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Illinois death penalty abolition reflects trend away from capital punishment

By Edward SanFilippo

Courtney Minick [Board Member, Death Penalty Focus]: "Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill to ban the use of the death penalty in Illinois. The state has been wrestling with the issue of capital punishment for over ten years. Senate Bill 3539 was passed in both houses of the Illinois legislature, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle voting in favor of abolition. It reflects a growing attitude nationwide that the death penalty is wasteful, flawed, and outmoded. This ban has been a long time in the making. In 2000, the Republican governor of the state, George Ryan, placed a moratorium on executions. He followed the recommendation of the

Full post as published by JURIST - Hotline on March 30, 2011 (boomark / email).