7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
The Future of the Death Penalty in IL
(IRN)-The arguments haven't changed, but an attempt to formally abolish Illinois' death penalty is advancing in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Prosecutors, a victim's loved one, and an exonerated inmate were among those sharing their views from the witness stand at a House committee hearing Tuesday morning.

Cathy Crino, whose sister was murdered, says if the death penalty is reserved for "the worst of the worst," what does that say to families whose loved one's killer is not given the death penalty? And Randy Steidl, who was on Death Row for a crime he did not commit, says death is actually a release for the condemned men and women.

Kevin Lyons, the Peoria County state's attorney, said without a death penalty, "What do you do with Andrew Kokoraleis, who, when he murdered his women victims, took piano wire, severed off their breast, and had sex in the wound? What do you do with him?"

Kokoraleis was the last prisoner executed in Illinois, in 1999.

Opponents of the measure criticized the controlling Democrats for hustling the measure through toward the end of the fall Veto Session and limiting the amount of time witnesses could speak.

S.B. 3539 has passed the House Judiciary II (Criminal) Committee.

(Illinois Radio Network)
11 30 10 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.