For the first time publicly, former DuPage County State's Attorney and Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan said he's "sorry" for sending two innocent men to death row.
"In the Cruz-Hernandez cases, the system and I failed to achieve a just outcome. And for that I am sorry," Ryan, who's running for governor, said in an e-mail sent to reporters Thursday afternoon.
Ryan's message of contrition arrived the day after a DuPage County jury sent Brian Dugan to death row for the murder of Jeanine Nicarico in 1983, a crime Ryan had convicted other men of committing.
Rolando Cruz of Wheaton and Alejandro Hernandez of Aurora would both spend years on death row for the crimes before being exonerated and freed. In Cruz's case, Ryan continued to prosecute him after higher courts threw out the case and even after Dugan confessed to authorities.
The case was an issue in 2002 when Ryan was the GOP nominee for governor, Rod Blagojevich was the victor in that contest.
One Republican candidate for governor, Morton Grove businessman Andy McKenna, says the Cruz-Hernandez case shouldn't be an issue this time around.
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