Torture Commission refers 7 alleged police torture cases for evidentiary hearings

The Illinois Torture Relief and Inquiry Commission (TIRC) voted to send seven alleged police torture cases to the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court for evidentiary hearings. The seven are:

Jackie Wilson, Jaime Hauad, Tony Anderson, Darrell Fair, Clayborn Smith, Harvey Allen and Vincent Wade

In each case the Commissioners voted unanimously that there was “credible evidence of torture” based on the record of the cases. Each case was

Investigated by the TIRC Executive Director, Atty. David Thomas. In three other cases the Commissioners voted that there was not a sufficient evidence available to them to refer the cases. Those three were William Atkins, Drew Terrell, and Joseph Davis.

In all the cases police detectives associated with Police Cmdr Jon Burge and his “midnight crew” of torturers were involved in interrogating the suspects. In all cases they defendants had moved in their initial trials to suppress their confessions on the grounds they were coerced. In all cases there was no other material evidence trying the defendants to the crime.

In the cases they voted not to refer it was usually because one or more of these factors was not present.

“It’s an important victory that the TIRC has been provided the funds to function again,” commented Frank Chapman, a leader of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “This is the last relief available to the hundreds of people who are in prison today as a result of being tortured and falsely convicted.”

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority has allocated $160,000 of its budget to fund the TIRC, which was mysteriously defunded by the Illinois Legislature last year.

“However,” Chapman added, “even though the TIRC members are very dedicated to their task of reviewing these cases, in three years they’ve been able to refer only a dozen cases for review by the Chief Judge. At this rate, most of these men will die in prison.”

“Every case in which any detective with a record of involvement in torture should be automatically reopened by the State’s Attorney,” Chapman declared. “But more than that, these police officers should be indicted and held to account for their crime.

“This further underscores the need for an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council with the power to initiate federal prosecution of police officers who abuse the civil rights of the people in violation of federal law. That’s why we are calling for a mass march on City Hall to pass the CPAC legislation on August 28.”

The draft CPAC legislation is available at http://stoppolicecrimes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/new-proposed-legislation-33.pdf .

For more information, contact Frank Chapman, 312-513-3795 or Ted Pearson, 312-927-2689