WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

The government put on its last witnesses yesterday, and today we hear the defense case. The primary witness today was Shadeed Mu'min, whose treatment at Area 2 in October, 1985 figured prominently in testimony from immunized former Detective Michael McDermott.

On June 4th, behind closed doors with the press and the public barred, Judge Joan Lefkow ruled that former assistant state's attorney Larry Hyman and seven former Area 2 detectives could invoke their Fifth Amendment privileges rather than testify in Burge's defense.

Former Area 2 detective Michael McDermott took the stand this morning, and the courtroom was packed on his account. McDermott is testifying with a grant of immunity from prosecution.

Gregory Banks provided most of the drama yesterday. Banks was arrested on October 28, 1983 by Detectives John Gallagher and William Egan, who were accompanied by then Lieutenant Jon Burge. He ultimately gave a statement confessing to a murder involving liquid narcotics on a south side rooftop.

Dead men play prominently in the Burge trial, each side using their own.