The Blog

Frank Avila, the attorney for Aaron Paterson, one of the four former Death Row inmates who shared in a $20 million settlement from the City of Chicago, should be particularly commended in keeping public attention focused on this case for years. In addition to representing his client in court proceedings that seemed like they would never end, Avila repeatedly hosted numerous public affairs programs on Cable-TV about the police torture issue. Avila and others were critical of the role of Mayor Daley (then the Cook County States Attorney when the police torture abuses took place), as well as outgoing States Attorney Dick Devine. Making this stand and criticizing Daley, Devine and the powers-that-be on the subject of police torture was not the politically safe move for Avila to make. The criticism from Avila on this issue probably cost him his Democratic Primary race for Water Reclamation District Commissioner in 2002 and again in 2004. But in the end, it was the right thing to do, and he should be commended for his courage.

Anita Alvarez lacks any courage because she was in the office for 20 years and never said anything. She did not want to discuss this topic and all she could say is that she was young when it happened. She is still dealing with law suits, post conviction motions. Dick Devine, to this day, states that Burge did not do any wrong. Dick Devine, with Anita Alvarez in the executive staff, hired officers accused of torture under the Command of Jon Burge as States Attorneys investigators. Questions for Anita Alvarez?: 1. If more should of been done than what was that more? 2. Should Richard M. Daley or Dick Devine be investigated? 3. Should the State's Attorneys office indicted Jon Burge and/or other officers in the 80s and 90s? 4. why did the city and county hire big law firms costing millions of dollars (including people on the ARDC and the police board) to defend Jon Burge and these other police officers and not settle these suits? 5. How come the County spent 10 million dollars on the Special Prosecutors "Burge" report which said they could not indict if the Feds now indicted for perjury? 6. Freeborn Peters is defending Jon Burge and individual police officers as is Terry Ekl at the cost of tens of millions of dollars to the taxpayers and Patty Bobb (on the Police board) on the county--yet there are former States Attorneys like Richard Sikes (whose name is on allegedly coerced confessions) and Terrence "TJ" Sheehan (who was touted by Bill Daley for States Attorney--the son of Sheriff Sheehan(the same Sheriff who investigated one of the pardoned death row inmates before turning it over to Devine who got the Feds involved) 7. Neither Daley nor Devine have been forthright or honest about it. 8. What does Anita Alvarez admit? 9. What would Anita Alvarez do differently? 10. Is Anita Alvarez going to fire the States Attorney investigators accused of torture? This is a scandal and can affect the outcome of the States Attorney race.

Did Jon Burge commit these crimes by himself,or was there a Criminal conspiracy,to coverup his crimes. Did the States Attorney approve all of Burge's arrest without question,and who was the States Attorney at this time. Daley railroaded many innocent people before he became Mayor. Burge help Daley develop and Law and Order record,while States Attorney. Now the Crook County Democrats,want the voters to elect another Hack Clone,named Anita Alvarez. Dick Devine and Daley should also be indicted. Daley personally recruited Anita Alvarez. Alvarez stated she only goes after little cloutless Criminals due to her limited resources.

Obama could of done more too. Actually Obama did nothing. Obama was a coward because he wanted Daley's endorsement.|Obama is a coward

O'Bama and Alvarez are part of the evil that controls this City. Anita Alvarez should not betrusted with the Cook County States Attorney's office. Any African American that votes for her, is voting for someone that protected Jon Burge. O'Bama should be ashamed of himself, the way he ignored the Burge torture, but the press is the real problem.

