Associated Press - November 5, 2009 4:14 AM ET
CHICAGO (AP) - Defense attorneys say former Chicago police supervisor Jon Burge has prostate cancer and needs a postponement of his trial on charges of lying under oath about the torture of suspects.
U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow scheduled a hearing for Thursday to take up the request.
Lawyers for the former violent crimes commander told Lefkow in a motion filed Wednesday his prostate cancer treatment would make it impossible for him to be on hand for the trial, due to start Jan. 11.
The motion appeared available to the public on the court docket and was viewed by a reporter late Wednesday afternoon but was later sealed.
Burge is accused of lying on written answers in a civil rights lawsuit when he denied mistreating suspects.
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