Emptying of death row in Illinois stirs outrage

The Knox News Sentinel ^ | 1/12/03 | Don Babwin/AP

[GailA]

fyi

[07055]

The only positive is that almost all of them will not have the possibility of parole. When I first saw the headline, I thought he was letting all of them out immediately.

[greydog]

Ryan was an A-hole from day one.

I think maybe he is trying to put forth the idea that criminals are being unfairly prosecuted/sentenced because HIS day in court is coming (swiftly, I hope).

[Xthe17th]

RE: death 'penalty' and capital 'punishment'

Both words express an intent to reform; 'punishment' just being the juvenile version of the more adult 'penalty'. But if someone is DEAD, they can't be reformed!

Let's just call it like it is - EXECUTION. And if we're gonna execute people, let's do it right - BY PUBLIC HANGING! Bring back the gallows and none of this nonsense of letting criminals wait around on 'death row' to maybe eventually be euthenized like a family pet. That way, the gravity of the situation will be made clear.

IMHO, too many judges are too quick to give the death sentance 'cause they know the convict will just wait around in limbo on death row. This way, if they know their sentance would result in an immediate HANGING, they'll be more careful in their judgements.

[Let's Roll]

One more example of sheeple electing someone without character and intelligence to office.

[meenie]

This action has to be disappointing to the trial lawyers. Think of all the appeals and job opportunities that have went down the drain.

[William Terrell]

. . .but Devine said the clemency powers for an Illinois governor are among the broadest in the country.

Does this mean that the new governor can reverse that descison?

[Notforprophet]

George Ryan had already singlehandedly destroyed the GOP in Illinois for years to come. The scandals surrounding him and his cronies cost the Republicans the Governor's mansion, and every other statewide office except Treasurer. Now he does this, in a vain and desperate attempt at some sort of legacy. What an A-hole.

[TheDon]

The news was extremely misleading on this point. I listened carefully regarding what the death sentence was commuted to, and none of the media said. A rather bizarre ommission. Of course, the only murderer that can't commit another is a dead one.

[steve50]

I wonder why the innocent people being convicted didn't raise any outrage? Too many prosecutors only concern is clearing the case to further their political ambitions. If we are to retain the death penalty we need some criminal penalities to insure prosecutors want justice, not votes.

[SandRat]

Sooner than he thinks if one of the 4 cons he set free commits another murder. I would hope that some sharp lawyer could find a way to tie Ryan in to it. Say, . . . Accessory before the fact in enabling the commission of murder.

[lavaroise]

"I am not prepared to take the risk that we may execute an innocent person,"

Of course, he is prepared to violate statutes himself in the name of his crytal ball predictive social engineering. Who is we? We would be guilty? That is rich! Societal and cultural decay in America is going full bore, especialy amongst the powerful who seem more afraid than people.

Of course Ryan can keep speaking, just as the murderers will while victims cannot, thus arming defacto murderers now in class cahoots with Ryan. If there was something worse than the murders, well it is now Ryan's blanket stereotyped pardon.

Meanwhile Ryan fulfills those murders because he allows the continuation of the status that those murders sought in the first place: violating statutes, killing people, while the murderers can get away with it and keep having an illegal contract with society, confining people in jails, destroying millions invested in their defense and in the prosecutions and what not.

Ryan is the biggest disgrace since Clinton, and this man's new religion of evil statute destruction and social engineering heralding is going to be the type of heart crimes that he will have to face when he meets our Maker.

For in the end it is not so much the action itself that is despicable, but the basis of his "legal" action on social engineering precepts that he demands be embraced in the color of law. I am sorry, Ryan did something illegal. A pardon is not done on those unreasonable terms that have also political and Jihadesque aim.

[SJackson]

These four would be #14 to #18. There's been plenty of outrage, but this isn't a solutions.

[SJackson]

Illinois firearms & Second Ammendment ping list. If you'd like to be added or removed, please FRMail me..

[MeekMom]

Ryan is an @$$! He's trying to immitate the x42nd-impeached-rapist-sick-creature!

[Catspaw]

Does this mean that the new governor can reverse that descison?

Nope. It's like presidential pardon powers.

[facedown]

Just the closing chapter of a shameful saga.

[steve50]

If I had to send 150 people to their deaths knowing that 5-10 are likely innocent and sentencing disparities affect another large percentage, I'm not sure I would have done any different.

I guess people have different views on the acceptable error rate.

[SJackson]

It's not a matter of an acceptable error rate.

This isn't a new issue. Ryan and others have had years to look into the circumstanced of each case individually.

More importantly he's had years to fix the system.

IMO a case by case review makes sense, a blanket amnesty doesn't. This was a political stunt from a disgraced politician.

[Dialup Llama]

So then the logical solution is to commute the sentences of all the murderers? Ryan did what Saddam did when he gets pressured- he released convicts from jail as a gesture of how wonderful he is in order to shift attention. Ryan is trying to be Mr. Civil Rights because he's going to soon has his own experience with the criminal courts and wants to make out like OJ.