CHICAGO — A federal judge on Monday ruled against Ald. Edward Burke and his co-defendants in a slew of pretrial motions seeking to suppress evidence and toss certain charges in his racketeering indictment, putting the case on track for a trial next year.
The long-awaited, 194-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Dow handed a clean sweep to prosecutors after nearly two years of back-and-forth legal briefs that delved into the hundreds of wiretapped phone calls at the heart of the case.
It also means that Burke, whose current term on the City Council seat ends next May, could be facing a jury at the same time he’s seeking reelection to the 14th Ward seat he’s held since 1969. Though a trial date has not been set, the judge has previously said a trial would likely come next year since his calendar is backed up due to pandemic protocols.
