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HR0786 |
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LRB093 21680 RLC 49345 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The General Assembly enacted the Capital Crimes |
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| Litigation Act, Public Act 91-589, effective January 1, 2000; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, That Act created the Capital Litigation Trust |
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| Fund; and
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| WHEREAS, Moneys in the Capital Litigation Trust Fund are |
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| used to provide funding for the prosecution and defense of |
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| capital cases; and
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| WHEREAS, The Capital Crimes Litigation Act provides few |
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| safeguards to prevent excessive requests for moneys from the |
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| Capital Litigation Trust Fund by defense counsel appointed to |
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| represent indigent defendants in capital cases; and
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| WHEREAS, There are several credible allegations of misuse |
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| of moneys from the Fund; and
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| WHEREAS, One of the most outrageous examples of alleged |
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| abuse is the Cecil Sutherland case; and
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| WHEREAS, In that case Sutherland's defense counsel has been |
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| paid $612,463 from the Fund and the counsel's investigator has |
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| been paid $420,715 from the the Fund; and
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| WHEREAS, These expenditures are considered outrageous by |
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| reasonable members of the trial bar; and
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| WHEREAS, The Attorney General as the chief legal officer of |
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| this State should investigate whether counsel appointed to |
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| represent indigent defendants in capital cases are making |
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| requests for outlandish sums of money from the Capital |
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| Litigation Trust Fund; therefore, be it
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