Ryan's name outside the Prairie State is of course linked with his 2003 decision to empty out Illinois' crowded death row. Most of those formerly condemned inmates received life-in-prison commutations. A few, such as Aaron Patterson, received full pardons.
Patterson became a cause célèbre in the death penalty debate, as this web page demonstrates. David Protess, an anti-death penalty crusader and Northwestern University professor, took up the cause of Patterson, and probably, along with his students, did more than anyone in the successful effort to get Aaron Patterson freed.
Once he became a free man, Patterson promised to dedicate himself to fighting police brutality and corruption, and seemingly got off to a good start to his new life by running for public office. He was defeated in his run for the Illinois state legislature, but it looked like Patterson was going places.
Well, he was. Back to his street-gang life. A few months after that election defeat, Patterson was arrested on gun and drug charges. Last year, in a wild trial dominated by a Patterson's misbehaving, he was found guilty on those charges.
Today, a busy Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer (who is, strangely enough, also the trial judge in the George Ryan case), heard arguments from federal prosecutors regarding Patterson's sentence.
From CBS 2 Chicago:
Federal prosecutors say sentencing a man former Gov. George Ryan freed from death row to 30 years to life in prison is "the only way to protect the public."
The prosecutors contend Aaron Patterson, 40, is a Chicago street gang leader who went right back to trading in guns and drugs after being released.
Prosecutors also allege that Patterson helped mastermind gang activities during the 17 years he spent in prison for a double murder he insists he didn't commit.
They recommended a term of 360 months to life in prison.
Blogs on the far-Left are claiming, of course, that Patterson was framed by the Chicago Police and is innocent of the guns and drug charges.
Northwestern's David Protess is under fire for another high profile released-from-death-row case. Anthony Porter was released from prison after Alstory Simon confessed to the double murder Porter was convicted of in the early 1980s.
Simon has recanted that confession, which he says was coerced.
Porter sued Chicago for false arrest, and in 2005, a jury ruled against him.
Walter Jones, aattorneyny for the City said in the trial:
We successfully showed that it was truly Anthony Porter that committed this murder.
Technorati tags: Death Penalty Capital Punishment Anthony Porter Alstory Simon David Protess Northwestern Chicago George Ryan Ryan Trial Aaron Patterson law
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