Alderman Pushes Ordinance To Compensate Torture Victims As Jon Burge Leaves Prison

(CBS) -- As former police commander and allleged torturer Jon Burge walks from prison to a half-way house, torture victims are renewing their call for millions in compensation from the city, reports WBBM's John Cody.

CBS 2's Chris Martinez reports Burge was released from a prison in North Carolina and arrived at a halfway house in Tampa, Fla.

Sponsor Alderman Proco Joe Moreno says the city spent $20 million defending Burge, so it should be able to find another $20 million to compensate 90 plus torture victims for their pain suffering and time wrongly spent behind bars.

"We can never to the justice that is deserved to these men but we can do the best we can," Alderman Moreno said. "This ordinance seeks to do that on the day that their torturer, their terrorist is unfortunately released from prison and will be able to move on with his life with all of our tax dollars."

Backers of the compensation plan say they have enough votes for passage and suggest Mayor Rahm Emanuel should join possible election opponent Karen Lewis on the bandwagon and agree to compensation for Burge torture victims.

Burge will serve the remainder of his sentence in the halfway house unless he is granted home confinement. His sentence ends next February.