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Standing in the corner of the filing room, a microphone in hand and his longtime producer Tony Judge behind the camera, Avila cornered candidates for interviews, including powerhouse aldermen Ed Burke and William Banks. But his most pointed question was directed to long-shot mayoral candidate William “Dock” Walls in reference to Jon Burge, the former police commander fired for using torture to coerce confessions from crime suspects. After witnessing former CHA executive director Terry Peterson file Mayor Daley’s nominating petitions, Avila asked Walls how any black political leader could in good conscience stand behind the mayor. After all, when Daley was state’s attorney he paid next to no attention to allegations of Burge’s torture. “If there were hundreds of Jewish me or gay men who had been tortured, would you see any Jews or gays standing behind Daley?” Avila asked.
Avila has more than a passing interest in this matter. He’s currently representing Aaron Patterson , one of Burge’s victims, in his civil suit against the city and recently added Daley’s name as a defendant in the case.
