February 12. 2008

Springfield …Responding to the increase in multiple homicides and the recent wave of young children being caught in the cross fire, State Representative Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) filed legislation which would lift the moratorium on the death penalty, broaden the scope of defendants eligible for the death penalty and continue to reform the system.

“It’s important that the legislature continue to work in a bipartisan fashion with victims groups and state’s attorneys across the state to have an open and honest debate. However, we can not forget that the death penalty is still constitutional and reserved for only the most heinous of crimes,” Reboletti said. “In 2007, Chicago alone saw too many students caught in the cross fire of gang bullets. Our children should not have to fear for their life while going to and from school. We need to let these criminals know that targeting our youth will result in only the harshest penalty being handed down.”

Reboletti stated that in 2002 the Governor issued a moratorium on the death penalty and appointed a 14 member Commission on Capital Punishment to study and offer recommendations on ways to reform Illinois’ death penalty system. This blue-ribbon panel presented to the General Assembly a 207-page report pointing out flaws in the system and legislation, which would correct these areas. Most of these legislative proposals such as videotaping all interrogations in death penalty eligible cases were passed and signed by the former Governor into law.

“As a member of the Capital Litigation Bar, I am part of the reform that has been implemented by the General Assembly. For a prosecutor or defense attorney to try a death penalty case, they need to undergo extensive training, fulfill a requirement of participating in so many jury trials and be vetted by an esteem panel of judges.” Rep. Reboletti said. “These reforms have been working and its time for the Governor to only commute the death penalty on a case by case basis.”

Representative Reboletti legislative package is composed of three pieces of legislation.

• House Resolution 969 urges the Governor to lift the moratorium on death penalty.

• To protect our children from being senselessly gunned down, House Bill 4784 would amend the scope of defendants considered death penalty eligible. Currently only victims under the age of 12 killed in an exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior are eligible for the death penalty. The victim’s age would now change from 12 yrs. to 16 yrs.

• In addition, legislation will be filed that increases the punishment for those who legally purchase weapons and pass them off to individuals who legally cannot obtain these weapons. The punishment would increase from a Class 4 to a Class 2 mandatory prison offense.

“We are answering the call from law enforcement and the community leaders across the state that are telling us that guns are ending up in the wrong hands. The current punishment for these “straw men” is considered a slap on the wrist and doesn’t permanently put these individuals out of commission. We need to stop the flow of weapons to criminals,” said State Representative Randy Ramey (R-West Chicago).

“We need to take a good hard look at all the recommendations regarding the death penalty in Illinois such as limiting the number of aggravating factors to eight or nine compared to the twenty-one currently in place. I favor an open and honest debate regarding the death penalty. With the recent slaughter of five innocent women in Tinley Park and similar cases, we, as a society, must ask ourselves does a person who commits such a horrible and atrocious crime, deserve to live, even in a penitentiary?” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett.

Additional questions can be directed to Reboletti’s office at (630) 530-2730.


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