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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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Gov. Ryan Commutes Death Sentences |
Current rating: 0 |
by Paul Riismandel
Email: paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified!)
Address: Champaign, IL |
11 Jan 2003
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This afternoon Illinois Governor George Ryan commuted the death senteces of all current death row prisoners, changing them to life in prison.
In a speech today Ryan said:
"We had executed 12 people since capital punishment was reinstated here in Illinois in 1977. With the 13th exonerated inmate in January of 2000, we had released more innocent men from Death Row than those hopefully guilty people we had executed.
Three years ago, I described it as a shameful scorecard. Truly shameful. So I did the only thing I could. I called for what is in effect a moratorium.
A lot of people called that courageous. . . . It wasn't. It was just the right thing to do. . . ." |
Anti-death penalty activists and advocates of human rights everywhere had hoped for a blanket commutation after Ryan publicly placed the option on the table. His work on the issue, including a current moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, has sparked a movement to nominate Ryan for a Nobel Peace Prize.
This comes despite the so-called "licenses for bribes" scandal involving funding used in Ryan's campaign for the governor's office while he was Secretary of State. The scandal has been a dark shadow over Ryan's term as governor, and is largely regarded as bearing some responsibility for the Democratic victories in last November's elections.
In his speech Gov. Ryan went on to say:
" There are more innocent people on Death Row. . . .
In some way, I can see how rogue cops, 20 years ago, can run wild. I can see how, in a different time, they perhaps were able to manipulate the system.
What I can't understand is why the courts can't find a way to act in the interest of justice. . . . They (the four men pardoned Friday) are perfect examples of what is so terribly broken about our system.
These cases call out for someone to act. They call out for justice, they cry out for reform. They cry out to be fixed. Their cries have fallen on deaf ears."
Ryan then blasted the Illinois legislature for failing to act on the abuses:
"Thirteen innocent men were nearly executed. Countless flaws are highlighted. The system has proved itself to be wildly inaccurate, unjust and unable to separate the innocent from the guilty and, at times, a very racist system. And yet we couldn't pass a reform package in Springfield."
Ryan leaves office on Monday, to be replaced by newly elected Democrat Rob Blagojevic. At the same time the Democrats take control of the Illinois legislature.
A Republican, Ryan has angered many in his party, now also losing control in the legislature, for his stance against the death penalty.
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Blanket Clemency Is ONLY "Just" Thing In IL "Justice" System |
by nobody
illnevertell (nospam) you.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
11 Jan 2003
Modified: 03:08:46 PM |
I know many will be angered by what will be perceived as a lack of fairness to the victims families. That is because, in many cases, the victims families have harbored anger, resentment and, yes, blind hatred towards these convicted individuals without realizing one simple truth---The justice system has nothing to do with justice.
Those who commit crimes rarely receive "just" consequences.
Those who have been wronged rarely receive "just" reconciliation or restitution.
Those who are punished are rarely receiving "just" treatment.
The victims families should vent their anger and frustration with the lack of "justice" in the "justice" system where it deserves to be---at those within the justice system who 1) perpetuate the lie that killing someone in vengence will bring peace of mind and 2) refuse to admit anything is wrong with the system itself.
Judge Steigman, former candidate for Illinois Attorney General Joe Birkett, and other officials of our "justice" system who insist that "just because a conviction is overturned, it doesn't mean that the individual is innocent" wink and nod to the public---as if to say "we KNOW they are guilty, even if we have NO evidence, NO eyewitnesses, NO proof whatsoever".
True, overturned convictions don't guarrantee innocence. However, they are a result of
1) insuffienct/improper/illegal evidence (frame-up, mistakes, evidence contamination, illegal searches, fraudalent testimony, perjury, coerced testimony....)
2) violation of rights guarranteed to EVERY individual (innocent or guilty) under our form of government. (BTW: To those that say torture is ok if the "ends justify the means" I have only one thing to say: I could convict YOU of ANYTHING: by torturing you to get you to confess. Don't think you would confess? Do you have loved ones that I, as a police officer/prosecutor/detective could harm in some way? I think many people would confess to being ANYTHING---thinking that later the truth about torture/coersion/duress would be exposed to the light of day. Only since you have now confessed to a crime, your word is no longer worth anything!)
3) attorney/prosecutorial/judicial error/misconduct (your lawyer preferred to nap rather than pay attention to testimony---that's ok! It's only your life on the line)
In other words, if the "justice" system were truly "just", many individuals who should never have been convicted would be free already. And if we have an imperfect system, we canNOT close our eyes to the most irreversible penalty imaginable---death.
Just a few thoughts that leap to my mind as I read that our soon to be ex-governor of Illinois has now done something which, in my mind, will forever put him on the side of the truly righteous. In my opinion, even if he IS involved in the license-for-bribes scandal, he has made a great stride in atoning for any wrongs he committed. |
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Re: Gov. Ryan Commutes Death Sentences |
by Bob Schwartz
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
13 Jan 2003
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As an activist with the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, and against the barbaric death penalty, I applauded George Ryan's pardons and his commutations. Once in a while even the most jaded Republicrat has a moment of truth, a moment when conscience dictates that a terrible wrong must be righted.
By whatever motivation, George Ryan spoke with eloquence as he pardoned the wrongfully convicted and commuted death sentences, mostly to life without parole.
The Democrat, Rod "Bombs Away" Blagojevich is prowar, pronational "security," against the UN criminal court, and pro-death penalty. He earlier voiced his opposition to the "reform" of reducing the number of death offenses from over 20 to 5. He criticized Ryan's actions and said he would not interfer in any new death sentences, although he will continue the moritorium on executions. Don't hold your breath. |
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Re: Gov. Ryan Commutes Death Sentences |
by Mr. Me
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
13 Jan 2003
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"Hello, National weather service? I was just wondering how much hell has frozen over?"
I never thought a govenor would have the balls to do what this guy did. Makes me intrigued to find out what happens next. |
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Re: Gov. Ryan Commutes Death Sentences |
by Dr. John Hilty
jhilty (nospam) shout.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
13 Jan 2003
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There's little doubt that the legal system is broken --
if indeed,it has ever functioned properly. The 50% error
rate in these death penalty cases is just the tip of the
iceberg. What's truly frightening is the failure of the
state legislature and members of the legal profession to
acknowledge the failure of the legal system as it currently
exists, and to take tangible steps to fix the problems that
confront it.
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Re: Gov. Ryan Commutes Death Sentences |
by George Cole
gcole (nospam) san.rr.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
16 Jan 2003
Modified: 11:10:23 PM |
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I think it took a lot of courage to commute the sentences of the men on death row to life without the possibility of porole. I am very much for the death penalty when we know beyond a reasonable doubt that the the inmate is quilty. That is all tests have been peformed and the rule of law has been upheld. It is sad that some of the condemed could not be executed, but it is much better that we did not execute another inocent person...thanks to the brave Govenor George Ryan. Sincerely, George Cole |
