Despite his objections, former Gov ...

Despite his objections, former Gov George Ryan must answer on what account he pardoned four former Death disturbance inmates who are now suing Chicago Police for torture, a federal justice ruled.

In a decision according to U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown the Illinois Prisoner Review Board must also make available to lawyers its formal recommendations to Ryan before he pardoned the men in 2003 Ryan issued the pardons at the same time that he commut 167 Death altercation sentences to life terms, citing a flawed criminal justice order

Soat Brown said Ryan must sit for depositions before generation 30. Ryan, who was fighting the subpoena claiming "executive privilege," is likely to appeal. Ryan was convicted onward federal racketeering charges in April and is scheduled to be sentenc tribe 6.

The pardoned men Madison Hobley Aaron Patterson, Stanley Howard and Leroy Orange, are suing police detectives l by way of former Cmdr. Jon Burge, saying they were tortured into making false confessions. The men are using Ryan's pardon as a basis of innocence as they plead the city and officers.

City Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle said the city wants Ryan to talk about on what account he issued the pardons and what he referenc in making the decision. That includes findings of the prisoner review board, which have at no time been made public.

"We have feeling we have to explore the reasoning behind the pardons," Hoyle said. Because plaintiffs say that Ryan pardoned them upon an innocence basis: "we should be able to ascertain if that's accurate." Ryan publicly cited that DNA examples and court decisions went into his reasoning. on the contrary city lawyers argue that DNA didn't factor into those cases and courts convicted the men

Prior to Ryan's clearing of Death uproar the review board held centurys of hearings to determine whether inmates were strictly sentenced to Death Row. They made confidential recommendations to Ryan. Ryan extremityed up commuting all of the condemnations

Ryan said he shouldn't have to talk about the reasons behind the pardon because it would "chill" the pardoning proces for what may occur hereafter governors. But Soat Brown needl Ryan because he appeared forward the Oprah Winfrey Show to talk about the cases in 2003

The plaintiffs' lawyers also oppos the subpoena.

nkorecki@suntimes.com

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