Oddly unindicted Illinois Governor George Ryan, for example. Bet'cha they serve him as soon as he's out of office. Bet'cha a dollar.
Until then, he's following his conscience. Rather than the party line or the polls. Gotta respect that.
From Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Ill. Opens Review of Death Row Cases:
CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois' capital punishment system went on trial Tuesday in the first of nine days of clemency hearings for nearly every inmate on death row.
Illinois Prisoner Review Board member Victor Brooks opened one of the first of at least 140 clemency hearings with an apology to family members of victims for forcing them to ``revisit the unwarranted carnage inflicted on their lives.''
He's also sorry for any innocent people currently on death row, but, y'know, if they hadn't fucked up somewhere along the line, they wouldn't be there.
The hearings for all but a handful of the state's 160 death row inmates come after Gov. George Ryan said earlier this year that he intended to review every death penalty case before he leaves office in January.``This is unprecedented,'' Robert Dunne, a member of the board, said before the hearings. ``Normally we only hear petitions for clemency from death row inmates when their executions are imminent.''
Ryan declared a moratorium on executions in January 2000, calling the state's death penalty system ``fraught with error'' after 13 inmates were found to have been wrongfully convicted, including some found innocent.
This ain't abolishing the death penalty, of course. Nor is it saying that everyone on Death Row is some tragic Jean Valjean figure. . .
Maybe there is such a thing as too much coffee. Pretend I am not making literary references.
Too much coffee? Bullocks.
Anyhow, pulp as it may be, when it comes to this issue, "Actual Innocence," by Scheck, Neufeld and Dwyer is a very worthwhile read. Pretty eye-opening for those who need eye-proppage in terms of the criminal justice system.
Don't say I didn't warn you about the criminology geekiness, because you know, I did.
encouraging. but the rest of the country needs to follow suit. and what are the chances?
besides if killing people is against the rules, it should be against all the rules. i know, i know, that's very simplistic and general, but, well, i need more coffee. or less coffee. no, more. more is always better. well, where coffee is concerned.
Heather, so you did. If I read the book, will it ruin my normally positive attitude and sunny disposition?
kd, in your case, I am prepared to make an exception. There is indeed such a thing as too much coffee.
Guess I could add a link to The Moratorium Campaign to the actual entry. . .
Nah. It'll just remind you that the feds are bloody stupid. And assholes, to boot. Which you knew.
Btw, I decided that carrot cake is nutritious enough to have for lunch. many thanks.
You're welcome. Glad you and Sofia liked it. Thanks again for dinner, it was wonderful.
And I love the Feds. Especially when they turn up in the site stats, although that hasn't happened lately. Guess they got bored with the place. Darn.
Well, you're welcome too, but I still do not forgive you for leaving me so soon. Ain't that just like a man?
(Phew! Now that my token sexist comment for the day is done, I can get on to the rest of what I have to do.)
I find that the UAE tends to visit my sites more often than the US feds, do. Do figure.
You know full well, Heather, that liking women with actual curves is unAmerican. Has been since the 'Nam. Real red-blooded he-man flag-loving types prefer their women to look as much like anorexic drag queens as possible. If an employee of the federal government gets a stiffie looking at your site, the terrorists win.