Illinois modifies death penalty

[Judi Lynn]

Illinois modifies death penalty
By The Associated Press
November 20, 2003

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Nearly four years after the release of several wrongly condemned prisoners led to a moratorium on executions, legislators Wednesday overhauled the state's death penalty system to reduce the risk of executing an innocent person.

The state House, in a 115-0 vote, approved a series of changes to a system that led to at least 17 wrongful convictions.

The vote, an override of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's veto, makes the measure law immediately because the Senate overrode the veto earlier this month.

Among other things, the legislation gives the Illinois Supreme Court greater power to throw out unjust verdicts, gives defendants more access to evidence and bars the death penalty in cases hinging on a single witness. Also, there will no executions of mentally retarded people. (snip/...)

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/nation_and_world/article/0,1426,MCA_454_2441837,00.html