Illinois' death row officially shuts down.

[Rick]

http://beta.news.yahoo.com/illinois-dea ... 02311.html

CHICAGO (AP) — After spending years at the center of heated national debate over capital punishment, Illinois' death row officially died Friday when a state law abolishing the death penalty quietly took effect.

The state garnered international attention when then-Republican Gov. George Ryan declared a moratorium in 2000 after several inmates' death sentences were overturned and he cleared death row three years later. One man who came within 48 hours of being executed was among those later declared innocent.

The fate of executions in the state was sealed in March when Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation ending the death penalty, following years of stories of men sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit and families of murder victims angrily demanding their loved ones' killers pay with their own lives.

Illinois has executed 12 men since 1977, when the death penalty was reinstated, but none since 1999.

Quinn subsequently commuted the sentences of the 15 men on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Fourteen are now in maximum security prisons, while one is in a medium-high security prison with a mental health facility.

Ironically, the state's death row at the prison in Pontiac, about 100 miles southwest of Chicago, has been turned into a place where inmates go when they're deemed worthy of leaving the state's super-maximum prison in southern Illinois, the Tamms Correctional Center, and enter a less-restrictive program.

"It is a step down from Tamms," said Stacey Solano, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections. "When they transition out, it is a restrictive environment but not as restrictive as Tamms."

As for the death chamber itself, no decision has been made about what — if anything — will be done with it, Solano said.

The legislation abolishing the death penalty was signed by Quinn amid much fanfare, but Friday's finality was barely noted around the state. Solano said the department received just two calls for information from the media on Friday.

That lack of interest stands in contrast to the last dozen years or so when Illinois was often at the forefront of debate over the death penalty.

Ryan, who imposed the execution moratorium after the death sentences of 13 men were overturned, called the state's capital punishment system "haunted by the demon of error." He cleared death row shortly before leaving office in 2003, by commuting the sentences of 167 condemned inmates to life in prison.

Even as lawmakers debated the death penalty and the moratorium, prosecutors continued to seek the death penalty. By the time Quinn signed the bill in March, there were 15 men on death row.

Among them was Brian Dugan, who was convicted in 2009 in the 1983 slaying of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico — years after two men were sentenced to death for the same slaying before they were ultimately exonerated and released from prison.

His attorney, Steven Greenberg, said Friday that shutting down death row was proper given that people were convicted and sentenced to death for that crime and others they did not commit.

"Anytime you've got a system where there is a danger of providing retribution on the wrong person, that's no different than vigilante justice, which is what we had," he said.

Greenberg said some juries, with their decisions not to recommend the death penalty in other cases in recent years, were already sending a message that they remained concerned about the possibility of executing an innocent person.

Former Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine, a proponent of the death penalty and a vocal critic of Ryan's decision to clear death row, pointed out that among those who benefit from the ban is a man who raped a mother and daughter in front of one another before stabbing them to death.

"I believe there are some people who do such terrible things that they forfeit their right to be among us," he said.

Devine said he doesn't believe the death penalty is gone forever in Illinois, and that the debate will begin anew when there is a particularly horrific crime.

"I suspect when the next John Wayne Gacy, Timothy McVeigh ... happens there will be some discussion of bringing it back," he said. "Nothing is carved in stone."

[steveo777]

Do away with it an leave it to the vigilantes.
Ever see the movie, Star Chamber with Michael Douglas?

[pinkfloyd1973]

This started by Governor George Ryan, who indirectly caused the death of 6 children

[steveo777]

This started by Governor George Ryan, who indirectly caused the death of 6 children

Politicians have dirty hands.....pretty much all of them.

[ebake02]

This country would be a lot safer if we started shooting violent criminals on the spot instead of sending them to prison.

[parfait]

This country would be a lot safer if we started shooting violent criminals on the spot instead of sending them to prison.

There would not be any democracy without a proper justice system. Everyone deserves a fair trial. To say otherwise would be ignorant (which would not surprise me coming from you)

Capital punishment is archaic. It has absolutely no deterrence as well as forcing doctors to break the Hippocratic Oath. After executions have taken place, studies show that murder rates increase in that state. It's ironic that the US sentenced Dr. Kevorkian to a 10-25 years in prison for helping people end their life, but on the other hand kill people (innocent as well as guilty) with a cocktail of poisons.

[conversationpc]

I support the death penalty in theory. However, it seems like there's an unacceptable chance of an innocent person being convicted based on all the stories you hear about people being released from prison due to DNA evidence and the like.

