Justice in sight for Chicago police torture victim?
/Darrell Cannon, his legal team and supporters wore smiles and were cautiously optimistic after oral arguments presented before the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals at the Dirksen Federal Building downtown.
At issue was whether Mr. Cannon, after being brutally tortured by Chicago cops into confessing to a crime he did not commit and serving 24 years in prison, is due a fair monetary settlement for his pain, anguish and stolen years.
Mr. Cannon is just one of dozens of known victims brutalized into false confessions by rogue Chicago police officers under the watch of former police commander Jon Burge. Mr. Burge and his band of officers known as “The Midnight Crew” beat and tortured Black men and women during a reign of terror that lasted over three decades. Mr. Burge, who retired from the police department, is now in jail for perjury related to the torture allegations.
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Jon Burge |
Mr. Cannon’s lead attorney, Flint Taylor in presenting strong, almost irrefutable arguments to the three appellate court judges sought to have a previous district court ruling blocking any additional settlement sought by his client overturned. Early on Mr. Cannon agreed to a paltry payment as part of a settlement before the Burge torture controversy exploded with numerous victims named, released from prison and granted substantial compensation.
“Before it was known that there was this scandal, that there was this conspiracy to torture and to cover it up, Mr. Cannon took a $3,000 settlement for all of his claims. The city was arguing well he was stuck with that amount of money because he signed the settlement agreement in 1988,” Atty. Taylor of The People’s Law Office, told The Final Call after the Jan. 22 hearing.
“Our argument was that because of all the racially motivated conspiracy to torture and to cover it up only came to light after Mr. Cannon took his settlement; that he should be allowed to proceed with a new case. Now that he’s been released from prison after 24 years in the penitentiary and that was our argument,” added Atty. Taylor.
In 1983, Mr. Cannon was taken to a remote location by Chicago police where a shotgun was jammed into his mouth, splitting his lip and the trigger pulled repeatedly in efforts to simulate his execution. Mr. Cannon said officers also tried to hang him by his hands as they were cuffed behind his back. An electric cattle prod was used to shock his genitals.
There are at least 20 more Black men, still in prison who said they too are victims of coerced confessions by The Midnight Crew.
