Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (CAARPR) 
1325 S. Wabash Ave. Suite 105, Chicago, Illinois 60605        
www.naarpr.org


MEDIA AERT 
For release Tuesday November 3, 2015

For information contact:
Mark Clements P 847.276-1382 email: [email protected]
Ted Pearson 312-927-2689 email: [email protected]

What:     Press Conference 
When:    12pm Noon, Tuesday November 3, 2015 
Where:   Cook County Court House 2600 S California Ave, Chicago, IL
               Media Staging Area 1st Floor

Who:      Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression
               with Chicago police torture survivors and families
 

Police torture survivors demand all torture confession convictions be overturned AND all torture cops be fired, prosecuted, and their pensions stripped. 

On Nov 3, 1pm at Cook County Court House an evidentiary hearing on the torture of Anthony Jakes and George Anderson by Chicago police officers is being heard by Judge William Hooks in room 301.
 
In 1991 both George Anderson and Anthony Jakes were taken to Chicago Police Department's Area 3 Violent Crime Unit where they were tortured into false confessions and subsequently charged and sentenced to natural life and forty years respectively. The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (TIRC) ruled that there is credible evidence that both were tortured.  

No Chicago cop has ever been prosecuted for the police crime of torture, while hundreds of African American and Latino men, convicted on false confessions continue to be tortured--they remain left to die in prison, denied evidentiary hearings. This makes the Mayor's apology for police torture perversely hypocritical and the Torture Reparations Ordinance seem hollow. The Mayor has admitted that torture occurred yet the bare facts of gross injustice, international human rights abuse and police crimes continue. Torturing cops are rewarded and protected, their legal representation is paid from public funds, they keep their jobs and/or pensions. Meanwhile all the tortured Black and Brown community members who having lost their freedom continue to suffer the horrendous price for the total lack of a system of police accountability. 

From Area 2 in the 1970s, Area 3 in the 1990's to the crimes of torture at Homan Square in 2015 reported in The Guardian, Chicago racist police torture continues with impunity. At the recent August 29 mass march for an all elected Civilian Police Accountability Council, called by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, 3000 people from the across the city marched to demand community control of the Chicago police. They demanded a systemic solution to the systemic norm of police torture and murder where communities are empowered to hold police accountable for their crimes.  

Police torture survivors will speak to the news media at 12pm inside the court house in the media staging area.


We support the demand of torture survivors and their families for immediate evidentiary hearings for all, including Gerald Reed*, we also demand:
  • The immediate release of all imprisoned torture victims.
     
  • All employed CPD torture cops be fired, prosecuted and stripped of their pensions plus all ex-CPD torture cops be prosecuted and their pensions stripped. As long as the victims of torture are still incarcerated the crime of torture is ongoing and not subject to the statute of limitations
     
  • Enact CPAC - an all elected Civilian Police Accountability Council, for community control of Chicago Police to end the systemic racist norm of Chicago police crimes of torture
In the case of Anthony Jakes evidence was found confirming that CPD Det. Michael Kill used violence and threats to coerce the then 15 year old into signing a four-page confession-virtually the only evidence used to convict him at trial, where he was prosecuted and sentenced as an adult. Detectives Kill, Kenneth Boudreau, John Halloran, James O'Brien, and Joseph Stehlik were all involved in the torture of George Anderson, the only evidence used to convict Anderson was once again a forced confession. Retired Chicago Police detectives Michael Kill and Kenneth Boudreau are expected to testify at the Nov 3 hearing.

*The torture of Gerald Reed also involved CPD Det. Kill, Reed is fighting for a post conviction hearing after being tortured in 1990 into a false confession and sentenced to natural life. TIRC has ruled that there is credible evidence that Gerald Reed was tortured. Reed will also be in court Nov 3, 10am, room 302 

                                                              ###

Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression 
Stop Police Crimes Campaign