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"Top Stories - The New York Times
Governor Assails System's Errors as He Empties Illinois Death Row
Sun Jan 12, 3:07 PM ET Add Top Stories - The New York Times to My Yahoo!
By JODI WILGOREN The New York Times
CHICAGO, Jan. 11 Condemning the capital punishment system as fundamentally flawed and unfair, Gov. George Ryan commuted all Illinois death sentences today to prison terms of life or less, the largest such emptying of death row in history.
In one sweep, Governor Ryan, a Republican, spared the lives of 163 men and 4 women who have served a collective 2,000 years for the murders of more than 250 people. His bold move was seen as the most significant statement questioning capital punishment since the Supreme Court struck down states' old death penalty laws in 1972. It seemed sure to secure Mr. Ryan's legacy as a leading critic of state-sponsored executions even as he faces possible indictment in a corruption scandal that stopped him from seeking re-election."
I know this guy has been plagued by scandals and the like, and is only doing this because he doesn't really have a chance at re-election, but this is the first time i can actually say that i am proud of a politician. I know everyone else probably has differing veiws on the death penalty but that's really not the point. he saw a problem with the system and pretty much abolished it as much as was in his power. I just think we have to give him credit for that. |
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