Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday apologized for an era in the Chicago Police Department during which many African-American men were tortured into false confessions for murders and rapes on the South Side under the direction of disgraced ex-Cmdr. Jon Burge.
The unexpected apology drew praise from longtime critics of City Hall's handling of a scandal that helped eliminate the death penalty in Illinois and will cost taxpayers more than $100 million when the last cases are settled. But as Emanuel seeks to turn the page, Flint Taylor, an attorney who has represented many of the victims, suggested the city should create a $20 million fund to compensate Burge victims who are unable to bring their cases in court.
Emanuel tackled the sensitive topic after a City Council meeting at which aldermen approved an additional $12.3 million to settle lawsuits, this time brought by two African-American men convicted after being abused by detectives working for Burge before he was dismissed from the force 20 years ago.
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