David Thomas resigned yesterday as executive director of the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission under pressure from the families of crime victims, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Thomas, 69, resigned effective Sept. 30 after a closed executive session. He said he never intended to serve on the commission past his 70th birthday in October anyway.
The commission looks into whether police torture was used to gain confessions from people convicted of murder and other serious crimes. The law requires the commission to inform victims' families of hearings, and Thomas was criticized for failing to ensure proper notification in a number of cases.