Illinois Likely to End Death Penalty

The Illinois state Senate voted to do away with the death penalty on Tuesday, handing the measure to Governor Pat Quinn for approval. The state has not executed anyone for more than ten years, after a series of revelations that over a dozen innocent people had been falsely declared guilty and sentenced to death prompted former Republican Governor George Ryan to institute a moratorium. Governor Quinn's spokeswoman said he will review the Senate's legislation once he receives it. According to local media reports, Quinn supports the death penalty in theory for the most despicable crimes, but supports keeping Governor Ryan's moratorium in place. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have already done away with capital punishment.