ILLINOIS: Illinois Gov.: 'No Regrets' for Death Penalty Halt

Backed by 3 men who had been wrongly sent to death row, Illinois Gov. George Ryan said on Wednesday he had no regrets about halting executions in his state and called on Americans to make sure their judicial system was a "model for the rest of the world."

A Republican who sparked a national debate on the death penalty with his January 2000 moratorium, Ryan testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on the U.S. Constitution. Chairman Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, has proposed legislation to impose a similar moratorium on federal executions and urge states to do the same.

 While stopping short of an explicit endorsement of Feingold's bill, Ryan praised the senator's "passion for truth and justice" and pleaded for fairness in recounting his struggle with the burden of executing prisoners sentenced to die for their crimes.

 He said he had "no regrets" about stopping executions and ordering a sweeping review of the state system.

 "I have not studied the federal system but I do know, especially after September 11, that the United States must be a model for the rest of the world. And that means our justice system should be the glowing example for the pursuit of truth and justice. It must be fair and compassionate."

 While Ryan testified via a video hookup from his state, 3 men who had been freed from death row sat in the hearing room.

 Ray Krone served 10 years in Arizona before DNA tests set him free. Kirk Bloodsworth served 9 years in Maryland for a rape and murder he did not commit. Juan Melendez spent nearly 20 years on Florida's death row before a court freed him, citing a lack of evidence and the prosecution's failure to give the defense critical evidence.

 At least 101 people have been released from death row since the U.S. death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Other witnesses on the panel said the releases demonstrated that the system works and the innocent do not get executed.

 Others said some of those who have been released were freed on technicalities or procedural errors, and may well have committed the crimes of which they were accused.

 "I have mercy but I don't have it for the killers," said Druanne White, a South Carolina prosecutor.

Ryan praised as a hero for death penalty stand

June 13  2002

By Mike Dorning

Stepping away briefly from the criticism at home and the task of dealing with budget cuts, Gov. George Ryan was the focus of some praise as he testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on sweeping reforms he supports for Illinois' death penalty system.U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (news, bio, voting record) (D-Wis.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee  Subcommittee on the Constitution, called Ryan a heroic figure and offered as a national model the commission Ryan appointed to propose reforms in the state's capital punishment system."There's no question in my mind that there will be significant changes in the death penalty system in America," Feingold said. "And when someone writes the history ... the most important name will be Gov. George Ryan."After a grueling Illinois legislative session on budget cuts that lasted late into the previous evening, Ryan had to change his plans at the last minute and testified through a live video feed from Springfield. He described the 85 recommendations his commission has proposed to address flaws in the state's death penalty system.