City Poised To Pay Another Police-Torture Settlement
Another Burge Settlement Set For Approval
(CBS) -- Two more torture victims of former Chicago Police Cmdr Jon Burge are about to receive millions of dollars from taxpayers.
Ronald Kitchen and Marvin Reeves both spent more than 20 years in prison for murders they didn't commit. Now, each will receive $6.15 million dollars in compensation.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley says the settlement will also keep former Mayor Richard Daley from having to testify.
They were released from prison four years ago, and now they're about to get paid. But Kitchen and Reeves have always said the dollars aren't the point.
"Let it be known that it's not about the money. It's about making those who was overseeing, supervising, and was running the city of Chicago take notice," Kitchen says.
He says he was beaten so badly under Burge that he falsely confessed to the 1988 murders of five people.
But Kitchen also wanted Daley to testify, about why he didn't investigate Burge when Daley was state's attorney.
The settlement means Daley won't have to give answers.
One alderman says calling Daley to account is pointless.
"I've already spent the time, you can't give me life back. Even if you admit to that, you can't give me life back," Ward 34 Ald. Carrie Austin says.
But Austin is also fed up with the mounting toll of payments to Burge victims, now more than $83 million.
Attorneys for Kitchen and Reeves can't discuss the payout until Friday.
Burge is serving a four year sentence in federal prison for perjury and obstruction of justice.
Daley was unavailable for comment, on business in China, a spokesperson says.
In the past, he has strongly denied that he looked the other way while Burge systematically abused dozens of suspects.
