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March 10, 2011

Illinois Abolishes Death Penalty 
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Illinois has become the first state to abolish the death penalty since
2009. On Wednesday, Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation ending capital
punishment after two months of deliberation.

Gov. Patt Quinn: "It is impossible to create a perfect system, one that
is free of all mistakes, free of all discrimination with respect to race
or economic circumstance or geography. To have a consistent, perfect
death penalty system I have concluded after looking at everything I've
been given that it's impossible in our state. I think it's the right and
just thing to abolish the death penalty."

Quinn has commuted the death sentences of all fifteen Illinois prisoners
on death row, giving them life in prison with no chance of parole.
Executions had been halted in Illinois since a January 2000 moratorium
that followed revelations of the innocence of at least 20 death row
prisoners.



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