ILLINOIS GOVERNOR PARDONS FOUR DEATH ROW INMATES

Ryan made the announcement at a speech at DePaul University Law School in Chicago. The outgoing governor said he was pardoning Madison Hobley, Stanley Howard, Aaron Patterson and Leroy Orange, four death row inmates who insist their confessions were tortured out of them by Chicago police.
"Today, I am pardoning them of the crimes for which they were wrongfully prosecuted and sentenced to die," Ryan said.
"I have reviewed these cases and I believe a manifest injustice has occurred. I have reviewed these cases and I believe these men are innocent. I still have some faith in the system that eventually these men would have received justice in our courts but the old adage is true: Justice delayed is justice denied."
All but Howard, who was convicted of a separate crime, were expected to be released from prison Friday, Ryan said.
Ryan´s speech at DePaul University was the first of two that cap the Republican governor´s three-year campaign to highlight flaws in the state´s capital punishment system. His other speech is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Northwestern University law school.
Hobley´s sister, Robin, burst into tears Friday morning as she read an advance copy of the speech handed out by the governor´s aides as she and other guests waited for him to arrive at DePaul.
"I´ve read so many horrible transcripts in the last 15 years, I can´t believe what I´m reading," she said. "I´m speechless right now."
Ryan has said he will announce before he leaves office Monday whether he will grant clemency to any or all the state´s 160 death row inmates.