Death Penalty in Illinois Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Death Penalty in Illinois - Essay Example The main problem revolves around inconclusive evidence, which is used in criminal cases (Adriane de Vogue, ‘Illinois abolishes death penalty’). The history of the death penalty system in Illinois has illustrated that the death penalty system does not apply factual evidence that can prove an individual is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. A number of cases have proven that individuals are convicted yet the evidence provided is not conclusive, and upon further investigation, several innocent individuals are sentenced to death-row. (Long, ‘Illinois death penalty ban kicks in’) After 11 years of the application of the death sentence in the state, in 2000, George Ryan ordered suspension of death sentences, for fear of executing innocent individuals. As a supporter of the death penalty, Ryan had to change his ideology on the death penalty, because he was concerned at the number of inmates that were exonerated from the death penalty. It was clear that the problem of the death sentence was the way it was operated or utilized. In 1991, Jermain Marlow Wright was convicted for the murder of a liquor store clerk Phillip Seifert. Upon review on 3 January 2012, Delaware court judge John A. Parkins was left speechless at Wright’s conviction. ... He was convicted in 1988 for the rape of a six-month-old child (Chloe Britt), while she was in her care. A pathologist as well as the police, testified that the child was brutally raped and ripped from one end to the other. However, upon further review of the case, it was revealed that Chloe was never sexually abused, but she died from a tragic fall. Even with the evidence siding with Harvard, he is still awaiting his execution. It illustrates how the nature of evidence is used in a biased manner and conviction is based on falsified evidence and not actual evidence. Yet even with the evidence proving his evidence, Harvard cannot be released, because of the mechanisms that are used in the death sentence system. The nature of bias in the court system is demonstrated in the case of Holland v. Florida. Holland was convicted of murder, and he was allowed to appeal his sentencing within a given period. However, his attorney was late in filing an appeal within the allocated period, which wa s due to poor communication from the attorney. Holland appealed against his attorney’s misconduct, and he managed to have his conviction overturned over the technicality of his attorney’s erratic behavior. This case bas be described as a blatant attempt at trying to victimize an innocent civilian (Adriane de Vogue, ‘Illinois abolishes death penalty’). The state in the case is in violation of its application of the law, which has brought into question of the use and ruling that is applied in state courts. The nature of bias has proven to be a hindrance in the administering of the law, and it is with this reasoning that the death sentence has been abolished in Illinois. The death sentence is a legal measured that was used as a tool of