Public to see report on cop torture allegations

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-burge20.html

A four-year investigation of torture allegations against a Chicago Police unit will be made public -- including the names of officers and prosecutors who refused to testify before the grand jury.

Cook County Criminal Court Presiding Judge Paul Biebel ruled Friday that the public interest in clearing the air about decades-old allegations of torture and cover-ups outweighs the traditional expectations of privacy in grand jury proceedings.

"The release of the report will address the issues which have led to rumor and speculation which have spread unimpeded over the fabric of the Cook County criminal justice system for more than 30 years," Biebel said.

Former Police Cmdr. Jon Burge and officers under him at Area 2 are accused of torturing confessions out of suspects in the 1970s and 1980s.