Over one year since Chicago's "most corrupt cop" was found guilty in Federal Court, community activists led by Comite Exijimos Justicia (We Demand Justice Committee) will march on Police Area 5 (25th District ­Grand Central) to demand justice for their wrongfully convicted loved ones.

In Spring of 2001, Area 5 Detective Joseph Miedzianowski was found guilty on 10 counts, including drug conspiracy and racketeering. His partner, Detective John Galligan, has also since been convicted on similar charges.

Miedzianowski was the former head of the Chicago Gang Crimes Unit, which has since been disbanded by
Superintendent Terry Hillard.

During the course of the trial, Federal prosecutors detailed how Miedzianowski fixed state criminal drug cases as a favor to his accomplices. (Source: Chicago Tribune, "Most Corrupt Cop Guilty" April 24th, 2001)

Comite Exigimos Justicia (CEJ, We Demand Justice Committee) has documented over 60 cases of police frame-ups by Chicago Police officers working out of Area 5. All of the cases resulted in convictions of Latino men based on eye-witness testimony alone, and no physical evidence was presented to link these men to the crimes.

"Why doesn't the police department investigate who
Miedzianowski was framing during his 22-year police career?" asks Ruth Peña, spokeswoman for CEJ. "Right now, innocent men are sitting in prison due to frame-ups created by Miedzianowski and other Gang Crimes detectives."

CEJ activists and supporters have filed a freedom of information act request to learn the names and badge numbers of all detectives formerly assigned to the Gang Crimes Unit. Activists will be asking for a meeting with Area 5 Police Commander Michael McCotter and delivering a letter that stresses the need for Police Superintendent Hillard and Deputy Superintendent Harvey Radney (Bureau of Investigative Services) to respond immediately to this miscarriage of justice.

"Justice means more than just punishing Miedzianowski," states Peña. "It also means punishing the other crooked cops in Area 5 and releasing all the innocent men that Miedzianowski framed."