Chicago Tribune link

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C'mon, Shannon, be a good poster and give us the story without having to register. Not all of us love spam.

I would, but it's too long. It's an article about the Illinois death row inmates who had their sentences commuted by Gov. Ryan. Here's something to whet your appetite:

"I'd rather be on Death Row and die for what I didn't do than spend the rest of my life in prison," said Ronald Kliner, who is in Stateville Correctional Center but maintains he is innocent of a 1988 murder for hire of Dana Rinaldi.

"I'm 42 years old and I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life in prison," he said. "I liked the finality of execution. People will say it's crazy, but you can't understand if you're not in my shoes."

John, just give 'em a creative fake name and email and go from there ...

Wonder if they will follow up on Mr. Burdine in a few weeks to see how he feels about being in the General Population?

I thought they were going for death again on Burdine? Did it not happen?

No, according to the newspaper, Burdine pled guilty and was sentenced to 3 life sentences.

Just read it. Need to save it for when the defense lawyers and anti death penalty folks start whining about why they need life without parole next session.

I tried signing up on the Tribune's website and couldn't get it to work. I guess they can't run a newspaper either up there.

The Burdine article mentions that no one has been paroled for a capital life sentence since the reinstatement of the death penalty in '82. Is that an accurate statement? Who could verify it? The Parole Board?

The public should know that it's more than a matter of the possibility of "simply" making parole on a capital life sentence. If a defendant's future dangerousness is at issue, folks should consider the opportunities to be dangerous behind the bars. It's rare to hear about capital lifers who have killed inside the penitentiary, assaulted other inmates and guards, escaped, etc.

The press, the defense and that other bunch, you know who you are, always leave the issue at the front gate. There is another segment of society, potential victims, on the other side of the fences.

Mike, re your post -- There is information out there, but there are also pundits who don't want it shared.

Does anyone recall being "informed" by the news folks that there were five convicted capital murderers doing life who paroled in 1991? Did you know that three of those parolees were revoked for assaultive/violent offenses? (*Source: Executive Services, Texas Dept of Criminal Justice, letter dated 4-5-2001.

Not to throw a wet blanket, but ... John R., there are a significant number of prosecutors out there who believe that life without parole would be a good option. We are not death penalty opponents and I hope we are not considered "whiners" by those of you who do not support it. Can't we have differing opinions on this issue within our ranks without being considered the enemy?

I take what prosecutors have to say about this topic seriously. I did not say I was saving it for when fellow prosecutors lobby for LWOP, but the defense lawyers and antis.

That's what I thought. I also do not appreciate opinions from people who use LWOP as a smoke screen for abolition. If they want LWOP only as an attack on the death penalty they should be honest enough to say so.

Texas death row appeals rejected by Supreme Court
Both men had been convicted of murdering Fort Worth residents.
By Michael Graczyk
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

HUNTSVILLE � A convicted rapist paroled in Ohio and then condemned for the robbery and strangulation of his 64-year-old stepmother in Texas lost an appeal Tuesday before the U.S. Supreme Court, moving him closer to execution


Details.

In a press release today, WC DA John Bradley said he's asking the public and local police chiefs to write letters to the state parole board to block James Otis Clary's possible release.


Details.

He had been eligible for parole since 1997 - but now, despite five rejections, he held onto a glimmer of hope that he might just get that second chance.

And then he got word that his name made the list of those to be paroled in July once he became the first capital murderer to complete a pre-release program at aChristian prison in Sugar Land. Founded in 1997, the unit requires inmates who volunteer to go there to attend Bible studies as well as learn about life skills and substance abuse.

He had barely squeaked past with the necessary five of seven votes from the state's parole board. Harris County prosecutors sent a letter of protest based on the "sheer brutality of the crime."

Details.

[My bet is that something will happen to those with LWOP eventually to result in their release, too. There is no LWOP.

Still, 30 years flat in prison is a long, long time. While I am skeptical of the inmate's ability to adapt to a free society after such a long period of confinement, if the Parole Board is to have the discretion to grant parole, we must expect that there are cases in which it will happen.

So, how does one examine the mind of an inmate to identify true reform after so long?]

[This message was edited by JB on 09-13-09 at .]