[Revised; the S-T broke the story, so credit’s due.] The Sun-Times reports that former CPD commander Jon Burge was just arrested on charges relating to 2003 written testimony about police torture in Chicago. Update: indictment, press release, and links to info on the prosecutors here. In a later post, I address the question of Mayor Daley’s role in his position as state’s attorney during the scandal.
If you’re just coming to the story, I can’t recommend John Conroy’s Who’s Who about Area 2 police torture highly enough, especially the sections on Burge and the powers that be who knew about it, including now-Mayor Daley. Conroy’s whole archive is incomparable, but if you’re just looking to get started, I recommend:
The Police Torture Scandal: A Who’s Who June 16, 2006
With the results of a four-year, multimillion dollar investigation due any day, here’s a guide by staff reporter John Conroy to the key figures in the scandal. Some of them may look familiar.
The Meter’s Still Running and the Mayor’s Still Mum July 6, 2007
Since 2003 the city has paid some $7 million in legal fees to fight five police torture lawsuits it probably can’t win. The latest turn in this saga involves a secret settlement agreement designed to protect Daley.
Twenty Questions May 11, 2007
Lawyers for police torture victims are trying to get Mayor Daley on the stand. We’ve got a few things to ask him too.
House of Screams January 26, 1990
Torture by electroshock: Could it happen in a Chicago police station? Did it happen at Area 2?
Town Without Pity January 12, 1996
Police torture: The courts know about it, the media know about it, and chances are you know about it. So why aren’t we doing anything about it?
The Good Cop January 5, 2007
Detective Frank Laverty did the right thing—and paid for it for years.
The Persistence of Andrew Wilson November 29, 2007
A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators.