[Illinois] Gov. Pat Quinn abolishes death penalty

[Exotix]

*Breaking*


Ill. gov. commutes sentences of condemned inmates - San Jose Mercury News


SPRINGFIELD, Ill.~ Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has abolished the state's death penalty.

The Democrat signed legislation Wednesday abandoning capital punishment, two months after Illinois lawmakers voted to do the same and more than a decade after former Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium because of concern that innocent people could be put to death.

Illinois now joins 15 other states that have done away with the death penalty.

The new law takes effect July 1.



Ryan imposed the moratorium in 2000, after the death sentences of 13 men were overturned.

Ryan also cleared death row before leaving office in 2003 by commuting the sentences of 167 condemned inmates to life in prison.

Quinn has spent the last two months consulting with prosecutors, victims' families, death penalty opponents and religious leaders.



Illinois' attorney general was among those asking for a veto, saying safeguards are in place to prevent wrongful executions.

"I've heard from many, many people of good faith and good conscience on both sides of the issue.
And I've tried to be very meticulous and writing down notes and studying those notes and books and e-mails.
They've really spoken from the heart.
I've been very proud of the people of Illinois," Quinn has said recently.



Illinois' last execution was in 1999, a year before then-Republican Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium on capital punishment after the death sentences of 13 men were overturned.

Illinois has had a moratorium on executions since 2000 when then-Gov. George Ryan imposed it after the death sentences of 13 men were overturned.
Ryan also famously cleared death row before leaving office in 2003 when he commutedby commuting by commuting the death sentences of 167 inmates to life in prison. Illinois' last execution wascame in 1999.

If Quinn were to sign the bill, it unclear what he'd do t was not known immediately clear what Quinn intended to would do about the 15 inmates currently on Illinois' death row.



New Mexico had beenwas the most recent state to repeal the death penalty, doing so in 2009, but although new Republican Gov. Susana Martinez wants to reinstate it.

Quinn has consulted with prosecutors, murder victims' families, death penalty opponents and religious leaders since Illinois lawmakers approved the bill in January.
The governor even heard from retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and met with Sister Helen Prejean, the inspiration for the movie "Dead Man Walking."



Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan appealed directly to Quinn to veto the bill, as did several county prosecutors and victims' families.

They said safeguards, including videotaped interrogations and easier access to DNA evidence, were in place to prevent innocent people from being wrongly executed.

But death penalty opponents argued that there was still no guarantee that an innocent person couldn't be put to death.
Even Quinn's own lieutenant governor, Sheila Simon, a former southern Illinois prosecutor, asked him to abolish capital punishment.

Prosecutors can would still be able to seek the death penalty and juries can could still impose it until the law takes took effect.



Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn

[ChasC5]

Illinois will be paying for those Lawsuits longer than I will be on this earth.

• Millions to prosecute a Death Penalty Case
• Millions to appeal
• Millions to defend the State after being proved wrong
• Millions to the wrongfully accused or their family

Guess who pays the Bill?

[Exotix]

Originally Posted by ChasC5

Illinois will be paying for those Lawsuits longer than I will be on this earth.

• Millions to prosecute a Death Penalty Case
• Millions to appeal
• Millions to defend the State after being proved wrong
• Millions to the wrongfully accused or their family

Guess who pays the Bill?

Those bastions of morality Beck, Palin, Gingrich & JPMorgan Chase ?

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by ChasC5

Illinois will be paying for those Lawsuits longer than I will be on this earth.

• Millions to prosecute a Death Penalty Case
• Millions to appeal
• Millions to defend the State after being proved wrong
• Millions to the wrongfully accused or their family

Guess who pays the Bill?

ALL because of lawyers, I may add......

millions to prosecute....bullshit....only because of lawyers dragging out shit forever.....

millions to appeal?? read a freeking FILE, and so forth?? more lawyer bullshit and excuses.....

IMO.....I totally accept a 5% error rate in capital cases, have no problem with it, laws should be in place to stop ANY lawsuits over the CJ system...no matter WHAT......

don't wanna be rongfully convicted?? don't hang out with criminals....

