Attorneys today will meet in Cook County court for yet another hearing about a report on allegations of torture by Chicago Police officers. At their last meeting, the judge said there were no more roadblocks to making the report public. Two special prosecutors have spent four years on it.
Cook County Judge Paul Beibel allowed the last delay in late May because of an objection filed in the Illinois Supreme Court. It was from an assistant state’s attorney who opposes the report’s release. The special prosecutors and the judge were openly frustrated with the delay.
Judge Beibel has reiterated at every hearing that he first agreed the report should be made public nearly two months ago. Alleged victims attorneys hope the findings will spur indictments of city and county officials. But if that doesn’t happen, they want to convince the U-S attorney’s office to launch a federal investigation of the allegations.
Meanwhile, attorneys for the City of Chicago, and for some officers, say they’re eager to see the report and think the public should be able to as well.