ILLINOIS; DEATH PENALTY: WILL GOVERNOR QUINN SIGN THE BILL? FLORIDA CRIMINAL LAWYER TERRY LENAMON THINKS...NO!

"Illinois is in dire financial straits, and this week Governor Quinn already okayed a massive increase in state income taxes. You can imagine that the folk of Illinois are none too pleased about this decision - no matter if state legislators believe they had no option what with a budget over $15 billion in the red and bills setting there for six months, unpaid.

Governors are politicians. On the heels of this unpopular tax decision, will Quinn be proactive enough to sign the controversial death penalty bill into law?

We're voting no. The easier road is to keep the status quo, capital punishment-wise, and then hold fast to the moratorium against executions that has been in place for Illinois these many years."

FROM FLORIDA CRIMINAL LAWYER TERRY LENAMON'S DEATH PENALTY BLOG; From Terry Lenamon's "death penalty Blog,': "Terence M. Lenamon is a Florida Bar certified expert in the area of criminal trial law. With over 17 years experience and more than 100 jury trials under his belt, Mr. Lenamon has built a reputation as one of Florida’s most respected criminal defense lawyers. His skilled, high-quality defense has been sought by many high-profile clients including Ceasar Mena and Casey Anthony and has led him through 20 first-degree murder trials and eight death penalty cases. That experience has brought him national recognition as a go-to commentator on death penalty issues."

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"On Tuesday, the Illinois State Senate sent a bill to the governor's desk which will abolish the death penalty in that state ... if Governor Pat Quinn will sign it," Illinois criminal lawyer Terry Lenamon's 13 January, 2011 post begins, under the heading, "Will Governor Pat Quinn End Capital Punishment in Illinois? We'll Soon Know."

"Problem is, Governor Pat Quinn supports capital punishment," the post continues.

"The next day, instead of signing the bill into law, Governor Quinn reported that he would listen to every argument - as well as his own conscience - before deciding what to do.

However, he has acknowledged that Illinois has a history of "serious problems" with the death penalty, and that if efforts had not been undertaken to clear the names of innocents who had been convicted in Illinois courts, that "terrible tragedies" could have occurred.

As we've discussed here often, money seems to be a growing factor in these debates.

Progress Illinois interviewed Rob Warden, the executive director of the Center for Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University's Law School, reports that over the past decade Illinois has spent $120,000,000 from the Illinois Capital Litigation Trust Fund on a total of 20 capital cases.

Under the proposed legislation, these monies would go towards police training and funds supporting the families of homicide victims. Warden's position to Progress Illinois: "I can't imagine how any fiscally conservative person can favor this system."

Many still want to have capital punishment as an option.

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has put his two cents worth into the fray: he's told the press that he's all for the death penalty. The Gallup Poll is being referenced often, with its numbers showing that the majority of Americans approve of the death penalty -- and there's also the point being made that the majority of states do allow for capital punishment (as does the federal system and the U.S. Military).

Some are pushing Illinois as being an example for the country on what to do about the death penalty, suggesting that other states will follow Illinois' lead should Governor Quinn sign this bill into law.

However, this may or may not be the case. Illinois is in dire financial straits, and this week Governor Quinn already okayed a massive increase in state income taxes. You can imagine that the folk of Illinois are none too pleased about this decision - no matter if state legislators believe they had no option what with a budget over $15 billion in the red and bills setting there for six months, unpaid.

Governors are politicians. On the heels of this unpopular tax decision, will Quinn be proactive enough to sign the controversial death penalty bill into law?

We're voting no. The easier road is to keep the status quo, capital punishment-wise, and then hold fast to the moratorium against executions that has been in place for Illinois these many years."

The post can be found at:

http://www.deathpenaltyblog.com/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be accessed at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

For a breakdown of some of the cases, issues and controversies this Blog is currently following, please turn to:

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=120008354894645705&postID=8369513443994476774

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;