How can Mayor Daley say he has no responsibility? Mayor Daley was States Attorney from 1980 to 1989 (9 years) and even after he was elected Mayor for at least one year he had his hand appointed Cecil Partee. While there was a brief interlude with a Republican (nominally) in Jack O'Malley--Dick Devine (his top person in the office) was elected in 1996 and holds that office currently (until December of 2008 so for 12 years) Jon Burge was on the police force from the early 70s after Vietnam until 1994. Daley's State's Attorneys took confessions from Jon Burge and tried cases with him. Daley's office interacted with Jon Burge and received complaints like the letter from Police Superintendent Matt Brececzk detailing torture (that was unanswered and not acted upon) the Wilson brothers (2 lowlife scumbags) who were tortured happened under the Daley watch in 1981 and Aaron Patterson who was pardoned for a 1986 crime was under Daley and the Ford Heights 5 were under Daley. So how is it again we can't blame Daley? Dick Devine was in charge of all the post conviction motions including coerced confessions, torture, proof of innocence--and he did not act upon it. Dick Devine TO THIS DAY denies any wrong doing by Jon Burge. Dick Devine hired former police officers accused of torture onto the States Attorneys office Dan McWeeny. In 1996, 7 years into the Mayoralty of his royal highness Mayor Daley (mayor for life) he promoted Peter Dignan who was accused of torture and other wrongdoing. Peter Dignan now works for the Cook County Sheriffs office. So it is interesting that: 1. Many of these gaelic officers live in the 19th ward and 2. Many of these police officers accused of torture end up on on government payrolls controlled by politics including the Sheriffs and States Attorney Mayor Daley has not admitted wrong doing by himself. He has apologized vaguely for torture and said it was a bad chapter but at the same time fought law suits, would not be deposed in law suits, paid tens of millions of dollars to defend Jon Burge and other police officers, promoted officers accused of torture, supported candidates (many current Judges) accused of torture with substantial allegations, and helped politically through his organization police officers to get (through Jeremiah Joyce) good post retirement plum political spots (like McWeeney and Dignan but there is more) Even convicted felons like William Pedersen got jobs at the Public Defenders office as investigators. Freeborn and Peters made a big mistake in allowing these guys to get off the 5th amendment because there are going to be more indictments (but Freeborn and Peters with former States Attorney who took these confessions and the son of the Sheriff who started investigations against pardoned victims of torture TJ Sheehan made MILLIONS on the taxpayers backs) Kunkle (now a judge and a top Daley States Attorney) tried the Wilson case and now has 4 different stories of what happened. Egan and Boyle made 7 million (with Henshaw and Culbertson) on their whitewash report that said no one would get indicted. The sad part is some of these men are guilty and they are now free because of Jon Burge, Rich Daley and Dick Devine. A criminal investigation should continue into Daley and Devine. Barack Obama has been silent on Burge torture despite the Peoples Law Office and Wallace Gator Bradley asking him to get involved. Anita Alvarez better come up with a better answer than we should of done better because it is a cover up. Burge may be killed or he will commit suicide--at least possibly--because he can take down a lot of cops and the Mayor himself.

If it was not for Frank Avila this evil man would not be brought to justice. If not for Frank Avila, nobody stood up to HDO. Frank Avila is a great beacon of hope for the Latino community especially the forgotten people the Mexican Americans who are ignored in this election.

Memo to Anita: YES, there was a cover up and it is a conspiracy. Why do you think nobody did anything. Dellio Kunkle Laci Devine Daley Many judges and prosecutors Morrisey

Mayor Daley and Anita Alvarez's comment on Jon Burge: " OOPS! SORRY!" Da mayor should be a little more accoutable on this one and his tool,Anita Alvarez should understand by just saying we knew, does not make it right. Thank God Frank Avila jr/Dorothy Brown opned this case up last year!

Sure .. she *might* go after some corrupt cops where she didnt have the power or authority to do so before ... BUT... ... how about some corrupt politicians? The list in Cook County is long. Somehow I don't think she'll go after the people who made her.