I can see where the cops maybe run around for some time trying to solve a case, but when they got the guilty, trial in a months time or less.....

to last maybe 2 days at MOST....all the rest is bullshit....

you call 12 at random from the day's jury pool, stop the protests and legal wrangling....seat a jury in about 5 minits....maybe less....

read the charges, present the evidence, done by 3 pm....

jail overcrowding, ?? simple.....take the worst on a computer selection basis, child molesters top of the list, take them out back, dig their own graves, shoot on site, firing squad fashion......have the next guy fill it in....

THEN notify the family/lawyers.....

cut the prisons down to size....state of California for instance, has maybe 2 prisons.....seriously....

time to quit using the CJ 'system' as a excuse to pad lawyer income.....

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by mrvette

ALL because of lawyers, I may add......

millions to prosecute....bullshit....only because of lawyers dragging out shit forever.....

millions to appeal?? read a freeking FILE, and so forth?? more lawyer bullshit and excuses.....

IMO.....I totally accept a 5% error rate in capital cases, have no problem with it, laws should be in place to stop ANY lawsuits over the CJ system...no matter WHAT......

don't wanna be rongfully convicted?? don't hang out with criminals....

I can see where the cops maybe run around for some time trying to solve a case, but when they got the guilty, trial in a months time or less.....

to last maybe 2 days at MOST....all the rest is bullshit....

you call 12 at random from the day's jury pool, stop the protests and legal wrangling....seat a jury in about 5 minits....maybe less....

read the charges, present the evidence, done by 3 pm....

jail overcrowding, ?? simple.....take the worst on a computer selection basis, child molesters top of the list, take them out back, dig their own graves, shoot on site, firing squad fashion......have the next guy fill it in....

THEN notify the family/lawyers.....

cut the prisons down to size....state of California for instance, has maybe 2 prisons.....seriously....

time to quit using the CJ 'system' as a excuse to pad lawyer income.....

I would spend time debating you on this, but being in the know would be important for you. There were several documentaries, case studies and law reviews on this, not to mention actual people who were physically involved on both sides interviewed. You may want to look it up before inserting foot and requiring major surgery for removal.

Example; one individual wasn’t even in the United States when he was accused and convicted. It took several years to find the Canadian to free the individual. Trust, the State Comptroller doesn’t pay out Millions to Guilty Victims, I think that was his direct quote on 60 Minutes.

Nice try though, actually I would expect nothing less to you and most saying they all deserved it. As consistent as ever.

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by ChasC5

I would spend time debating you on this, but being in the know would be important for you. There were several documentaries, case studies and law reviews on this, not to mention actual people who were physically involved on both sides interviewed. You may want to look it up before inserting foot and requiring major surgery for removal.

Example; one individual wasn’t even in the United States when he was accused and convicted. It took several years to find the Canadian to free the individual. Trust, the State Comptroller doesn’t pay out Millions to Guilty Victims, I think that was his direct quote on 60 Minutes.

Nice try though, actually I would expect nothing less to you and most saying they all deserved it. As consistent as ever.

Are YOU a lawyer??

U work in the 'legal system' in any crapassity???

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Are YOU a lawyer??

U work in the 'legal system' in any crapassity???

No

My brother in-law works in the States Attorney Office

[RetiredSFC 97]

Good, now the good citizens of Illinois get to house, and pay for, those that are not fit to walk amongst us.

While I know there are those who have been put to death needlessly, in cases where there is no doubt, we need to assist in the meeting with God, or the devil whichever applies.

Glad I don't live in Illinois.

And yes, the cost associated with the appeals was created by the lawyers, of who are mainly dems. So at least I can laugh at them

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by RetiredSFC 97

Good, now the good citizens of Illinois get to house, and pay for, those that are not fit to walk amongst us.

While I know there are those who have been put to death needlessly, in cases where there is no doubt, we need to assist in the meeting with God, or the devil whichever applies.

Glad I don't live in Illinois.

And yes, the cost associated with the appeals was created by the lawyers, of who are mainly dems. So at least I can laugh at them

[mrvette]

Like I said, 5% error rate is acceptable, life is not perfect, but we got a huge crisis of abject .gov spending for perfection.....sorry, but some 'legal types' need a sharp object up their asses.....

this endless appear shit, and the likes of Manson, still alive?? gotta be kidding me, WTF is the POINT to that shit??

lawyers welfare....

million bux to convict someone....bullshit.....

[ChasC5]

Would that error rate be asseptable if it was you or a family member?