Jury selection is under way in the trial of a former Chicago Police Lt. Jon Burge — who's accused of lying about the long-ago torture of suspects.
By late morning Monday, three of the eight people questioned had been excused by the judge — including a woman who told the federal judge that she couldn't be fair if asked to be a juror at Burge's trial.
Burge has pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice and perjury. He's accused of lying when he denied in a civil lawsuit that he and other detectives had tortured anyone. He faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Prosecutors contend he and his officers beat and tortured suspects decades ago.
Burge's trial in front of U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow is expected to last six weeks.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
By late morning Monday, three of the eight people questioned had been excused by the judge — including a woman who told the federal judge that she couldn't be fair if asked to be a juror at Burge's trial.
Burge has pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice and perjury. He's accused of lying when he denied in a civil lawsuit that he and other detectives had tortured anyone. He faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Prosecutors contend he and his officers beat and tortured suspects decades ago.
Burge's trial in front of U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow is expected to last six weeks.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
