Former Chicago police lieutenant Jon Burge was convicted of federal perjury and obstruction of justice charges (we first covered this story when his trial first began).
Over his career, Burge had lied repeatedly about the torture of suspects. He testified at his own trial, denying he ever tortured suspects or encouraged other officers to do so. The jury found him guilty after deliberating for 3 days (see full story here).
In 2006 a special prosecutor’s report found dozens of men had claimed abuse, but no action was taken because the statute of limitations had run on many of the crimes. More than 100 victims have claimed torture that allegedly began in the 1970s and lasted until Burge was fired in 1993.
Almost all the tortured or abused suspects were black men. Burge was permitted to serve on the police force for decades despite allegations of abuse. When he was fired, no criminal charges were filed.
Although some may laud the fact that Burge has finally been brought to justice, it appears that the police department of Chicago utterly lacks accountability. It took the department decades to fire a man who was repeatedly accused of torture. The city of Chicago has approved settlements totaling $19.8 million to the various victims of Burge’s torture and abuse, but of course the wrongdoers themselves will not be footing the bill, taxpayers will.
Burge was sentenced to 45 years in jail, but he is so old now that he really isn’t getting what he deserves. There are no private professions in which an employee can commit abuse and torture and pass off the costs to taxpayers. In the private sphere, the individual would be fired, jailed, and likely would be sued for damages (or their employer would be).
Have you ever heard of a Target or Nordstrom’s employee torturing customers and staying employed there for 20 years? Ever heard of a cashier at Ralphs or Krogers committing battery on customers, staying on the job for 20 years, then forcing innocent taxpayers to pay the victims damages?
I haven’t. And if we did hear of such things, there rightly would be a public outcry, and it would be viewed as completely absurd and unfair.
Government should be no different. If anything, the government should be held to higher standards of accountability because it owes a duty to the people (allegedly). However, it seems the opposite is the case.
Only in government do employees have a free pass on torture and abuse. Police can use excessive force, and abuse victims, and keep their jobs, while taxpayers, not the police force, ultimately pay what is due to the victim.
Is it any wonder there is no accountability?
He’s a former cop in prison. He’ll get what’s coming to him. Hopefully there will be video.
Btw, Barry Cooper’s wife got jacked yesterday.
very nice reporting jenn! articulate, well thought out and structured… especially for someone who’s primary joy in life is ‘beer’ – still though, a much better thing to devote time and energy to as a hobby than oh say, i dunno… torturing and abusing anyone you can from behind a badge and a gun?! again, nice work.
Thanks Thom! I appreciate your readership and comments!
I understand your anger, and I’m glad this guy is at least getting jailed, but what else would you have the courts do? This cop surely doesn’t have the money to pay 19.8 million.
To me, I see just no-win here. At least the guy is in jail. Finally.
Yes, now that we have the system we have and it’s all been said and done, there’s not much else to be done. However, if this were a private system, the police department, not the tax payers, would be responsible for compensating the victims. And if that means the police the department goes bankrupt for making foolish business decisions and for employing torturers, then society would be better off for it.
As a cop, he’ll get special treatment in prison. The guard will treat him as “one of us” and he’ll be completely taken care of. Perks, safety, private cell, as much comfort as they can get away with.
good point, van. that’s exactly why we should all go out and purchase fully automatic assault rifles and kill every cop we can find. why? because (though i’ve said it before and will say it again), THE ONLY GOOD COP IS A DEAD COP. straight up.
The fact that our taxes pay court damage awards, judgments and settlement payments are consequence and proof that awry cops, judges, politicians and other government officials are our employees and servants. Civil or criminal lawsuit damage awards, judgments and settlement payments against (owed from) businesses in the private sector can be, and are, passed on to customers via higher markups/prices. I agree that private business replacing unconstitional government agencies, bureaus, departments, (dis)services, etc., probably would provide accountabiity, choice/competition, customer service, market controls, and more advantages that come with capitalism and free enterprise/market. However, as above, damages, fines, settlements and any other expenses due to wrongful actions could and would be passed to customers through higher prices.
Anon of Ibid:
Well, it doesn’t have to be $19.8 billion. But he should be liable for some of that.
The problem is that government officials are a special case. They cannot be sued for damages- the courts have ruled that if they are on the job the fall under the government’s protection. That’s a problem, because it means that even if an official is found guilty, the taxpayers pay.
What should happen is that an official CAN be sued, even in the performance of his official duties. Maybe the government can spring for a lawyer, but regardless, the official should be on the hook for payment.
Thom –
Come on now, surely you don’t mean that?
KC – you’re right, the costs would most definitely be passed on the customers. However, I think if security were privatized, if a particular security agency was too expensive, customers would have the freedom to choose another agency. Also, there would be far more incentives for security companies to select employees who do not harass and abuse people and subject the agency to lawsuits, so it would probably still be much cheaper.
Yep, I agree with ya, Jenn. It’s better to have choices and “survival of the fittest” in a competitive free enterprise market than a monopoly.
