Judge hears evidence on 1982 case linked to disgraced ex
Jackie Wilson
Burge was not in court  but  Jackie Wilson   wearing a gray-and-black striped jumpsuit  repeatedly picked up a black-and-white picture of the former officer as  he  emphatically and sometimes tearfully alleged that officers beat  him   kicked  him  in the groin  put a gun in  his  mouth and gave  him  electric shocks. Believing  he  would be killed if  he  didnât confess   Wilson  said   he  told officers  he  was present when  his  brother Andrew shot and killed officers Richard OâBrien and William Fahey in February 1982.
 Wilson   now 57  said he would have confessed to shooting the president if the detectives had asked him. âI told them  âGame over â¦ whatever you want me to say  Iâm gonna say it â â he said. âI wanted it to stop.â
Wednesdayâs hearing  part of  Wilson âs attempt to win a new trial  illustrates the broad and long-lasting consequences of the Burge scandal. The all-day hearing barely touched on  Wilsonâs  guilt or innocence  instead turning on the question of whether  his  confession was coerced.  Wilson âs lawyers argue that  he  should be granted a new trial with the confession suppressed  which could make it difficult for prosecutors to retry  him .
 Wilsonâs  bid is based in part on evidence that Burge or his subordinates tortured other men  including his late brother  Andrew  who was found by doctors to have numerous injuries after his interrogation.  Jackie Wilson âs attorney  Flint Taylor  described a âmountain of evidenceâ of torture by officers including Burge  who was never prosecuted for torture but was convicted in 2010 of lying about the abuse of suspects.
In a deposition related to the  Wilson  case  Taylor said  Burge invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself. On Wednesday  a former stateâs attorney involved in the case  Lawrence Hyman  did the same.
Michael OâRourke  a private attorney working as a special prosecutor  acknowledged abusive practices by officers in other cases but denied that  Jackie Wilson  was harmed or coerced into confessing. OâRourke pointed to photos of  Wilson  taken after his interrogation that showed no visible injuries.
âItâs almost like he wants to metamorphosize into  Andrew Wilson  â OâRourke said. âThis case is not  Andrew Wilson .â
Faheyâs brother  Mike  who sat through the hearing alongside his sister  said he does not believe  Jackie Wilson  was abused. He said he believes  Wilson  committed the crime and is just echoing other abuse allegations against Burge and  his  men.
 Wilson âs case is central to a saga that continues some three decades after allegations of torture against Burge and his âmidnight crewâ burst into public view.
Scores of African-American men have accused Burge  who is white  and his colleagues of torturing or abusing them during the 1970s and 1980s on the South Side. The allegations include claims similar to those  Wilson  makes; officers have been accused of using electric shocks to the genitals of suspects and forcing them to play Russian roulette  among other things.
Wednesdayâs hearing on the  Wilson  case was mandated by the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission  which found âcredible evidenceâ that  Wilson  was tortured after  his  arrest in 1982  though the commission noted discrepancies in  his  statements over the years.
Prosecutors said  Wilson  looked on as  his  brother  Andrew  grabbed Fahey's gun and shot him in the head. In his confession   Jackie Wilson  said that after he shouted that O'Brien was alive and moving  his brother shot the officer again as he lay wounded on the ground.
 Andrew Wilson  also confessed and also alleged  his  confession was coerced through torture.  He  was found by doctors after  his  arrest to have numerous cuts  bruises and burns.
On the stand Wednesday   Jackie Wilson  said  he  was viciously abused by officers including Burge after  his  arrival at a South Side police station.  Wilson   occasionally weeping  said  his  denials of knowledge of the crime were met by escalating abuse.  He  said officers hit  him  with a phone book and put a gun in  his  mouth before Burge brought in an electrical device police used to shock  him .
