Aaron Patterson is suing the city of Chicago, former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and several other police officers.
His lawsuit seeks at least $30 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages.
Patterson claims he was tortured into falsely confessing to murder after police threatened him with a gun, beat him and tried to suffocate him in 1986.
Patterson was one of four death row inmates pardoned by Ryan shortly before he left the governor's office in January.
