Moratorium on executions declared in Illinois

Moratorium on executions declared in Illinois.Illinois Governor George Ryan declared a moratorium on executions in his state, pending an investigation into the state's capital punishment system. Ryan appointed a commission to study the state's capital punishment system in conjunction with the moratorium. The state has executed 12 inmates in the same time that 13 other inmates were freed because they were later found to be innocent. Governor Ryan's moratorium received praise from President Clinton, who urged other state governors to examine their death penalty systems. (See Illinois)