After OâRourke raised an objection to a question involving the word âtorture  â Wilson  pointed at  him  and angrily asked  âWhat would you call it?â
Burge was not in court  but   [TGT]    wearing a gray-and-black striped jumpsuit  repeatedly picked up a black-and-white picture of the former officer as  he  emphatically and sometimes tearfully alleged that officers beat  him   kicked  him  in the groin  put a gun in  his  mouth and gave  him  electric shocks. Believing  he  would be killed if  he  didnât confess    [TGT] said    [TGT]   told officers   [TGT]   was present when   [TGT]   brother Andrew shot and killed officers Richard OâBrien and William Fahey in February 1982.
  [TGT] now 57  said  [TGT]  would have confessed to shooting the president if the detectives had asked  [TGT] . âI told them  âGame over â¦ whatever you want me to say  Iâm gonna say it â â he said. âI wanted it to stop.â
Wednesdayâs hearing  part of   [TGT]  âs attempt to win a new trial  illustrates the broad and long-lasting consequences of the Burge scandal. The all-day hearing barely touched on  Wilsonâs  guilt or innocence  instead turning on the question of whether  his  confession was coerced.   [TGT]  argue that   [TGT]   should be granted a new trial with the confession suppressed  which could make it difficult for prosecutors to retry   [TGT]  .
 Wilsonâs  bid is based in part on evidence that Burge or his subordinates tortured other men  including his late brother  Andrew  who was found by doctors to have numerous injuries after his interrogation.  Jackie Wilson âs attorney  Flint Taylor  described a âmountain of evidenceâ of torture by officers including Burge  who was never prosecuted for torture but was convicted in 2010 of lying about the abuse of suspects.
In a deposition related to the   [TGT] case  Taylor said  Burge invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself. On Wednesday  a former stateâs attorney involved in the case  Lawrence Hyman  did the same.
Michael OâRourke  a private attorney working as a special prosecutor  acknowledged abusive practices by officers in other cases but denied that   [TGT] was harmed or coerced into confessing. OâRourke pointed to photos of   [TGT] taken after  [TGT]  interrogation that showed no visible injuries.
âItâs almost like  [TGT]  wants to metamorphosize into  Andrew Wilson  â OâRourke said. âThis case is not   [TGT]  .â
Faheyâs brother  Mike  who sat through the hearing alongside his sister  said he does not believe   [TGT] was abused.  [TGT]  said  [TGT]  believes   [TGT] committed the crime and is just echoing other abuse allegations against Burge and  his  men.
  [TGT]  âs case is central to a saga that continues some three decades after allegations of torture against Burge and his âmidnight crewâ burst into public view.
Scores of African-American men have accused Burge  who is white  and his colleagues of torturing or abusing them during the 1970s and 1980s on the South Side. The allegations include claims similar to those   [TGT] makes; officers have been accused of using electric shocks to the genitals of suspects and forcing them to play Russian roulette  among other things.
Wednesdayâs hearing on the   [TGT]  was mandated by the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission  which found âcredible evidenceâ that   [TGT] was tortured after   [TGT]   arrest in 1982  though the commission noted discrepancies in   [TGT]   statements over the years.
Prosecutors said   [TGT] looked on as   [TGT]   brother  Andrew  grabbed Fahey's gun and shot him in the head. In his confession    [TGT] said that after he shouted that O'Brien was alive and moving  his brother shot the officer again as he lay wounded on the ground.
  [TGT] also confessed and also alleged   [TGT]   confession was coerced through torture.   [TGT]   was found by doctors after   [TGT]   arrest to have numerous cuts  bruises and burns.
On the stand Wednesday    [TGT] said   [TGT]   was viciously abused by officers including Burge after   [TGT]   arrival at a South Side police station.   [TGT] occasionally weeping  said   [TGT]   denials of knowledge of the crime were met by escalating abuse.  He  said officers hit  him  with a phone book and put a gun in  his  mouth before Burge brought in an electrical device police used to shock  him .
After OâRourke raised an objection to a question involving the word âtorture  â  [TGT] pointed at   [TGT]   and angrily asked  âWhat would you call it?â