The governor of Illinois lifted the death sentences of 167 death row inmates yesterday, in an "historic" blanket commutation which could have far-reaching implications for other US states, observers said.
Given the state's "shameful" track record of miscarriages of justice, and the possibility that more innocent people might be sitting on death row, Governor George Ryan said he felt he had no option but to commute the 167 sentences to life without the possibilty of parole.
"Our capital system is haunted by the demon of error - error in determining guilt, and error in determining who among the guilty deserves to die. Because of all of these reasons today I am commuting the sentences of all death row inmates."
Illinois has exonerated 17 people since the state re-instated the death penalty in 1977 - more than any other US state except Florida.
Half of the 300 capital cases in the state have been reversed for a new trial or resentencing.
In one case a man who was eventually cleared of two murders came within 48 hours of being put to death. Anthony Porter was freed after a group of enterprising journalism students working with a private eye tracked down the real killer, who subsequently confessed.
Four others, who were exonerated earlier this week, claimed - independently of each other - that they had been framed by police who tortured them into making false confessions.
Aaron Patterson, Madison Hobley, Stanley Howard and Leroy Orange served nearly 60 years behind bars before their names were cleared.
But it was the staggeringly inconsistent application of the death penalty throughout the state and the failure of Illinois lawmakers to act on proposed reforms that ultimately persuaded the outgoing governor that he must act, Mr Ryan told an audience at Chicago's Northwestern University.
"The facts I have seen in reviewing each and every one of these cases raised questions not only about the innocence of people on death row, but about the fairness of the death penalty system as a whole."
AFP