093_SR0040 LRB09308642RLC08870r 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, Recommendation No. 57 was among the Commission's 25 recommendations and provided that the Committee of the 26 Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions-Criminal should consider a 27 jury instruction providing a special caution with respect to 28 the reliability of the testimony of in-custody informants and 29 that this instruction be adopted by the Illinois Supreme 30 Court; and 31 WHEREAS, Section 16 of Article VI of the Illinois 32 Constitution vests general administrative and supervisory -2- LRB09308642RLC08870r 1 authority over all courts in the Supreme Court of Illinois; 2 and 3 WHEREAS, In accordance with this authority, the Illinois 4 Supreme Court has adopted rules governing trial procedure in 5 criminal cases; and 6 WHEREAS, The adoption of Commission Recommendation No. 57 7 by the Illinois Supreme Court would serve the best interests 8 of the Illinois criminal justice system; therefore, be it 9 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL 10 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois 11 Supreme Court to adopt Recommendation No. 57 of the 12 Governor's Commission On Capital Punishment; and be it 13 further 14 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be 15 presented to the Honorable Mary Ann McMorrow, Chief Justice 16 of the Illinois Supreme Court.