City Settles Another Jon Burge Torture Lawsuit; Daley Spared From Testifying

By aaroncynic in News on Sep 5, 2013 9:20PM

The Chicago City Council plans to pay out $12.3 million in two more settlements involving false confessions given to police after being tortured under former commander Jon Burge. According to the Chicago Tribune, Ronald Kitchen and Marvin Reeves would each receive $6.15 million if the Finance Committee approves. The City has already paid out $66 million this year in settlements, many related to Burge cases. The tab for settlements related to Burge cases prior to the new settlements totaled $70 million.

Kitchen and Reeves each spent 21 years in prison until they were exonerated in 2009.

Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), Chair of the Budget Committee said:

“I think the then-Police Department did the citizens of Chicago an injustice by allowing Commander Burge to run rampant as he did and not hold him accountable for any of his convictions.”

According to court documents, Kitchen was beaten with a phone, a phone book and a blackjack by officers under Burge’s watch. He was also subject to sleep and food deprivation. Reeves endured similar treatment according to a lawsuit he filed in 2010. Both men were tried and convicted for the murder of two women and three children in 1988 based on bogus information from a jailhouse informant. According to the Sun-Times, phone records proved the informant’s story questionable, and the prosecution failed to inform the defense of his early release from prison for cooperating in the case.

The settlements mean former Mayor Richard M. Daley, who was Cook County State's Attorney when the first allegations against Burge became news, will not have to answer questions under oath about what he knew. Daley had been subpoenaed twice before, but those cases were also settled.