the jury in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial after both sides gave closing arguments yesterday. Burge is accused of lying at a 2003 civil trial about the alleged torture of suspects during his time as Area 2 commander. During this trial, though, his defense team painted the accusers as liars and conspirators, scheming to take Burge down. As he's done for the entire duration of the trial, John Conroy offers the best recap at his blog at Vocalo: more ›

The defense in the Jon Burge perjury and obstruction of justice trial has rested their case and closing arguments will begin on Thursday. The primary defense witness yesterday was then-court stenographer Michael Hartnett who testified that, when taking Andrew Wilson's confession, he did see two injuries but didn't see any signs of torture: "Andrew had a scar over his right eye, and over the side of his right eye, it was swollen, puffy or whatever. I don't recall seeing (burns)." Hartnett admitted, though, “If it was one of my kids, I would have said, you know, they got popped by someone." The defense wrapped with former Assistant State’s Attorney Wilbur Crooks who said that Shadeed Mu’min, who accused Burge of playing Russian roulette with a gun pointed at his forehead, never complained about being mistreated. The prosecution only called one rebuttal witness and that was that; as John Conroy said, it's all over but the shouting. Closing arguments were scheduled for today but were postponed until tomorrow due to an unspecified emergency amongst the lawyers. more ›

Testimony in the Jon Burge trial continued on Monday with Burge himself wrapping up his own appearance on the witness stand. During Monday's cross-examination by prosecutor David Weisman, Weisman brought up a 1982 incident in which Burge is alleged to have pointed his gun at the back of an unpopular Area 2 detective, Frank Laverty, an incident about which another retired police officer gave sworn testimony in 2004. Weisman also grilled Burge over the name of his private boat, "Vigilante," suggesting it was because Burge took pride in his interrogation tactics, an accusation Burge flatly denied. Weisman also went after Burge on the 1982 interrogation of Andrew Wilson in which there was a 12-hour delay between when Wilson confessed and when a court-reporter was sent in to officially record it. From the Tribune: more ›

In dramatic and occasionally emotional testimony yesterday, former Chicago Police commander Jon Burge took the stand in his own trial and denied he ever witnessed or condoned the torture of any suspects. As he denied a claim by former suspect Shadeed Mu’min that Burge played Russina roulette with a gun pointed at Mu’min's head, Burge said, "I may not be a Mensa candidate, but I'm not that stupid, sir." Talking about the Andrew Wilson case, Burge even teared up. From John Conroy reporting for Vocalo: more ›

Late yesterday, former police commander Jon Burge announced he will take the stand in his own defense in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial. The announcement came at the end of the day after jurors had left the courtroom. Burge has previously invoked his fifth amendment rights in questioning about the case. As for the strategy, John Conroy says: more ›

The prosecution rested yesterday in the perjury and obstruction of justice trial of former Chicago Police commander Jon Burge after a day that included testimony from alleged robbery suspect Shadeed Mu’min. Mu'min testified of an interrogation session in October 1985 in which he said Burge pointed a revolved loaded with a single bullet at his head, playing a game of Russian Roulette, and suffocated him with a typewriter cover to get a confession in the alleged robbery and attempted murder of a Brown's Fried Chicken worker. The session was one that retired officer Michael McDermott testified about earlier this week in which he did some back-pedaling from previous testimony. Still, as John Conroy points out at Vocalo, there were consistencies between the two testimonies. more ›

In testimony yesterday at the trial of former Chicago police commander Jon Burge, former Chicago Police Sgt. Michael McDermott backed off claims he had previously made in grand jury testimony. Described by John Conroy - covering the trial for Vocalo - as "reluctant," McDermott backed off claims that he had seen Burge point a gun at the head of Shadeed Mu’min and put a clear typewriter cover in front of Mu'min's face to suffocate him. McDermott, who received immunity in exchanged for his testimony, insisted he was clarifying his earlier testimony. From Carol Marin and Don Moseley at NBC 5: more ›

• In his testimony today, former police officer Michael McDermott downplayed his earlier claims of witnessing Jon Burge torture a suspect in 1985.
• The Tribune delves into the reverse commute.
• A man who jumped off an Eisenhower Expressway overpass as he tried to flee police earned himself a slew of charges and a broken ankle.

After a few days off, the trials of former police commander Jon Burge and former governor Rod Blagojevich pick back up this morning. In the Burge case, former detective Michael McDermott may testify today for the prosecution when it's expected he'll detail seeing Burge torture a suspect into a confession by using a typewriter cover to suffocate him. While the jury has heard from three alleged victims and the transcript of a now-deceased fourth victim, McDermott is the first detective to testify that he witnessed Burge and his "Midnight Crew" physically torture suspects, in this case the October 1985 torture of robbery suspect Shadeed Mu'min; Mu'min is also expected to testify for the prosecution who expect to wrap up their case soon. more ›

• Catching up on Gregory Banks' dramatic testimony yesterday in the Burge trial.
• The search is on for a suspect in a West Lakeview sexual assault earlier this week.
• Bucktown bat attack victim Natasha McShane continues a slow but steady recovery.

The Blago trial isn't the only show in town. Still lingering in the former governor's shadow is the Jon Burge trial. Testimony in the trial of former police commander John Burge continued this week with a federal jury hearing statements from several of Burge’s victims, including the deceased Andrew Wilson, who spent 30 years in jail for the murder of two Chicago Police officers. The statements read were from Wilson’s 1989 lawsuit against Burge by FBI Agent Brian Butler. Wilson’s statement details his interrogation by Burge and the “Midnight Crew,” who beat and electrocuted into a confession for the murders of William Fahey and Richard O'Brien. He died in 2007. more ›

• While the Blago trial is just starting, the Jon Burge trial is on a break until Monday but John Conroy explores exactly what the trial is about while Steve Rhodes laments how the Burge trial will be lost among the Blago circus.
• Scott Eby pleaded not guilty in the Riley Fox murder case.
• The latest edition of, "Do you know who I am?!", DUI style.

Jury selection in the Jon Burge trial on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice is underway today as potential jurors are questioned by attorneys. While we'll be following on via several media outlets, we'll also be paying close attention to John Conroy's blog over at WBEZ. more ›