Cook County Pays $600k to Settle Police Torture Suit

On Monday, Cook County commissioners agreed to pay $ 600,000 to settle a civil suit brought by a former prison inmate who claimed that police tortured him, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Michael Tillman alleges that Chicago police detectives working under Lt. Jon Burge tortured him until he confessed to rape and murder in 1986. The settlement will remove the county as a defendant in the lawsuit, leaving Burge, the officers, the city, and former Mayor Richard Daley as defendants.

Tillman spent more than 23 years in prison for the crimes. In January 2010, he was freed after a special prosecutor determined that Tillman’s conviction was based on “coerced statements.”

In 2011, Burge was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying during a civil suit, claiming he never used torture to obtain confessions, or even knew that torture was occurring. He is currently serving a term in federal prison. The city has reportedly spent over $ 30 million in legal fees and settlement payments stemming from suits claiming torture under Burge.

Former Mayor Daley is accused of covering up the use of torture during his time as both the state’s attorney and the mayor. Daley has denied the allegations. The city has paid for his defense as well.

Tillman is probably suing Daley and the city under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Under the doctrine, an employer can be held liable for the wrongdoings of an employee if they were committed within the scope of employment.

In certain circumstances, an employer can be held liable for even the intentional wrongs of an employee if they were committed, at least, in part on the employer’s behalf. Tillman is likely arguing that Burge and his detectives committed the alleged acts of torture for the benefit and safety of the city, making the city liable under respondent superior.

Last year, Michael Tillman won a federal court ruling that kept former Mayor Richard Daley as a defendant in the police torture suit. A deposition of Daley is scheduled for July 13.

Related Resources:


Find a Chicago Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
County OKs $ 600,000 Settlement in Police Torture Case (Chicago Sun-Times)
Personal Injury Law: The Basics (FindLaw)
First Steps in a Personal Injury Claim (FindLaw)



The Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog

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