093_SR0018
LRB093 03759 RLC 03794 r
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, On May 4, 2000, the Governor of the State of
3 Illinois issued Executive Order No. 4 that created the
4 Governor's Commission On Capital Punishment; and
5 WHEREAS, The duties of the Commission were: (1) to study
6 and review the administration of the capital punishment
7 process in Illinois to determine why that process has failed
8 in the past, resulting in the imposition of death sentences
9 upon innocent people; (2) to examine ways of providing
10 safeguards and making improvements in the way law enforcement
11 and the criminal justice system carry out their
12 responsibilities in the death penalty process--from
13 investigation through trial, judicial appeal, and executive
14 review; (3) to consider, among other things, the ultimate
15 findings and final recommendations of the House Death Penalty
16 Task Force and the Special Supreme Court Committee on Capital
17 Cases and determine the effect these recommendations may have
18 on the capital punishment process; and (4) to make any
19 recommendations and proposals designed to further ensure that
20 the application and administration of the death penalty in
21 Illinois is just, fair and accurate; and
22 WHEREAS, In April 2002, the Commission issued its
23 recommendations; and
24 WHEREAS, Among the Commission's recommendations was
25 Recommendation No. 37 that provided that the Illinois Supreme
26 Court should consider ways in which information regarding
27 relevant case law and other resources can be widely
28 disseminated to those trying capital cases, through the
29 development of a digest of applicable law by the Supreme
30 Court and wider publication of the outline of issues
31 developed by the State Appellate Defender or the State
32 Appellate Prosecutor and/or the Attorney General; and
-2- LRB093 03759 RLC 03794 r
1 WHEREAS, Section 16 of Article VI of the Illinois
2 Constitution vests general administrative and supervisory
3 authority over all courts in the Supreme Court of Illinois;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, The adoption of Commission Recommendation No. 37
6 by the Illinois Supreme Court would serve the best interests
7 of the Illinois criminal justice system; therefore, be it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
9 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois
10 Supreme Court to adopt Recommendation No. 37 of the
11 Governor's Commission On Capital Punishment; and be it
12 further
13 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be
14 presented to the Honorable Mary Ann McMorrow, Chief Justice
15 of the Illinois Supreme Court.