Burge was necessary at the time

JON BURGE WAS NECESSARY TO KEEP CHICAGO SAFE. Is Jon Burge a pretty picture? No. Did Jon Burge break some eggs to make an omelette? Yes. As Otto von Bismark the Prussian leader said: you don't want to know how laws nor sausages are made. There was bad violent crime. PO Fahey and Boyle were good kids with families. The Wilson brothers were cold blooded murderers who kept another guy locked up because of there lies. Let us be honest they deserved to be tortured. You think people just admit crimes? If you had someone murdered in your family--you would call Jon Burge. He was the first in the door, first down the skylight, first to take a bullet, first in the line a fire--a cops cop and a loyal guy with a team that loved him. These people he got were vicious animals who raped, maimed and killed. Burned people up and killed them. They are animals and deserve to be treated. Do you really think you can solve crimes by playing patty cakes with vicious gorillas? NO Why do you think the mafia was destroyed and trains ran on time with Mussoloni? Why do you think you had good economic growth under Pinochet? Why do you think that Spain under Franco had low crime and a stable social structure. Why do you think that outfit neighborhoods like Grand Avenue, Bridgeport, Chinatown and Taylor Street did't have the same level of violent crime when neighborhoods changed--they took the baseball bat and beat Blacks--most of whom were looking for trouble. So you dagos tortured too just not with the police. The Irish saved this city. Under Harold Washington you had high taxes, property taxes increasing, bad bond rating, white flight, high crime, and affordable housing destroying good neighborhoods. Let's be honest Daley did the impossible and took down Cabrini Green, Robert Taylor, the Taylor Street homes, the State street homes--and brought in law abiding, clean white people, or minorities with money and class and not project animals. The project animals are in Harvey, Markham, Robbins and now crime is lower in Chicago. Mayor Daley brought down the old 1st ward by helping the Federal Government and being an informant and supplying information and no that is not being a rat--he was the States Attorney that is what he was supposed to do. Because Pat Marcy, Fred Roti, and Ed Vrdolyak had this city for sale and judges like nickles and dimes in their pocket fixing murders, and having an open city of theft, corruption, prostititution, strip clubs, drugs, extortion, gambling with Ed Vrdolyak meeting with Joe Ferriola the boss from Taylor Street (and a good Irish journalist Steve Neal busting him) and Fred Roti and Pat Marcy being made guys who fixed trials like the Passarella. Daley stopped Vrdolyak and the mob and cleaned this city up. Frank Coconate: 1. Your home is worth more. 2. Crime is down 3. The Public Schools are better for your kids. 4. We have a beautiful city with Millenium Park, flower pots, cows, Northerly Island and restaurants, night clubs, museums--anything you want. 5. The city is cleaner than under Harold Washington. 6. There has been a real estate boom under Richard M. Daley 7. There are more wealthy people in Chicago now and less low income and criminala and Blacks (the Hispanics can be our working class) Daley did a lot of good and you don't want to recognize it. Let's be honest even middle class Black people don't want housing projects by them and upper class Black people don't want nothing to do with them. And I am voting for Barack Obama because that will be enough and the African American/Black community will not get more and Obama will be able to do and say things no White President can. Obama will ensure that Chicago gets dollars for parks, roads etc. Jon Burge reduced crime. Jon Burge solved murders. Jon Burge knew how to solve problems on the street. Jon Burge is a hero although he cannot be in public just as some war heroes have a hard time in society because they killed and violence. Trying to get Jon Burge on some rinky dink perjury charge is bs. This is a way for the commie anarchist Peoples Law Office to make more money and other (mostly Jewish) law firms to take tax dollars and coddle criminals. Daley did a good job as States Attorney at putting away these low life. Jon Burge did a good job with Daley at getting confessions and arresting low life criminal scum. Order in the streets cannot be bought. We need people like Jon Burge. Winston Churchill said that we sleep well in our beds at night because rough men do what is necessary to defend freedom. Jon Burge is one of those men and deserves our thanks. We cannot turn Chicago into a circus of anarchy and violence where the Black man will rule the street through violence. We cannot ruin America. Give them Obama as President. Let Daley run Chicago and make it a white and wealthy and classy city.

Before the great Blacks mirgration from the South ,the Majority of Criminals,thugs,rapist were White. Please the records of the Crook County jail,before the 60's. The projects were built by old man Daley to contain,Southern Blacks. The area were Carbrini Green sits,was once called "HELL" and few Blacks lived there. Go to a Library and find out who was the first non-Indian settler, in Chicago. Burge tortued Blacks,just like he tortured Vietnamese civilians when he was in Vietnam. I remember Greaser punkass wolf pack Whiteboys like yourself from the early 60's who would jump little Black kids going to the Ball park. Many Blacks started and joined gangs,due to White punks like yourself. The Wilson brothers were shitheads,but I bet some cops profited working with these Criminals. Daley Sr was the leader of a gang called the Hamburgs. The Hamburgs helped inflame the 1919 riots where 100's of people were killed. You speak of the Facsism with pride,but is slavery necessary for Order? Daley had nothling to do with the Real Estate bubble,but he took credit for it,so let him take the blame for the bust. The US is not just for White men of property,but for all Americans.

