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91_HR0060enr
HR0060 Enrolled LRB9104922RCks
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 60
2 WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives takes
3 notice that judicial proceedings have established that at
4 least eleven innocent persons have been convicted of murder
5 and sentenced to death under Illinois' current death penalty
6 law; and
7 WHEREAS, Serious allegations of wrongdoing have led to
8 grand jury indictments charging local police and prosecutors
9 with official misconduct and perjury in connection with the
10 investigation and prosecution of one such capital case; and
11 WHEREAS, The federal racketeering conviction of one
12 Illinois State court judge, proven to have taken a bribe in
13 at least one capital case and possibly others, has led to a
14 new trial for the defendants in one such capital case and to
15 review by the United States Supreme Court in another; and
16 WHEREAS, It is imperative that the citizenry of the State
17 of Illinois have confidence in the fairness and truthful
18 application of law, especially in capital cases; and
19 WHEREAS, In order for the State to protect its moral and
20 ethical integrity, the State must ensure a justice system
21 which is impartial and uncorrupted; and
22 WHEREAS, The execution of an innocent person by the
23 People of the State of Illinois would be a grave and
24 irreversible injustice; therefore, be it
25 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
26 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
27 the House of Representatives does establish an independent,
28 non-partisan Task Force on the Death Penalty to study all
29 aspects of the death penalty as currently administered in
30 Illinois and not its abolition; and be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That the Task Force on the Death Penalty, which
2 shall serve without compensation, shall be comprised of 12
3 members; 4 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
4 Representatives; 4 shall be appointed by the House Minority
5 Leader; 2 shall be appointed by the State Appellate Defender
6 or his designee; one shall be appointed by the Attorney
7 General of Illinois or his designee; and one shall be
8 appointed by the Director of the Office of the State's
9 Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the Task Force on the Death Penalty shall
11 hold public hearings and call before it witnesses to testify
12 on issues relevant to the administration of the death penalty
13 in Illinois; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings
15 and recommendations regarding the death penalty, including
16 remedies for any deficiencies, if any, found by the Task
17 Force, to the Governor, members of the House of
18 Representatives, and the Illinois Supreme Court, no later
19 than 6 months after the date of the adoption of this
20 Resolution; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the Illinois House of Representatives
22 urges the Governor to exercise his authority to grant
23 temporary reprieves under Article V, Section 12 of the
24 Illinois Constitution, and institute an immediate halt to
25 executions in the State of Illinois, and that such a
26 moratorium on executions remain in effect until the Task
27 Force has issued its findings and recommendations, but in any
28 event, no later than 6 months after the adoption of this
29 Resolution; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives calls upon
31 the Supreme Court of Illinois to exercise its judicial
32 discretion under Supreme Court Rule 613 and refrain from
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1 setting any execution dates until the Task Force has issued
2 its findings and recommendations, but in any event, no later
3 than 6 months after the adoption of this Resolution; and be
4 it further
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives calls upon
6 the Illinois Senate to consider and adopt a similar
7 resolution; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and
9 resolution shall be presented to the Governor, the Chief
10 Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, the State Appellate
11 Defender, the Illinois Attorney General, the Director of the
12 Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, and the
13 President of the Illinois Senate.
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