Justice for Cortez Brown!

By Ashahed M. Muhammad
Assistant Editor | Last updated: Apr 26, 2009 - 9:48:23 PM

Infamous police commander accused of torture may be forced to testify in appeals case

Atty. Locke E. Bowman (r), legal counsel for Cortez Brown, explains details of the case to Min. Farrakhan as Father Michael Pfleger looks on. Photo: Ashahed M. Muhammad

CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) - With spiritual advisers and concerned community members viewing from the courtroom gallery, attorneys for 38-year-old Cortez Brown asked a judge to order infamous former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and former detective Anthony Maslanka to appear in person to testify at an upcoming hearing.

Atty. Locke Bowman and a team of committed lawyers from the People's Law Office in Chicago filed a motion on April 15 asking presiding Cook County Circuit Court Judge Clayton Crane to force Mr. Burge, who resides in Florida, and Mr. Maslanka, who resides in Arizona, to appear at an upcoming May 18 hearing.

“If Burge could abuse with impunity, the people who worked with him knew that abuse was going to be immunized, and even approved,” said Atty. Bowman just outside the courtroom during a brief recess. Atty. Bowman said for justice to be served, “the totality of the circumstances” in which the Brown confession took place need to be examined thoroughly.

Cortez Brown

According to Atty. Bowman, a ruling on the motion is expected to come from Judge Crane on April 29. At that hearing, it will also be determined if the judge will allow evidence of prisoner abuse of others while in the custody of officers under Mr. Burge's command.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was present in support of Mr. Brown and was joined by Ald. Ed Smith of Chicago's 28th Ward, the Nation of Islam's National Prison Reform Minister Abdullah Muhammad, Supreme Captain Mustapha Farrakhan, Father Michael Pfleger of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, Rev. Larry Turpin of the United Church of Hyde Park, and Leonard F. Muhammad, of the Nation of Islam, to observe the legal proceedings.

Min. Farrakhan told reporters gathered in the lower level of the Cook County Courts Building that the Nation of Islam stands firmly with unjustly imprisoned victims of police brutality and torture who still seek justice.

“We want to let the world know that this young man is not alone, that there is a community—a rising community—that is behind him, and not only him, but all of the others that are still languishing in prison under similar charges that they were tortured to confess to,” said Min. Farrakhan.

Mr. Brown was given the death penalty after confessing to the murders of two men in 1990; however, his sentence was commuted to life in prison by former Illinois Governor George Ryan. Mr. Brown is seeking a new trial, saying his confession was coerced, and came only after he was severely beaten by Mr. Burge's henchmen.

As he entered the courtroom, Mr. Brown, holding his head up in a dignified manner and wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit, looked in the direction of his spiritual advisers, placed his hand on his heart and nodded. Upon exiting, he did the same thing as his spiritual advisers nodded back.

“We're going to be as vigilant as we possibly can,” said Ald. Smith. “I just hope that in the final analysis, this judge will make a decision that Burge is brought back to this trial because he needs to come back and face the music.”

According to sworn testimonies and numerous reports, former Area 2 Commander Jon Burge led a group of rogue officers that used cattle prods to electric shock the genitals of suspects, handcuffed suspects to hot radiators and beat suspects to coerce confessions and to obtain information during investigations.

Mr. Burge was arrested in October 2008 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. He subsequently posted $250,000 bail and was freed. Community leaders are disturbed that Mr. Burge remains free, and unhappy that though he was fired from the Chicago Police Department in 1993, he still receives a pension and taxpayer money is being used to pay his legal bills. They are also upset by other payouts for settlements in numerous cases of police brutality and misconduct.

“Somehow he (Mr. Burge) has to come into a courtroom and face those he has put behind bars,” Father Pfleger told The Final Call.

Min. Farrakhan challenged America to be an example for the world by bringing police torture to an end.

“President Barack Obama has said that torture should not exist even when you are dealing with enemy combatants. We who live in America know torture because our people have been in and out of these jails and prisons and have been tortured. All of this must come to an end if America is to be that beacon light of civilization to the world,” he said.

The Final Call