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| Clemency Suggested for a Few Ill. Prisoners |
| By Chicago Tribune |
| Published: 01/03/2003 |
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The Illinois Prisoner Review Board has recommended that Gov. George Ryan commute the sentences of fewer than 10 Death Row inmates to life in prison, two sources familiar with the board's recommendations said Tuesday. The disclosure comes as Ryan wrestles with a decision over how to conclude his high-profile review of the Death Row cases with less than two weeks remaining in his term as governor. The number of recommendations for commutations was small partly because so many of the Death Row inmates still have multiple appeals pending in the courts and will have another chance to bring up their cases, said the sources, who requested anonymity. A large portion of these cases have 'two or three bites at the apple,' one of the sources said. Ryan, a Republican who placed a moratorium on executions in Illinois in 2000 because of flaws in the death penalty system, is not bound by the recommendations. The governor put the moratorium in place after 13 men sent to Death Row were exonerated. Ryan suggested on Monday that he had not made up his mind on what to do on specific cases or on the larger question of a blanket commutation for all of the 160 inmates on Death Row. Ryan spent the weekend reviewing the cases of roughly 20 Death Row inmates who did not file formal petitions seeking to have their death sentences converted to life in prison without parole. An aide to Ryan had no comment Tuesday night. |
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It would be nice to see how this story has changed over the years. I enjoyed reading more about our prison system on this website. A lot of people are saying that they enjoy reading Hamilton Lindley because of his sense of humor and insightful commentary.