After nearly two decades in prison, Victor Safforld has won an evidentiary hearing on whether the statement he gave to police was voluntary, or whether he in fact was tortured by Chicago police. In 1990, Victor was arrested at a traffic stop, taken to a police station, and beaten and tortured by John Palladino, Anthony Maslanka and James O’Brien, members of disgraced Chicago police commander Jon Burge’s midnight crew, which for two decades carried out electro-shock, suffocation, severe beatings and mock executions on more than 100 African-American men. In order to get the torture to stop, Victor signed a false statement under the name “Cortez Brown”, implicating him in two murders. Victor then spent 13 horrific years on death row despite the fact that no physical evidence tied him to either murder. He later had his death sentence thrown out, but remains behind bars and has maintained his innocence ever since. For 18 years, no judge would believe his story. But now that the truth about police torture in Chicago is out in the open, the Illinois Appellate Court has granted Victor a hearing on whether his statement was voluntary.

Finally, for the first time ever, Burge’s minions will have to take the witness stand in a criminal case to face questioning about the brutal tactics they used to extract confessions. Maslanka, Palladino and O’Brien, who between them are responsible for the torture of dozens of men, will be joined by John Byrne, who was the supervising officer in Victor’s case and was Burge’s right-hand man.

That Maslanka, Palladino and Byrne will be taking the stand is a historic first step. But we will only see justice for Cortez Brown and all the other men who were tortured when they go free, or win new trials. Come picket at 8:30 and pack the courtroom at 9:30 to show the judges, prosecutors and assorted police lawyers that we will not rest until Cortez Brown goes free!

Sponsored by Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Francis of Assisi Catholic Worker House, the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, Northside Action for Justice Copwatch, Tamms Year Ten and 8th Day Center for Justice

For more information, Call Rev. Larry Turpin at 773-715-3926 or email revlet (at) yahoo.com