|
|
| Death Row Clemency Hearings in Illinois End |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 10/30/2002 |
|
Illinois' marathon death penalty clemency hearings drew to an end Monday after more than two weeks of gruesome accounts and tearful pleas by victims' families. Now, defense lawyers hope their written pleadings will counteract some of the emotional testimony heard by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. 'The issue is not whether victims' families are hurting, but whether the system is run in a way to create a level of certainty and fairness we need in order to kill,' said Larry Marshall, a Northwestern University law professor and a critic of the state's capital punishment system. The hearings for 142 inmates have prompted criticism of Gov. George Ryan, who imposed a moratorium on executions nearly three years ago. The governor maintained that problems with the capital punishment system in Illinois justified any pain the hearings might cause. 'Look, there's no question the families are going through a lot of grief,' he said. But he then pointed out that 13 inmates spent years on death row before they were exonerated. 'Now, I think that's probably a worse nightmare than having to rehear the testimony of victims,' he said. The board will meet this week to discuss and vote on each clemency request, then forward its recommendations to the governor. Ryan said he will make a decision on the recommendations before leaving office in January. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think