By David Heinzmann & Steve Mills The Chicago Tribune December 5, 2008
The union representing Chicago's police officers has decided to pay for the criminal defense of indicted former detective Cmdr. Jon Burge, who is facing federal prosecution, accused of lying about torturing suspects, Fraternal Order of Police officials confirmed Thursday.
Burge, 60, was indicted in October on perjury and obstruction charges that say he lied to federal authorities about the alleged torture of suspects in his custody during the 1980s and 1990s. He was fired in 1993 amid mounting allegations of torture, but had never charged criminally.
FOP President Mark Donahue confirmed that the union board voted Tuesday to provide funds for Burge's defense. But Donahue declined to comment further Thursday, saying he would have a more complete statement on the issue Friday.
Referring to the FOP board's decision, Burge, who lives in Florida, said, "I don't have anything to do with what they vote."
Burge was facing a potential million-dollar bill for his defense. While city lawyers have handled his defense in civil lawsuits, they would have no role in a criminal defense.
Lawsuits connected to the Burge scandal have cost the city $30 million in settlements.
Lawyer Flint Taylor, who has represented several men allegedly tortured by Burge, said, "It's outrageous that [the FOP is] going to spend another million dollars to defend a known torturer after they defended him 15 years ago when he was fired."
Burge was indicted two years after a lengthy and expensive investigation by a special Cook County prosecutor concluded that he and his officers coerced dozens of confessions by torturing criminal suspects. But the investigation also found that no one could be criminally charged for the torture because statutes of limitations for the abuse had long passed.
Federal authorities, however, charged Burge because he denied the torture in connection with federal lawsuits, not the decades-old torture itself.
That amounted to perjury and obstruction of justice, prosecutors contend.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-burge-fop-defensedec05,0,779331 3.story
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