George H. Ryan, the former Illinois governor, passed away at 91. He gained prominence for imposing a moratorium on death-row executions in Illinois in 2000, arguing that the system was riddled with errors, leading to wrongful convictions and executions. Ryan's actions challenged the ethics of capital punishment during his term and were rooted in his concern for the potential execution of innocent individuals. His later imprisonment for corruption underscored the complexity of his legacy, one that intertwined justice reform with personal scandal.
"I cannot support a system which in its administration has proved so fraught with error, and has come so close to the ultimate nightmare, the state's taking of innocent life."
"Until I can be sure that everyone sentenced to death in Illinois is truly guilty, until I can be sure with moral certainty that no innocent man or woman is facing a lethal injection, no one will meet that fate."
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