Weblog
01/14/03 09:10 PM: Pardon Me
I wrote an editorial this week, this is the final version I submitted tonight. Not sure if it will be revised any further, or if it will run with a different headline. You can always check out the online version of The Voice to see…
Pardon Me
The legacy of former Illinois Governor George Ryan will be difficult to write. During his four-year term, Ryan has changed his views from staunchly supporting capital punishment to become a key advocate of death penalty reform. Add to this, his announcement last weekend, that he had emptied Illinois? death row. This surprising action from the conservative former governor is a gesture that should be applauded, and will hopefully inspire more people to question the fairness of capital punishment in the United States.
The road that led Ryan to commuting the sentences of 167 death row inmates began in 2000 with establishment of a moratorium on executions. His decision was made in the wake of the discovery of new evidence that proved several Illinois death row inmates innocent. One of these discoveries was made just hours before an execution.
The case of Anthony Porter exemplifies the problems that led Ryan to take such drastic action. Porter, who was eventually proven innocent, was granted clemency just 50 hours before his scheduled execution. Porter was eventually set free and the charges dropped.
The Porter case is one example of the problems that Ryan encountered during his term. The Illinois? system is one plagued with inconsistencies. Defendants in a rural area are five times more likely to receive a death sentence than in an urban area. A case where the victim was white is three and a half times more likely to result in a death sentence than if the victim was black. Capital sentences were also issued three and a half times more often when the victim was female. Also, it was revealed that in many cases, the defense lawyers were less than competent and lacked experience in capital cases. Since 1977, Illinois courts have found that 13 condemned men were wrongly convicted. Twelve were executed.
Ryan’s term was one filled with controversy, beginning with the licenses-for-bribes scandal and ending with this stunning announcement. Therefore, it is impossible to know Ryan’s true motives behind this latest action. However, it is clear that Ryan had witnessed the troubles of an unfair and unjust system. Based on the trends seen in Illinois, Ryan’s issuing of clemency has most likely spared the lives of several innocent people.
The path taken by Ryan in Illinois should serve as an example to other states. Whatever the claimed benefits of capital punishment are, they will always be outweighed by the blood of the innocent. Ryan has taken a step that we can only hope others will follow.
