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Judi Lynn

(160,545 posts) Thu Jul 3, 2014, 02:24 PM Jul 2014

Court backs police pension in Chicago torture case

Source: Associated Press

Court backs police pension in Chicago torture case
By DON BABWIN, Associated Press | July 3, 2014 | Updated: July 3, 2014 12:43pm

CHICAGO (AP) — An imprisoned former Chicago police commander accused of overseeing the torture of dozens of men — almost all of them black — to coerce confessions will keep his $3,000-a-month pension under a decision Thursday by the Illinois Supreme Court.

The justices ruled 4-3 that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan cannot challenge a police pension board vote preserving the payments to former police lieutenant Jon Burge. The court said allowing the challenge would be a "fundamental change" to the state's pension process.

Madigan lashed out at the ruling, saying she was "extremely disappointed" in the decision to "allow a torturer and convicted felon to receive his taxpayer-funded pension."

She did not immediately say if she would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Burge, perhaps the Chicago police force's most infamous officer, is serving a 4½ year sentence in federal prison after being convicted of perjury in connection with testimony he gave in a civil case involving torture allegations.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/High-court-upholds-pension-in-Chicago-torture-case-5597902.php

6 replies

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Highlight:

Court backs police pension in Chicago torture case (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jul 2014 OP

The United States SamKnause Jul 2014 #1

Actually sign of a good system happyslug Jul 2014 #4

Fuck that NobodyHere Jul 2014 #5

Here is the Opinion, the Court ruled that the Defendant was convicted of no crime committed on duty happyslug Jul 2014 #6

As an Illinoisan, this disgusts but does not surprise me. ColesCountyDem Jul 2014 #2

Yay, Cops! Iggo Jul 2014 #3

SamKnause

(13,108 posts)

1. The United States

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Thu Jul 3, 2014, 02:26 PM

Jul 2014

judicial system is a joke.

A cruel joke !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

happyslug

(14,779 posts)

4. Actually sign of a good system

Reply to SamKnause (Reply #1)

Fri Jul 4, 2014, 09:35 PM

Jul 2014

All this states is that this person will NOT be on welfare in his old age. His victims can sue him, unless state law says otherwise. Thus he has the money to pay his victims.

Sorry I like laws that protect pensions. It means senior citizen will have money in their old age. This comes up in cases with people who has excessive debts to to credit cards. The same law that protects such innocent people is what is man is using to protect his pension.

NobodyHere

(2,810 posts)

5. Fuck that

Reply to happyslug (Reply #4)

Sat Jul 5, 2014, 01:29 AM

Jul 2014

He should be ineligible for his pension and for welfare.

happyslug

(14,779 posts)

6. Here is the Opinion, the Court ruled that the Defendant was convicted of no crime committed on duty

Reply to NobodyHere (Reply #5)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 12:52 AM

Jul 2014

http://www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/SupremeCourt/2014/115635.pdf

That was the finding of the Pension Review Board and the Court. The only conviction was for Perjury to a Federal Grand Jury YEARS AFTER the officer had retired. Thus,while he did permit acts of torture and other acts of violence against prisoners, he had NEVER been charged with those crimes and thus never convicted.

The only crime was perjury as a Civilian. He just lied about his knowledge of the abuse YEARS after that abuse occurred and years after he could have done anything to stop it.

You may not like it, but he is walking because the Illinois Attorney General (who filed this action) has refused to file any CRIMINAL Charges against the Defendant (Probably because the Statute of Limitations for such crimes are to short and the Illinois State Legislature has refused to extend that Statute).

Yes, it goes back to the State Legislature, and in most states tend to pass laws that protect the state from having to pay for its crimes and to protect its Police and other Agents from Criminal Charges.