States review death penalty

Christian Century, April 5, 2000

After suspending executions in his state pending further study of the death penalty, Illinois Governor George Ryan appointed a panel on March 9 to examine why more death sentences have been overturned than carried out in his state. Ryan, a Republican and death penalty supporter, halted executions in January after state records showed the state has executed 12 death row inmates since 1977, while 13 have been released. A broad spectrum of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders have called on President Clinton and Congress to follow Ryan's lead and impose a moratorium on federal death sentences. Clinton so far has refused to do so.

"Until I can be sure that anyone sentenced to death in Illinois is guilty and until I can be sure with moral certainty that no innocent man or woman is facing a lethal injection, nobody will meet that fate," Ryan said. Ryan named former federal judge Frank McGarr to head the panel. Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon and former U.S. Attorney Thomas Sullivan will cochair the commission. A similar committee has been set up in Indiana, although Governor Frank O'Bannon has not suspended executions.

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted March 9 to abolish the Granite State's death penalty, even though the state currently has no prisoners on death row and hasn't executed an inmate since 1939. Death penalty supporters in New Hampshire say the state can use the death penalty as a bargaining tool to prompt plea bargains for life sentences, even though the state rarely uses capital punishment. The bill now moves to the state senate, but Governor Jeanne Shaheen has vowed to veto the measure.