>I've been watching this story pretty close. wooohooo! No if the other 30+ states will follow the lead!
>
>It's been known for years that a) executions are expensive - the legal fees alone cost way more than the life span of an inmate b) the murder rate doesnt go down because a state has the death penalty c) there is a risk of killing an innocent person (how many death row inmates have been released now due to DNA? I'm sure a few innocent ones have been wacked already) d) the death penalty is not handed out fairly and e) its barbaric.
>
>>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ae1OkYiDK.Z0&refer=us
>
>>And about time. Actually what was surprising to me was that one of the reasons is supposedly that state executions are more expensive than keeping the perp in jail. That was a shocker. (see the report - http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/dpsc_final.pdf)


Some of those wrongfully convicted have been released. Others were executed before subsequent DNA evidence exonerated them. That was the biggest reason Illinois put a "temporary" ban on executions a few years ago, the number of documented wrongful convictions. George Ryan, who never did another good thing as Illinois governor (and is now in prison), deserves credit for that one.