Bruck credits Illinois Gov. George Ryan with bringing about the change in opinion. Earlier this year, Ryan declared a moratorium on executions in his state until the process could be reviewed. Ryan's action has renewed national debate about the death penalty. McBurney said Condon will not make a similar declaration. But Bruck said he has difficulty understanding why the public distrusts the government on issues such as taxes and spending money, but trusts it to execute the right people.
Humans are incapable of perfect judgment.
Pearson said he thinks public opinion about the death penalty is changing. 3 of those people were being held in South Carolina, he said. Thursday night, death penalty opponents held a vigil outside Gov. Jim Hodges' home. John Barkley, spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said Thursday Hodges had not taken action to stop Young's execution. Dismissing a mental-illness defense as bogus, Deputy Dist.