Ex-inmate sues ex-Chicago cop over alleged torture

[July 02, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- A man who claims former Chicago police Lt. Jon Burge tortured him into falsely confessing to murder has filed a sweeping civil suit that names everyone he blames for helping to wrongfully convict him, including Mayor Richard Daley.

Ronald Kitchen is seeking unspecified damages. He says Burge and other officers tortured him into falsely confessing to the 1988 murders of five people.

Kitchen's lawyers said Thursday that they filed the suit the day before, two days after a federal jury convicted Burge of lying about the torture of suspects.

Kitchen served 21 years in prison, 13 of them on death row.

The city of Chicago's law department said in a statement that officials haven't seen the lawsuit and wouldn't comment on specific allegations.

[Associated Press]

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