Federal judge won't step down from Burge case

CHICAGO – A federal judge says she won't step down from the case of a former Chicago police lieutenant convicted of lying about the torture of suspects.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said Wednesday she won't recuse herself before Jon Burge is sentenced Jan. 20. He was convicted in June of perjury and obstruction of justice.

In a recent motion, Burge's attorneys said they should've been notified before the trial about a prior connection between the lead prosecutor in the case and Lefkow.

The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weisman, also prosecuted a 2004 case in which Lefkow was the victim of a failed murder-for-hire plot.

But Lefkow says she only gave brief testimony as a witness and had nothing to do with the decision to prosecute the case.