Supreme Court backs ex-governor’s commutation of death sentences

THE Illinois Supreme Court ruled yesterday that former Governor George Ryan had the power to commute the sentences of every Illinois death row inmate before he left office last year.

The Republican governor commuted the sentences of 167 inmates and pardoned four others, acting three years after he temporarily halted all executions in Illinois.

The state attorney general challenged Mr Ryan’s constitutional authority in 32 of the cases, arguing that 21 of the inmates hadn’t sought clemency as required by state law and 14 didn’t have death sentences at the time because their cases were being appealed. Three inmates fell into both categories.