Quinn Signs Law, Abolishes Death Penalty

Gov. Quinn abolished the death penalty Wednesday, calling it “the most difficult decision” he has made as governor.

After conferring with former prosecutors and judges, Quinn said he is convinced "that it is impossible to devise a system that is consistent, that is free of discrimination on the basis of race, geography or economic circumstance, and that always gets it right."

Since 1977, a total of 12 convicts were executed in Illinois, until former Governor George Ryan declared a moratorium of all executions in 2000, amid reports of numerous wrongful convictions. 

Of the 298 men and women sentenced to death in Illinois since 1977, 20 people were proven to be innocent and released from prison, according to Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions.

Northwestern's innocence project, founded in 1998, helped proved the innocence of 13 death sentence convicts in Illinois, including the celebrated case of Rolando Cruz and Alejandro Hernandez.

Cruz and Hernandez were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico in DuPage County. 

Shortly before his term ended, Governor Ryan pardoned in 2003, four men on death row, and commuted to life in prison, or lesser sentences, all those facing death penalty.  

The law takes effect on July and is not retroactive. Thus the 15 current convictions and future convictions before July 1, 2011 are not covered. Commutation of these sentences are in the hands of Governor Quinn. 

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who opposed the abolition of the law, had said the that death penalty is "an appropriate punishment" for "heinous" crimes and in cases" where there have been multiple murders."

During the previous legislative term last January, the Illinois House voted narrowly to abolish death penalty.  The Illinois Senate followed. 

With the abolition of the law, Illinois becomes the 16th state to ban death penalty, joining other states like New York, New Jersey and New Mexico.

The U.S. capital Washington D.C. also bans death penalty. The penalty is declared lawful in 34 other states, including California, Texas and Florida.