Wednesday, March 8, 2011
FBI/CIA Covert Unlawful Method Against Men: Castration
NOTE: This report by former FBI agent Geral Sosbee, details just one aspect of the ‘neutralization’ campaigns run against whistleblowers and those deemed ‘dissidents’ by corrupt government agencies.
Chemical and biological warfare (poisoning) is used to destroy the health and well-being of targets, as well as to apply psychological pressure, which results in extreme stress and trauma.
But to add insult to injury, media outlets (controlled by the same corrupt Intel agencies) engage in selective censorship to prevent an expositor/whistleblower from alerting the public to these hideous crimes.
Note that in this case, Indymedia summarily and unjustly bans Geral Sosbee from posting on this issue.
The same type of selective censorship can be seen, as perpetrated by Google, AOL, Yahoo and others, apparently only against certain individuals who have been targeted for neutralization, while the non-targets are free to post anything they please, no matter the subject matter.
Having discussed these issues at length with Geral Sosbee, which he has investigated over a period of years, and having also heard the testimony of those targeted for assaults by chemical/biological warfare (both men and women), I have no doubt about these atrocities being perpetrated against those deemed “enemies of the state”.
Shame on you, Indymedia Worldwide!
BHP
March 7, 2011
Intelligence Report: Castration of the Enemy
The cia recently announced that Viagra is being offered to men who help in the USA war effort in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. No mention is made by the cia of the ongoing practices of the fbi/cia to castrate men who refuse to cooperate (in the murderous war efforts), or who otherwise act against the interests of the American intelligence services (the fbi/cia).
Secret laws now authorize the fbi/cia, et al, to engage in threats of castration and actual castration at will when the intel services can show some basis for the chemical assaults on selected Targets. One such basis is the showing that the Target has or is suspected of having a venereal disease (such as HIV or HPV, etc.) and is therefore a presumed threat to society. Indeed over half the adult male population is now believed to be infected with the HPV, a fact that offers great opportunity for the intel services to carry out their threats of castration on a broad section of the general population.
http://www.brightonpittsfordpost.com/latestnews/x407382003/Study-50...
If the fbi/cia decide to end the productive life of an activist, or other suspected “enemy” , he may be incarcerated in a mental hospital by using fraudulent civil process as I have briefly summarized ;
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/05/375399.shtml
http://www.cmaq.net/node/29986
or he may become the subject of a phony criminal case wherein the imprisonment of the Target satisfies the intel service’s need.
Today the fbi/cia also review the medical records of male Targets and conduct other in- depth investigations in efforts to profile the Target in a predetermined manner that ostensibly seeks to justifiy castration. However, in order to achieve the desired end, the intel services also create a file on the Target wherein women swear in false affidavits and file derogatory statements against the Target, rendering the Target vulnerable to corrective action. In some instances the fbi and the cia actually poison or otherwise infect the Target as suggested in some of the links below in order to disable, injure or kill the Target.
Generally, the public is not aware of the dirty tricks used by the intel services against Targets, including adverse actions & procedures against uninfected men and others who pose absolutely no threat to anyone. The central goal of the intel services (the fbi/cia) is to protect state secrets (including their crimes against humanity)
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/part4-worldinabo.html
and to further political objectives (such as silencing whistleblowers).
Thus, men must become more vigilant regarding the crimes planned and committed against them by the fbi/cia agents and their operatives, including members of the public at large who are often co-opted into assisting the assassins in the poisoning and killing of selected Targets (sometimes by obscure methods).
http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/forum/topics/fbicia-methods-to-torture-and
http://barbarahartwell.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-reports-from-ex-fbi….
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/resumepage.html
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/part16-updatefor.html
http://www.governmentattic.org/docs/FBI-Army_Bacteriological_Warfar...
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2007_hr/germs.pdf
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/tooth14.html
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/letterformthemed.html
http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/forum/topics/psychoelectronic-weapon
http://www.governmentattic.org/docs/USMC_NeuronalEntrainment_Nonlet...
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/hightechassau.html
Miami Indymedia is under the control of the fbi/cia and other terrorists and now announces that this reporter may not post any article or report on the Miami Indymedia forum. Here are the messages to me when I attempt to post the reports on intelligence services castration program (see my report on this subject at
http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/forum/topics/fbicia-covert-unlawful-method?xg_source=activity
Here is the cowardly message sent to me anonymously by the Miami Indymedia fool:
Your IMC Miami article- fbi/cia Intelligence report: castration of the enemy
InboxX
Reply |imcmiami to me
show details 1:35 AM (8 hours ago)
fromimcmiami [email protected]
dateMon, Mar 7, 2011 at 1:35 AM
subjectYour IMC Miami article- fbi/cia Intelligence report: castration of the enemymailed-byyahoo.com
signed-byyahoo.com
hide details 1:35 AM (8 hours ago)
Geral,
Please do not post any more articles on the Miami Independent Media web site.
Thanks for your co-operation.
The Editors
From:
http://miami.indymedia.org/news/2011/03/21978.php
printable version – email this article
For original reports by Geral Sosbee see:
http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/
http://www.sosbeevfbi.com
For more on torture see:
http://www.boell.org/downloads/Lingis_on_torture.pdf