Jon Burge, former commander of the Chicago Police Department and all around scumbag, is begging for leniency. He has been found guilty for breaking the law and now he wants to use his years of military service as a bargaining chip in the sentencing process. What is Burge being sentenced for, you ask? Obstruction of justice and perjury in connection with torturing confessions out of suspects. You read that right. He tortured confessions out of people who were arrested, sent them to jail (and in some cases death row) and deprived them of one of the things that can never be replaced: time.
Now Burge is petitioning the court for the thing that he took away from his victims: time. He wants a relaxed sentence because from 1966-1972 he served in the Army. Now, I respect the sacrifice that people who serve in the armed forces give in order to serve this country. They put their lives on the line so that we can exercise the freedoms that our country provides. I do, however, have an issue with someone- Burge in particular- using a sacrifice to try to make amends for bad behavior. Abhorrent behavior. Behavior that lead to the injury and death of others. That is shameful.
From 1972 until he was fired in 1993, Burge allegedly tortured more than 200 suspects. There were so many allegations that the then governor George Ryan declared a moratorium on the death penalty executions in the state of Illinois. The special investigation into his "tactics" cost the state of Illinois $17 MILLION. Several convictions were reversed or overturned; and four of his victims were pardoned by Ryan. Those four men then filed suit again the City of Chicago. The settlement was an additional $19.8 MILLION... for all those keeping score that is $36.8 MILLION. And now Burge wants to catch a break on his twenty one year reign of terror by relying on his six year military record and the fact that he is sick with cancer.
So, he wants mercy? Amazing how substantial jail time and the possible end of your life makes you reexamine your decisions, huh? If Burge can pay back that $36.8 MILLION, will admit what he did and give those men that he took irreplaceable time from the apology they richly deserve... then he can have a shorter sentence. If he can't do those three things he deserves to serve the maximum sentence handed down. We have to respect cops AND we have to demand they respect us and the oath they take. Burge needs to be an example, so the police know that we will not tolerate any skirting of the laws. They are meant to serve and protect, not lie, beat and torture.
2 comments:
Preach!!! I'm in 100% percent agreement with you. I had the opportunity to meet one of the men that was tortured by Jon Burge who was later pardoned from death row by Gov. Ryan, and his story brought tears to my eyes. That man lost time with his family and almost lost his mind. I believe totally in grace and mercy, but we (humankind) also will have to deal with the consequences of our deeds at some point. Jon Burge sowed corruption, and it's time to reap. I just pray that man make his peace with God, and the victims of his mania.
Four and a half years- that is his punishment. 200 torture victims and all that the government could get him on was perjury and four and a half years in prison. :(
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