By Kaya Rial and Gabe Miller

Chicago, IL – Activists gathered at the Cook County Courthouse Wednesday morning, August 6 to support three survivors of wrongful conviction. They demanded freedom and certificates of innocence for Rico Clark, Douglas Livingston and Kevin Jackson. They also demanded that torture-cops Brian Forberg, John Foster and Kevin Eberle be held accountable for the wrongful convictions of Clark, Livingston, Jackson, and 38 other Black men.

“We won’t stop fighting until all our loved ones are free from these god-forsaken slave ships,” said Jasmine Smith, loved one of Rico Clark and co-chair of the Campaign to Free Incarcerated Survivors of Torture (CFIST), at a press conference in the courthouse.

CFIST is a campaign of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) demanding that Governor JB Pritzker grant clemency for all torture survivors and wrongfully convicted. CFIST also demands States Attorney Eileen Burke drop the charges in confirmed cases of police torture.

The campaign aims to dismantle the system of torture that has earned Chicago the moniker “torture capital of the U.S.” It also fights for particular survivors of torture and wrongful conviction.

Rico Clark was convicted in 2006 based on the testimony of witnesses coerced by officers Forberg and Eberle. Clark’s wife and father watched from the gallery as Judge Pamela Stratigakis allowed the prosecution to delay Clark’s case by more than a month. State's attorneys had not yet responded to Clark’s petition for a certificate of innocence, which they received 10 months prior. His next court date is September 5.

Loved ones of Douglas Livingston and dozens of other families had to wait for Judge Timothy Joyce to arrive 30 minutes late. Livingston was convicted in 2012 by Forberg’s corrupt practices. After nearly an hour of delays and a brief hearing, Livingston's case was assigned a continuation date for September 24.

“We shouldn't have to go to court when everyone knows my nephew is innocent,” said Norma Jean Scales, Livingston’s aunt.

Kevin Jackson spent over 23 years in prison before he was exonerated in 2025. He filed for a Certificate of Innocence almost nine months ago based on the witness coercion by officers Forberg and Foster. Special prosecutor for State’s Attorney Fabio Valentini, was not prepared to respond. Judge Ericka Reddick granted Valentini’s request for extra time. Jackson was assigned a continuation date for September 29.

“It’s like being locked up all over again,” Kevin Jackson explained the effect of these delays.

“It’s up and down emotions,” said Mark Clements, a survivor and organizer with the Chicago Torture Justice Center. “But we have to keep fighting so we're not here in 30 years because of what the police are doing now.”

“This is just another delay in justice for these survivors,” Smith said after all three cases were continued. “We demand that State's Attorney Burke, Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker all act to free them now!”

Smith and other activists plan to keep attending every court date and encourage people to support the Community Power Over Policing (CPOP) referendum when it gets introduced into City Council next month. If passed, the CPOP referendum would give Chicagoans a directly elected body with control over CPD policy and budget, the ability to negotiate the police union contract, and the power to hire and fire the police superintendent.

#ChicagoIL #IL InJusticeSystem #CAARPR #CFIST #Feature