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91_HR0060ham001
LRB9104922RCksam02
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 60
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Resolution 60, on page
3 1, by replacing lines 2 through 30 and by replacing all of
4 pages 2 and 3 with the following:
5 "WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives takes
6 notice that judicial proceedings have established that at
7 least eleven innocent persons have been convicted of murder
8 and sentenced to death under Illinois' current death penalty
9 law; and
10 WHEREAS, Serious allegations of wrongdoing have led to
11 grand jury indictments charging local police and prosecutors
12 with official misconduct and perjury in connection with the
13 investigation and prosecution of one such capital case; and
14 WHEREAS, The federal racketeering conviction of one
15 Illinois State court judge, proven to have taken a bribe in
16 at least one capital case and possibly others, has led to a
17 new trial for the defendants in one such capital case and to
18 review by the United States Supreme Court in another; and
19 WHEREAS, It is imperative that the citizenry of the State
20 of Illinois have confidence in the fairness and truthful
21 application of law, especially in capital cases; and
-2- LRB9104922RCksam02
1 WHEREAS, In order for the State to protect its moral and
2 ethical integrity, the State must ensure a justice system
3 which is impartial and uncorrupted; and
4 WHEREAS, The execution of an innocent person by the
5 People of the State of Illinois would be a grave and
6 irreversible injustice; therefore, be it
7 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9 the House of Representatives does establish an independent,
10 non-partisan Task Force on the Death Penalty to study all
11 aspects of the death penalty as currently administered in
12 Illinois and not its abolition; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the Task Force on the Death Penalty, which
14 shall serve without compensation, shall be comprised of 12
15 members; 4 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
16 Representatives; 4 shall be appointed by the House Minority
17 Leader; 2 shall be appointed by the State Appellate Defender
18 or his designee; one shall be appointed by the Attorney
19 General of Illinois or his designee; and one shall be
20 appointed by the Director of the Office of the State's
21 Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That the Task Force on the Death Penalty shall
23 hold public hearings and call before it witnesses to testify
24 on issues relevant to the administration of the death penalty
25 in Illinois; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings
27 and recommendations regarding the death penalty, including
28 remedies for any deficiencies, if any, found by the Task
29 Force, to the Governor, members of the House of
30 Representatives, and the Illinois Supreme Court, no later
31 than 6 months after the date of the adoption of this
32 Resolution; and be it further
-3- LRB9104922RCksam02
1 RESOLVED, That the Illinois House of Representatives
2 urges the Governor to exercise his authority to grant
3 temporary reprieves under Article V, Section 12 of the
4 Illinois Constitution, and institute an immediate halt to
5 executions in the State of Illinois, and that such a
6 moratorium on executions remain in effect until the Task
7 Force has issued its findings and recommendations, but in any
8 event, no later than 6 months after the adoption of this
9 Resolution; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives calls upon
11 the Supreme Court of Illinois to exercise its judicial
12 discretion under Supreme Court Rule 613 and refrain from
13 setting any execution dates until the Task Force has issued
14 its findings and recommendations, but in any event, no later
15 than 6 months after the adoption of this Resolution; and be
16 it further
17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives calls upon
18 the Illinois Senate to consider and adopt a similar
19 resolution; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and
21 resolution shall be presented to the Governor, the Chief
22 Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, the State Appellate
23 Defender, the Illinois Attorney General, the Director of the
24 Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, and the
25 President of the Illinois Senate.".