State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_HR0121

                                               LRB9005564RCks
 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION
 2        WHEREAS, The  Illinois  House  of  Representatives  takes
 3    notice  that  judicial  proceedings  have established that at
 4    least nine innocent persons have been convicted of murder and
 5    sentenced to death under Illinois' current death penalty law;
 6    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, Statistical evidence  demonstrates  that  racial
17    bias  continues  to  have  an  impact on which defendants are
18    chosen  to  face  capital  charges,  and   which   defendants
19    ultimately receive a sentence of death; and
20        WHEREAS,  Illinois'  death row has the highest percentage
21    of minority inmates in the United States; and
22        WHEREAS, The income and resources of the  defendant  also
23    play  a  significant role in the death sentencing process, as
24    evidenced  by  the  disproportionate  number  of   poor   and
25    low-income persons on death row; and
26        WHEREAS,  Illinois  has  consistently  failed  to provide
27    adequate resources to ensure satisfactory representation  for
28    defendants  in  capital  cases, resulting in the inability of
29    overburdened, often unskilled, attorneys to mount an adequate
30    defense; and
                            -2-                LRB9005564RCks
 1        WHEREAS, With each new revelation  of  error,  misconduct
 2    and  discrimination  the  death  penalty process continues to
 3    erode public confidence in our criminal justice system; and
 4        WHEREAS,  Corruption  and  prejudice  employed   in   the
 5    administration of justice undermines the very foundation upon
 6    which the United States of America was built; and
 7        WHEREAS,  In order for the State to protect its moral and
 8    ethical integrity, the State must  ensure  a  justice  system
 9    which is impartial and uncorrupted; and
10        WHEREAS,  The  execution  of  an  innocent  person by the
11    People of  the  State  of  Illinois  would  be  a  grave  and
12    irreversible injustice; therefore, be it
13        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
14    NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the
15    House  of  Representatives  does  establish  an  independent,
16    non-partisan Commission on the death  penalty  to  study  all
17    aspects  of  the  death  penalty as currently administered in
18    Illinois; and be it further
19        RESOLVED, That the Commission on the Death Penalty, which
20    shall serve without compensation, be comprised of 10 members;
21    4 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 4
22    appointed by the House Minority Leader; the  State  Appellate
23    Defender  or  his  designee;  and  the  Attorney  General  of
24    Illinois or his designee; and be it further
25        RESOLVED,  That  the Commission on the Death Penalty hold
26    public hearings and call before it witnesses  to  testify  on
27    issues relevant to the administration of the death penalty in
28    Illinois; and be it further
29        RESOLVED,  That  the Commission shall report its findings
30    and recommendations regarding the  death  penalty,  including
31    remedies for any deficiencies found by the Commission, to the
                            -3-                LRB9005564RCks
 1    Governor,  members  of  the House of Representatives, and the
 2    Illinois Supreme Court, by June 30, 1998; and be it further
 3        RESOLVED, That  the  Illinois  House  of  Representatives
 4    urges  the  Governor  to  exercise  his  authority  to  grant
 5    temporary  reprieves  under  Article  V,  Section  12  of the
 6    Illinois Constitution, and institute  an  immediate  halt  to
 7    executions  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  that  such  a
 8    moratorium   on   executions   remain  in  effect  until  the
 9    Commission has issued its findings and  recommendations,  and
10    until  any  necessary  reforms  in  the administration of the
11    death penalty are implemented; and be it further
12        RESOLVED, That the House of  Representatives  calls  upon
13    the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois  to  exercise  its judicial
14    discretion under Supreme Court  Rule  613  and  refrain  from
15    setting  any  execution dates until the Commission has issued
16    its findings and recommendations, and until necessary reforms
17    in the administration of the death penalty  are  implemented;
18    and be it further
19        RESOLVED,  That  the  House of Representatives calls upon
20    the  Illinois  Senate  to  consider  and  adopt   a   similar
21    resolution; and be it further
22        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of  this preamble and
23    resolution be presented to the Governor, the Chief Justice of
24    the Illinois Supreme Court, the State Appellate Defender, the
25    Illinois Attorney General, and the President of the  Illinois
26    Senate.

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