City Close To Settling Burge Suit

By Margaret Lyons in News on Dec 7, 2007 9:25PM

Is the City finally going to reach some kind of resolution with four victims of police torture victims? It look like it. Aaron Patterson, Leroy Orange, Stanley Howard and Madison Hobley, all tortured by Chicago Police commander Jon Burge and his Area 2 lackeys, will divide a $20 million settlement in their suit against the city.

Says 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle,

Failure to settle these cases when there was no argument anymore that there was torture by Area 2 detectives made the city look like it was unwilling to acknowledge, apologize and make restitution. For me, it meant we weren't holding the Police Department and ourselves accountable for the bad conduct that went on. It reflected badly on us as a city.

The City Council's finance committee still has to approve the settlement on Monday, and then the whole City Council gets to weigh in on Wednesday, but we'd be surprised if this didn't pass. We're also going to be surprised if the City ever finds a way to indict and prosecute Jon Burge and his accomplices, who still receive their pensions.

We bet John Conroy would have something interesting to say ... oh, yeah.

Old Sun-Times cover via Viking Youth Power Hour.