Illinois Gov. George Ryan, keynote speaker at the Malibu Bar Association’s annual dinner meeting, explained to a packed house of lawyers and judges last Thursday why he declared a moratorium on executions in Illinois. It began, he said, with the case of a man who spent 17 years on death row for a murder he didn’t commit.
Anthony Porter, who has an IQ of 60, always insisted he was innocent but no one believed him. He came within two days of being executed. A group of journalism and law students from Northwestern University investigated the case as a class project and uncovered evidence that exonerated him. He was freed, and ultimately someone else confessed to the crime. Later investigations by the students and the Chicago Tribune uncovered a variety of questionable convictions.
Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1975 by the U.S. Supreme Court, 12 men have been executed in Illinois. Another 13 on death row were exonerated as the result of investigations by the students and the press. Ryan said he began to have serious doubts about the extent to which he could rely on the convictions of some of those on death row. There appeared to be “no justice in the justice system,” he said.
Ryan, who was a pharmacist before going to the Illinois State Legislature, had supported the death penalty and voted for it when he was a representative. He said he believed assurances from police and prosecutors that there were many checks and balances in place, that the system worked, that all the cases on death row had been thoroughly reviewed and that all the people awaiting execution were guilty. However, the student and newspaper investigations gave him serious doubts.
He told the group that it’s different when you’re governor, because it’s your signature on the death warrants that allow executions to go forward. He ultimately balked because he was no longer certain that the system was either fair or just. After declaring the moratorium, he impaneled a special group to examine the issue and report back to him. Ryan decided that during the investigation, which has no closing date, no one would be executed in Illinois as long as he was governor.
Recently, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg indicated she thought a moratorium might be called for in other states, as well, because of the questionable quality of the legal representation provided to those accused of capital crimes in those states.
After Ryan spoke, Malibu Mayor Tom Hasse made a honorary presentation to the governor. Hasse is an Illinois native and was raised in a town close to Ryan’s hometown.
Martin Sheen reads tribute to honoree Judge Mira
The Armand Arabian Judge of the Year award, which is the Malibu Bar Association’s highest honor, was given to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira, presiding judge of the Malibu Judicial District. The award is named after retired state Supreme Court Justice Armand Arabian, who was in attendance and made the presentation to Mira.
Actor Martin Sheen, who plays President Josiah Bartlett on the popular TV show “West Wing,” read a touching tribute letter to Mira from his son actor Charlie Sheen. Charlie Sheen said Mira helped him overcome his drug problems.
Richard Coleman was named Lawyer of the Year and Judge Alan Haber, presiding judge of the West District of L.A. Superior Court, received the Friend of the Malibu Bar award. Haber swore in the new officers and board for 2001. The new officers are David Ogden, president; Dick Coleman, vice president; and Steve Ameche, secretary-treasurer. The new board members are Kathy Greco, Patrick McNicholas, Matthew McNicholas, Dale Schaeffer, Todd Sloan, Ronald Stackler, Carolyn Wallace and Executive Director Doreen Consol.