[eraser2005]

"raised the national debate on capital punishment by issuing a moratorium on executions in 2000"

That's about the only GOOD thing he did. With the number that they found on death row that were innocent, and the fact that Illinois had been in the same league as Mississippi when it comes to low funding for defense teams (until recently MS only paid defense lawyers $1000 for capital cases) it only made sense to stop executions temporarily at the least.

I'd rather pay for 156 scumbags to sit in prison for life than to execute 17 innocent people.

[weegee]

Did he commute their sentences as well? I thought their death sentences weren't just put on hold.

[DuxFan4ever]

I'd rather pay for 156 scumbags to sit in prison for life than to execute 17 innocent people.

You think they sit in prison? Wrong. These clowns get to go to breakfast, then the exercise yard, hang out in their gangs, be someone, then do it all over again the next day.
It might not be a great life by American standards, but it sure aint sitting in a cell staring at a stone wall 23 hours a day.

As for innocent people getting executed, bs. The perps were their and participated in the crimes. The cops don't scoop up boy scouts and charge them with capital murder.

[BlackElk]

Eraser2005: False dichotomy. You can execute the 156 scumbags and free the 17 innocent. In many or most or all of the 17 cases, DNA was not yet available to exonerate the innocent and convict the guilty. As a recovering criminal defense attorney, I absolutely hate scientific whizbangs but even I have to admit that DNA helps avoid convicting the innocent. Execute the rest as promptly as possible.

The DNA basis for vacating convictions will abate as time goes by since DNA will be heavily used in capital cases from now on.

As to Lyin' Ryan, I would gladly throw the switch if he could be executed by electrocution on general principles. Of course, I would prefer burning the SOB at the stake after a week or two of vigorous, ummmm, interrogation!