This country would be a lot safer if we started shooting violent criminals on the spot instead of sending them to prison.

There would not be any democracy without a proper justice system.

The United States is not a democracy. We're a constitutional republic. Big difference.

Capital punishment is archaic. It has absolutely no deterrence...

Who cares if it's not a deterrent? It's a PUNISHMENT.

After executions have taken place, studies show that murder rates increase in that state.

That sounds like a total load of crap. You got backup for that?

[parfait]

I support the death penalty in theory. However, it seems like there's an unacceptable chance of an innocent person being convicted based on all the stories you hear about people being released from prison due to DNA evidence and the like.

This country would be a lot safer if we started shooting violent criminals on the spot instead of sending them to prison.

There would not be any democracy without a proper justice system.

The United States is not a democracy. We're a constitutional republic. Big difference.

Capital punishment is archaic. It has absolutely no deterrence...

Who cares if it's not a deterrent? It's a PUNISHMENT.

After executions have taken place, studies show that murder rates increase in that state.

That sounds like a total load of crap. You got backup for that?

A constitutional republic is a liberal democracy, which originates from the Age of Enlightenment.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-had-consistently-lower-murder-rates
http://www.deathpenalty.org/downloads/RadeletDeterrenceStudy2009.pdf
http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=franklin_zimring&sei-redir=1#search=%22sinpagore+execution+totals%22
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-20/justice/death.penalty_1_death-row-population-suitable-vein-execution?_s=PM:CRIME


One shouldn't forget that capital punishment is also far more expensive than lifelong sentencing. Oh, and there's always Thou shall not kill - but I guess that one is open for interpretation.

[S2M]

I support the death penalty in theory. However, it seems like there's an unacceptable chance of an innocent person being convicted based on all the stories you hear about people being released from prison due to DNA evidence and the like.

This country would be a lot safer if we started shooting violent criminals on the spot instead of sending them to prison.

There would not be any democracy without a proper justice system.

The United States is not a democracy. We're a constitutional republic. Big difference.

Capital punishment is archaic. It has absolutely no deterrence...

Who cares if it's not a deterrent? It's a PUNISHMENT.

After executions have taken place, studies show that murder rates increase in that state.

That sounds like a total load of crap. You got backup for that?

I'm not disagreeing with you, however....why is washington always saying we are spreading our democracy around?

[Archetype]

I'm for it some days and against it others. Depends on my mood and what I hear on the news. That said, Paul Kersey is a great character

[steveo777]

I'm for it some days and against it others. Depends on my mood and what I hear on the news. That said, Paul Kersey is a great character

So is Harry Callahan

[conversationpc]

Oh, and there's always Thou shall not kill - but I guess that one is open for interpretation.

Most experts in Hebrew agree that "murder" is the more accurate translation of the original word, "ratsach", which means "to murder, slay". In fact, most modern translations, including the NIV (the most popular along with the KJV) do translate it as I've described here.

[conversationpc]

I support the death penalty in theory. However, it seems like there's an unacceptable chance of an innocent person being convicted based on all the stories you hear about people being released from prison due to DNA evidence and the like.

This country would be a lot safer if we started shooting violent criminals on the spot instead of sending them to prison.

There would not be any democracy without a proper justice system.

The United States is not a democracy. We're a constitutional republic. Big difference.

Capital punishment is archaic. It has absolutely no deterrence...

Who cares if it's not a deterrent? It's a PUNISHMENT.

After executions have taken place, studies show that murder rates increase in that state.

That sounds like a total load of crap. You got backup for that?

I'm not disagreeing with you, however....why is washington always saying we are spreading our democracy around?

Because most of them are just as ignorant as the average voter.

[Seven Wishes2]

Philosophically, I believe in it. However, I'm with Dave - too many people are exonerated 10, 20, and even 30 years down the road.

[conversationpc]

A constitutional republic is a liberal democracy, which originates from the Age of Enlightenment.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-had-consistently-lower-murder-rates
http://www.deathpenalty.org/downloads/RadeletDeterrenceStudy2009.pdf
http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=franklin_zimring&sei-redir=1#search=%22sinpagore+execution+totals%22
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-20/justice/death.penalty_1_death-row-population-suitable-vein-execution?_s=PM:CRIME

That may be what it means now but back in the founders' days, most of them were not big fans of democracy and a good chunk of them absolutely loathed the idea.