Beyond the Usual Beating by Andrew S. Baer

Author:Andrew S. Baer [Baer, Andrew S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HIS000000 History / General
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 2020-05-08T00:00:00+00:00

While public officials pointed to Burge’s firing as proof the system worked, other observers drew more complex conclusions from the nearly four-year battle. Police accountability mechanisms may have improved since the 1960s, but the overall record remained discouraging. For example, not only did the Chicago torture justice movement compel the Chicago Police Board to respond to community pressure; it also forced the Office of Professional Standards to corroborate charges of violent misconduct. Yet considering the scope and gravity of the Burge scandal, the results hardly seemed proportional. In response to scores of torture allegations involving dozens of detectives and prosecutors, the CPD suspended only two officers and fired another. Moreover, even this minimal response required unusual effort from community activists. Meanwhile, prosecutors did not file criminal charges against perpetrators of torture. Courts did not proactively review cases of state prisoners convicted on the strength of coerced confessions. Officials made no apology, started no thorough investigation, granted no restitution. Nor did they reevaluate procedures, reorganize agencies, or establish new safeguards. If Mayor Richard M. Daley, the state’s attorney, and the police superintendent thought justice could be bought so cheap, they were mistaken.

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