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| Governors debate death penalty |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 11/17/2003 |
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Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and former Illinois Gov. George Ryan clashed as they debated the death penalty before a crowd of Michigan State University law students and professors last Thursday night. The two Republicans argued legalities of the controversial issue for about 1-1/2 hours before a crowd of about 100. Much of the debate surrounded Ryan's controversial decision three years ago to invoke a moratorium on executions in Illinois until each Death Row case could be evaluated. He called upon Owens to do the same in Colorado. Ryan was a supporter of capital punishment until he was elected to office in 1999. Three days before leaving office in January 2003, he pardoned four Death Row inmates and commuted the sentences of 167 others to life in prison. Thirty-seven states allow capital punishment. Michigan is not one of them. Owens said he believes the death penalty is applied fairly in Colorado and criticized Ryan's actions, calling them an ''abuse of power and a miscarriage of justice.'' The Colorado governor said Ryan allowed his feelings to cloud his judgment. Ryan argued that his actions weren't an abuse of power because the state Constitution gave him the authority to do so. Ryan claimed poor public defenders, prejudiced juries and racial inequalities have created flaws in the Illinois legal system. |
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