The legacy of former Illinois Governor George Ryan will be difficult to determine. During his four-year term, Ryan switched from staunchly supporting capital punishment to become a key advocate of death penalty reform. Adding to this transformation was his announcement last weekend that he would empty Illinois’ death row. This surprising action from the conservative ex-governor is a gesture that should be applauded, and will hopefully inspire more people to question the fairness of capital punishment in the United States.
Ryan began his close look at the death penalty in 2000 with his establishment of a moratorium on executions. His decision was made in the wake of the discovery of new evidence that proved several Illinois death row inmates innocent. One of these discoveries was made just hours before an execution.
The case of Anthony Porter exemplifies the problems that led Ryan to take such drastic action. Porter, who was eventually proven innocent, was granted clemency just 50 hours before his scheduled execution. Porter was eventually set free and the charges dropped.
This case was one example of the problems that Ryan encountered during his term. The Illinois system was plagued with inconsistencies. Defendants in rural areas were five times more likely to receive a death sentence than in urban areas. A case with a white victim was three and a half times more likely to result in a death sentence than one with a black victim. Capital sentences were also issued three and a half times more often when the victim was female. Also, it was revealed that in many cases, the defense lawyers were less than competent and lacked experience in capital cases. Since 1977, Illinois courts have found that 13 condemned men were wrongly convicted. Twelve were executed before their innocence was established.
It is impossible to know Ryan’s true motives. Ryan’s term was filled with controversy, beginning with a licenses-for-bribes scandal and ending with this stunning announcement. However, it is clear that Ryan had witnessed the troubles of an unfair and unjust system. Based on the trends seen in Illinois, Ryan’s decision to grant clemency has most likely spared the lives of several innocent people.
The path taken by Ryan in Illinois should serve as an example to other states. Whatever the claimed benefits of capital punishment are, they will always be outweighed by the blood of the innocent. Ryan has taken a step toward significant death penalty reform that we can only hope others will follow.
