Abolition of Capital Punishment in IL

I do support the death penalty, but after studying and research I have learned that it is not always fair in practice.  I wish that reforms could be made to keep the death penalty, but the justice system is so intricate that it would be very difficult. In Illinois, the concern is whether justice is being upheld with capital punishment. After re-evaluating several times, Governor Ryan believed that abolishing the death penalty would benefit the state and help uphold justice in the court. The execution of innocent people was reaching new heights and the sentences were becoming disproportionate.

I believe the driving force in the abolition of the death penalty was that the execution of innocent people was becoming an enormous flaw in the nation, even in Illinois. Steve Mill pointed out that each time a death row inmate was exonerated, the police and prosecution insisted that it was a rare occurrence. However, the facts show that these wrongful convictions weren't just isolated incidents. Michigan State University and the Death Penalty Information center shared that for every seven people executed, one is innocent and still executed. This is unbelievable! This shows that the flaw in the justice system is too large to fix with reforms. And until the flaw is fixed, innocent lives would be taken away. Northwestern professors and students were able to prove with DNA testing that seventeen death row inmates were innocent. The fact that the justice system didn't catch their mistake and Northwestern did is disturbing. People outside of the case and state courts were able to prove seventeen peoples' innocence. Governor Ryan was appalled and asked for explanations, but no one was able to give him any. The lives of innocent persons in Illinois has been threatened by the justice system, therefore I do support Governor Ryan's choice in abolishing the death penalty.

Further supporting the abolishment of capital punishment is the proportionality and distribution of it. There are many outside factors that show that the system is flawed. First, multiple sources have hared that a person is more likely to recieve the death penalty if the victim is white. Race still permeates through the justice system today, which is not professional or fair.  Governor Ryan also shared how there are geographical disparities within Illinois; "you are five times more likely to get a death sentence for first degree murder in the rural area of Illinois than you are in Cook County." Proportionality is an important problem in the system. Aside from geographical proportionality, there is disproportional sentences. For example, there may be two cases with the same circumstances and one person might get forty years in prison in one county, while the other is sentenced to death in another county. Also, Illinois has had cases of co-defendants that are equally or even more culpable and are sentenced to a term of years, while another that is less culpable defendant is put on death row. This situation was evident in the Juan Garza case that I presented to the class. Manuel Flores was found guilty for murdering two persons, while the court only had proof of one murder by Garza. Flores was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Garza was put to death. Why? The court had evidence that Flores killed two people, and that Garza killed one. Here, along with many other cases, the death penalty is not applied justly or evenly. To prevent further cases like that of Garza's Governor Ryan made a good decision in abolishing the death penalty.

I guess all states should follow Governor Ryan's decision to save lives and uphold justice within the nation. He stated, "Our capital system is haunted by the demon of error - error in determining guilt, and error in determining who among the guilty deserves to die. Because of all of these reasons today I am commuting the sentences of all death row inmates." He couldn't have put it any better. The error is too big for it to be fixed. Yet, there are always those that believe Governor Ryan made a mistake because it deters crime, gives closure to families, and is a fair punishment. All of these arguments are wrong. According to the American Civil Liberties Union 2011,  a survey showed that the death penalty was ranked lowest nationally among all ways to reduce violent crime. The death penalty in a way also just provides families with revenge. Capital punishment can be seen as the most premeditated of murders. I completely support Governor Ryan's decision regarding the death penalty, for lives will be saved and justice will be renewed.