Before the great Blacks mirgration from the South ,the Majority of Criminals,thugs,rapist were White. Please check the records of the Crook County jail,before the 60's. The projects were built by old man Daley to contain,Southern Blacks. The area where Carbrini Green sits,was once called "HELL" and few Blacks lived there. Go to a Library and find out who was the first non-Indian settler, in Chicago. Burge tortued Blacks,just like he tortured Vietnamese civilians when he was in Vietnam. I remember Greaser punkass wolf pack Whiteboys like yourself from the early 60's who would jump little Black kids going to the Ball park. Many Blacks started and joined gangs,due to White punks like yourself. The Wilson brothers were shitheads,but I bet some cops profited working with these Criminals. Daley Sr was the leader of a gang called the Hamburgs. The Hamburgs helped inflame the 1919 riots where 100's of people were killed. You speak of the Fascism with pride,but is slavery necessary for Order? Daley had nothling to do with the Real Estate bubble,but he took credit for it,so let him take the blame for the bust. The US is not just for White men of property,but for all Americans.

Realpoliti( David Axelrod) your good , but not that good. This City has pushed the Working Family out and has become a amusement park for the rich and connected. I miss the 1st ward with the Roti's and Marcy's It kept this arrogant mayor in place. Also the Unions kept quality jobs in Chicago because of Roti/Marcy. Mayor Washington and Jane Byrne knew you had to keep good jobs in Chicago ,so family's could keep there homes. I do not condone electricuting mens balls to have them confess to anything. How would Mayor Daley like it if I would do that to his balls, if he had any. I would ask him about Hired truck, Hiring Scandal,Rainblockers, Creating Contracts for his friends and family. What if I did it to his son Patrick Daley and asked him did he fight in Afganistan or his roll with MSS. This Daley Administration wil go down in history as keeping Chicago's rep alive as the most corrupt City in the WORLD!!! I might not have your ability to write, but I think most Chicagoans get my point, even though they are scared to say it. The Quality of life under Mayor Daley is no different than the quality of life for all Americans under George Bush. They both have lost touch on what are the real priorities for Working Families. I know ,

Hey! Real you need to put down your crack or Meth pipe before you start posting. You sound like a real ass. Daley Sucks

I bet Obama kicks Daley to the curb,or throws his sorry ass under the bus,within 5 months after being elected.

Note to Dr Gravity: Obama may well have Daley tossed to the wolves. But I suspect that will not take place until a year from now, at least a week or two after the IOC vote on whether to give the 2016 Olympics to Chicago.

Hey realpolitik "Sig Hiel", you're wrong. The end does not justify the means !! Jon Burge is no hero. He's no better than the criminals he tortured. Maybe even worse, because he is supposed to be the good guy. Or, maybe Jon Burge was just in the wrong line of work. (*He should have worked for Hitler and the "Third Reich in Germany.)" The people he tortured probably were scumbags, but even scumbags have rights under the law. That's what seperates us from Red China and North Korea. The laws are there for a reason, and you don't make up the rules as you go. PROSECUTE BURGE, AND DALEY TOO FOR LOOKING THE OTHER WAY !!!

Anita Alvarez is right that more should of been done. But the question is what did she do? and what is going to be done?

While it does appear that Jon Burge did brutal things--I am still against letting these criminals out of jail. These are not heroes. If they deserve compensation for brutality or torture (some of the torture claims are weak) than that is fine but not to pardon killers and arsonists who killed children. Also, Flint Taylor is an opportunist and an anarchist and communist. Flint Taylor and Locke Bowman and their crowd hurt society and are unethical people and lie. The Wilson brothers caused innocent men to be locked up and they were killers. The MacCarthur center and the Peoples Law Office and these others are not out for truth but to embarass and hurt cops and states attorneys and ultimately stability in society

Flint Taylor and the PLO and maniac Josefina Mogul quit on Aaron Patterson and let him alone and are now extorting money. They did a terrible job.

Most Chicago Lawyers are scumbags,but should I accept a Fascist , I don't think so. If you believe in the death penalty,Jon Burge hurt your cause. The reason we have stayed Excutions in Illinois is due to Jon Burge. Murders ,Rapists, Robbers should be jailed. Most of the prisioner in the Prison/Industrial Complex are drug users,and small time dealers. We spend more tax dolars on prisons,than Education in Illinois.

It does seem strange,the Wilson brother terrorized the Auburn/Gresham Community for years. Leaders of the Disciples street gang,involved in extortion,Robberies,Kidnapping Drug dealers. The Wilsons go untouched for years until they kill a Cop. It just seems strange. I like to know the whole story,not just the Police and the media version.

