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Prosecutors, Death Row Inmates Waiting for Governor to Decide Death Penalty Ban

By AP

Springfield, IL – The uncertainty over Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's pending decision on whether to end capital punishment for good has raised a number of questions about the state's current death penalty cases and the 15 men on death row. A bill recently passed by the state House and Senate would abolish the death penalty as of July 1st. However there are no guarantees the governor will sign it. Quinn supports the death penalty but has also kept in place the moratorium on capital punishment. Quinn's decision could come any time after the law is certified by the General Assembly. He is being lobbied hard by death penalty opponents, prosecutors and victim's rights groups. The situation has created a period of uncertainty for prosecutors and defense attorneys with pending death penalty cases, as well as those on death row.