Quigley: Not Funding Death Penalty Defense Violates 'Our Moral Compass'

CHICAGO (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley will speak to the House Judiciary Committee about budget woes at the Cook County public defender's office.

Cook County Public Defender Abishi (ah-BEE'-shy) Cunningham said Wednesday the office can no longer afford to handle dozens of capital cases and is asking judges to either take the death penalty off the table or appoint private attorneys.

Quigley says he supports Cunningham's call for adequate funding. He says imposing the death penalty without funding defense attorneys flies in the face of the Constitution and "our moral compass."

He's urging Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to address the issue. And he's asking legislators in Washington to make sure to equip local, state and federal systems with the tools they need.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Comments

[jsgaetano]

Illinois needs to decriminalize drug crimes, and start releasing non-voilent criminals serving time on drug crimes.

The War on Drugs is a failure, and a very expensive one. Time to get our economic house in order, and that starts with ditching as many failed BushWars as we can.

[rwext]

Lets stop funding the perks, expenses , drivers raises and excesses of our legislators

[Dolmance]

Not funding death penalty prosecution during the endless appeals phase violates my moral compass.

Condemned offenders waiting five to seven years for their first appeal to be heard is cruel to the victim's loved ones and arguably cruel to the defendant. And waiting twenty plus years to see justice done for the person who killed someone for fun or profit is obnoxious. States like Texas can finish an entire trial through to sentencing before jury selection is completed in states like California.

Maybe if the courts weren't so clogged with Drug War trials justice might be done sooner. It's the same reason it often takes three to five years to bring a civil case to trial.

People who kill for fun or profit should die for it. Letting the victim's families continue being consumed with anger for decades is negligent cruelty.

[roald]

I agree that closure is needed quickly. The unending stream of convicted murders later found to be innocent demonstrates that the penalty should be life in prison without possibility of parole.