Former Chicago Police Officer Convicted of Lying About Torture

A federal jury has convicted former Chicago police Lt. Jon Burge of perjury and obstruction of justice charges of lying about the torture of suspects.

Jurors delivered their verdict Monday. Burge now faces up to 45 years in prison.

Burge was accused of lying in a civil suit when he said he'd never seen or participated in the physical abuse of suspects in order to get confessions.

The decorated former lieutenant had testified in his own defense, pitting his word against that of five men who claimed Burge and his officers shocked, suffocated and beat them in the 1970s and 1980s.

Burge was fired from the police department in 1993 over the alleged mistreatment of a suspect. He never was criminally charged in the case.