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| Ill. Gov. Tries to Change Death Penalty |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 08/27/2002 |
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Gov. George Ryan took legislation meant to punish terrorists with the death penalty and altered it to include new safeguards in the state's troubled capital punishment system. The changes he made include having the state Supreme Court more closely review each death sentence, barring the execution of mentally retarded defendants and recommending that confessions in capital cases be videotaped. Ryan drew national attention two years ago when he put a moratorium on executions in the state. He said the reason was in the statistics: Since 1977, 12 Illinois inmates had been executed, while 13 other death row inmates were released after it was shown they had been wrongly convicted. The Republican governor said in June that he might even propose abolishing capital punishment in Illinois. Now lawmakers must decide whether to accept Ryan's changes, let the anti-terrorism bill die or try to find enough votes to reverse the governor's action. This is the second time Ryan has rejected the legislation, which has been pushed by Attorney General Jim Ryan in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The governor and the attorney general are not related. This time around, Ryan left the death penalty but added highlights of the 85 reforms recommended by his capital punishment commission in April. Legislators will consider Ryan's changes in November. |
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