The essential problem we've experienced, here, in the Land of Lincoln, has been the difficulty in ousting Incumbents, as in the voting public overcoming the advantages that Incumbents have. Those advantages are: 1. Name recognition 2. Party backing 3. Apparent invincibility 4. Ample campaign financing 5. Prejudiced, in the Incumbents' favor, Board of Elections rulings 6. Excessively difficult nominating requirements for Challenger Candidates 7. Fraudulent election practices perpetrated by the dominate political party 8. The intentional promotion, by the dominant political party, of the emotions of apathy, sloth, resignation and futility in the hearts and minds of the electorate 9. An egregious willingness to lie to said electorate 10. A multiplicity of skills relevant to manipulating, by a variety of means, the minds of the electorate, as in 'fooling just the right number of people, at just the right time', that right time being election day To render impotent these advantages, the electorate will have to revise their perspective on how to cast their individual votes. I suggest the following: 1. Resolve to cast your vote with the purpose in mind of Ousting the Incumbents. Since the problems the citizens are experiencing are the direct result of either the failures of those Incumbents, or the deliberate actions of same, it stands to reason that removing these Incumbents will, while not guaranteed to solve all problems, certainly will improve the chances of their being solved. 2. Determine a simple, yet mathematically effective, method to deny Incumbents either: a) nomination as their party's candidate in the General Election, via the Incumbents' loss in their respective party's Primary Election OR, should the Incumbent win in their respective party's Primary, b) a victory in the General Election 3. That 'simple, yet mathematically effective, method' is as follows: 1st: identify the Incumbent. 2nd: Locate the Incumbents' name on the ballot. 3rd: If the Incumbents' name is listed FIRST, then cast your vote for whichever Challenger Candidate's name is listed LAST OR If the Incumbents' name is NOT LISTED FIRST, then cast your vote for whichever Challenger's name IS LISTED FIRST Applying this method will, whether used in the Primary Election of either dominant party, or in the General Election, focus the greatest number of votes being cast for a SINGLE Challenger, thus increasing the likelihood of the Incumbent losing. To break the stranglehold which the dominant political party has had, over the electorate's pocketbooks, via their power to tax, and over the electorate's day to day living conditions, which the dominant political party has had, via their power to make, enforce, interpret and adjudicate laws, the citizens have to resolve to deny reelection to the Incumbent office holders. REGISTER TO VOTE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT

Anyone who thinks Obama will throw Daley under the bus is out of his mind. When Obama is elected, as it looks like he will be, he will "promote" Patrick Fitzgerald to DC as a favor to Daley. Another spineless hack like Scotty Lassar will be installed and Daley will no longer have to look over his shoulder.

My math went out with the new math of CPS. My math and theories don't work.

Crime is really higher now than before. The Irish ruined this city. Under Daley, Bilandic, Bryne and Daley you had high taxes, property taxes increasing, bad bond rating, white flight, high crime, and over inflated value housing destroying good neighborhoods.

I am Burge. Sorich and Tomczak are my Wilson brothers, both found guilty by the court. The people needed a fall guy to take the rap. These fellas were somewhere in the vicinity, so they'll do. I apologize.

Did Anita Alvarez commit a crime and obstruct justice? Did she ask a case to be dropped? Private Security company Lots of votes

Is it true that Flint Taylor testified at 26th Street last year that he only accepts a case after he does a cost benefit analysis to ensure he make money? If that is true he is just like every other trial lawyer!

Frank Avila, Ivin Tomic, Carl Barry and Adam Lowey owe me $ 239,000.00 for the work I did in helping them get a $5 million dollar settlement from the city for Aaron Patterson. If it wasn't for me he wouldn't have got the case, he's a poor excuse for the Mexican race, he wants to be White just like his racist, bigot partner David Miley, this man talks about Mexican like they are shit and everybody in Frank's office and Frank's family know that I'm telling the truth. Frank and the other lawyers did some unethical things to their Client Aaron Patterson and was force to withdraw from representing Aaron in the Cook County part of the suit. What I'm telling you is apart of the Federal court record, case# 03-cv-4433. He needs to be disbarred, the ARDC needs to investigate him and the other lawyers. I'm suing them because it was a federal court order that told me to do so. Don't take my word for it check it out. Wallace"Gator"Bradley Urban Translator

I'm a gangbanger, so do believe a word I say. Wallace"Gator"Bradley Urban Translator

Wallace "Gator" Bradley thinks pimp, drug dealer and killer Larry Hoover is a political prisoner. Wallace "Gator" Bradley is linked to murders. When he hangs around city hall he yells and acts violent and smells like human feces. How could anyone have this Gator gangbanger drug dealer killer around?