Illinois Governor Blanket Pardon Will Free 156 From Death Row

Fox News ^ | 1/11/03 | AP

[jimkress]

This is an abomination!

Each criminal released by this 'governor' should be tracked by police for the rest of their lives. If ANY ONE of them commits a crime, the 'governor' should be put to death.

[Anti-Bubba182]

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[altayann]

Ryan isn't stupid. He's likely releasing the four inmates before the case against them falls apart completely.At least that way, any potential lawsuits against the state of Illinois stand a better chance of being averted.

As far the commutation of the death sentences goes, I have to admit that's pretty surprising. For Ryan to do this is tantamount to admitting he has absolutely no faith left in the Illinois law enforcement or judicial system.

And considering that he's a Republican, that's saying a lot.

[lady lawyer]

What an arrogant abuse of power. The guy must be getting senile.

[jimkress]

Yes, very Clintonesque, isn't it?!

[Barnacle]

George Ryan’s final insult as he leaves Illinois in shambles. A category 5 hurricane could not do more damage to a state than George has done to Illinois.

Navigating the treacherous
waters of a liberal culture.

[alex]

First we have to stop war on drugs, second we have to stop considering confessions as a proof of guilt. One would ask why am I bundling these two together?

Legalizing drugs would reduce crime and would allow every part of law enforcement to spend more time prosecuting real crimes. Only after the load on law enforcement is reduced we would be able to afford disregarding confessions and going away with plea bargains.

Otherwise we will got what we have, which is not that bad comparing to the rest of the world, but could be improved meanwhile.

[Endeavor]

Oh please. With your assessment that Ryan has no faith in the Illinois judicial system, you make your comments absolutely ludicrous. While this may very well be what Ryan hopes to foist upon the people of Illinois, honey, we Illinoians know better.

Ryan is one inch away from being indicted for all kinds illegal activities. If he can make the case that jurisprudence in Illinois is a sham, then he can better lobby for his own freedom.

Please, a rattlesnake is a rattlesnake is a rattlesnake.

[vaudine]

This gov. used his power to enforce his personal beliefs, no matter that the death penalty has been upheld and is favored by most of the populace.

Reading the list of crimes, it seems highly unlikely the police/courts convicted these men solely on their confession. If this confession had been beaten out of them, there would have been zealous anti-death penalty lawyers and orgns. to say nothing of the press, all over all these cases. After all three of them happened in the 90's and the other in the 80's.

Sure, I believe the police capable of brutality, but a coverup in so many cases seems highly unlikely.

Coercion of confessions, and police brutality will become the plea du jour for hundreds/thousands of criminals, in and out of death row.

vaudine

[ward_of_the_state]

What an arrogant abuse of power. The guy must be getting senile.

He's not senile...the feds have a microscope up his (censored) for many illegal and illicit goings-on such as using state workers on state time to do campaign work and accepting bribes for drivers' licenses while he was Secretary of State, federal raketeering, and a few others.

Georgie boy leaves office Monday at 11am. This is last ditch effort for a love fest, or his final flip-off to the people of Illinois whom he detests.

Oh, and by the way, his former top aide, Scott Fawell went on trial this week as a result of the above-mentioned issues. Two schools of thought are that Fawell will fall on his sword to protect the old man, because if he doesn't, Chicago mob will shut him up, or Fawell will give the old man up because he's got young children, nothing to lose, etc. Wait and see. It'll be interesting.

[Barnacle]

Ping

[Endeavor]

Thanks, Barnacle.

Pinging: Moutaineer;big wave betty;iowa granny; hillary's lovely legs;suzyq;timeout;pubmom

[ward_of_the_state]

If he can make the case that jurisprudence in Illinois is a sham, then he can better lobby for his own freedom.

Oh, geez, I hadn't thought of that! Regardless of what one's position is on the death penalty, what essentially has happened here in Illinois now undermines all trials by jury. I'm no great legal mind, by one can figure that out by common sense. The worst part of it is, jurisprudence in Illinois has been called into question by a guy who hasn't got a bone of conscience in his body.

[tom h]

"What an arrogant abuse of power. The guy must be getting senile."

The fellow isn't senile, he's a bloody coward. If he felt that strongly about the death penalty, he should've done this act on his first day of office, not his last. The fact that he did it on his last shows that he was hiding egregiously liberal sentiments for years yet was too frightened of the outcry to carry them out.

Ryan's actions are no different that those of a dictator who executes his political enemies moments before fleeing the country (Hitler executed many, including the Christian Dietrich Bonhoeffer); or of a company President giving his cronies huge bonuses the day before he is forced out by the board of directors; or the Episcopal priest marrying the homosexuals the day before he is defrocked.

Ryan is a gutless, cowardly, yellow-bellied twit. Irish freepers should petition that he change his name to something French (Petain sounds about right; or maybe Chirac) so he will reside among friends and stop the further sullying of a good Irish name.

[Endeavor]

Here ya go

[TheRightGuy]

This is a dual purpose plot by lyin' Ryan.

First gambit is that this will divert attention from his record of corruption.

And second, if that doesn't work, he's hoping it may endear hom to the prison inmate population among whom he may soon be living.

[Holden Magroin]

George Ryan is a bleeding-heart liberal who craves acceptance from college professors and the liberal media. Ever since he was implicated in a scandal and forced to bow out of the 2002 campaign, Ryan has been trying to create a "legacy" for himself. Police, prosecutors, and victims' families pleaded with him not to pardon these bloodthirsty killers, but Ryan was deaf to their distress.

If there were any justice in this world, Ryan would be hanged as high as Haman for pardoning these pyschopaths. He has sent a message to every criminal in Illinois that crime pays because police, prosecutors, and victims's families have no clout with the governor.

[SJackson]

Thanks for the ping. The crook is on WLS right now. A shame Gov. Poshard isn't entering his second term.

[marajade]

"Legalizing drugs would reduce crime..."

It would increase crimes against children.

[SJackson]

He's not senile, he's angling for a friendly jury.