Public corruption display at federal courthouse covered at request of Ed Burke’s lawyer as jury selection drags on

The wreckage of Chicago’s Federal Building after the explosion of a bomb that killed four people in 1918. It’s among the photos that appear on history displays on the 25th floor of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse that have been covered during jury selection in Ed Burke’s trial. (Provided by the National Archives.)

Chicago’s federal court puts its history proudly on display on the 25th floor of its downtown courthouse, sharing stories with visitors about everything from the 1918 bombing of the old courthouse to the prosecution of Al Capone.

But following a request from one of ex-Chicago Ald. Ed Burke’s lawyers, courthouse staff began temporarily covering up some of the 11 displays on the wall, including one about the history of public corruption prosecutions in Illinois.