rssBurris Pushed for Death Penalty for Innocent Man
Thursday, January 01, 2009 at 1:47 pm
- 11 Comments
Pro Publica’s Ben Protess does some digging into the past of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, who was chosen to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich was arrested last month for scheming to sell the seat. It seems there is at least one very legitimate reason to oppose Burris’ nomination, other than the fact that he is the disgraced governor’s choice.
The story appears at Politico:
While state attorney general in 1992, Burris aggressively sought the death penalty for Rolando Cruz, who twice was convicted of raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. The crime took place in 1983.
But by 1992, another man had confessed to the crime, and Burris’ own deputy attorney general was pleading with Burris to drop the case, then on appeal before the Illinois Supreme Court.
Burris refused. He was running for governor.
According to the article, Cruz spent 11 years on death row before being set free in 1995 after being acquitted in a third trial. A prosecutor and a detective resigned in protest of the prosecutorial misconduct they witnessed while working on the case.
Burris’ bid for the Senate seat may have been doomed from the beginning, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Obama have both voiced opposition to the pick, but the Cruz case will likely be another nail in the coffin.
11 Comments
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 3:04 pm
BLAGO & FRIENDS…
See Rod Blagojevich and an all-star cast in “All-Star Jailhouse Rock” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBdkTaoavXI
SEE MORE PARODIES AT http://parodyandson.blogspot.com
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
If America needs an enema, we know where to insert the tube.
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
Turn off American Idol. Turn off the Wii. Let's take charge of our country.
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Rolando Cruz was Hispanic and Roland Burris is black. If Cruz were black, Roland Burris might
have helped him to impress his constituency – the black electorate. That's why the judge who set Rolando Cruz free scolded the politicians for the wild turns of the case that almost cost Rolando Cruz his life. The judge couldn't point the finger at anybody from the bench due to the Cannon Rules, but
Burris was certainly one of those who shared the blame.
Burris has been one of the most mediocre politicians, and his decision to become a bedfellow with a
discredited governor fighting impeachment says it all. But the U.S. Constitution, Amendment XVII mandates that the Illinois legislature “must empower” the governor to fill a U.S. senate seat vacancy. A standing provision in the Illinois Statutes shall not apply on this appointment because
the governor was arrested for trying to sell that appointment and he is awaiting an indictment.
The U.S. senate committee that would screen Blagojevich's appointment shall demand that the governor submit an Illinois Legislature “empower authorization” writ of consent to fill the seat due to the ongoing impeachment proceedings, and the upcoming trial of the governor on corruption charges.
It may be a technicality, but the U.S. senate can apply the requirement due to the extenuating circumstances, and the sudden Roland Burris appointment that is suspect at best. I don't think that the U.S. senate shall allow a discredited and hounded governor to outwit them.
Blagojevich has lost everything, his sound mind, his friends – allowed publicly that “he has been feeling lonely lately,” he has been kicked around by everybody, and he is on a course that would probably cost his job, and probably later his freedom. But by appointing Rolland Burris, he just wants
to show that he still has some cards to play, and that he is not finished yet.
Given the allegations and impeding impeachment and indictment of Blagojevich, there is a chance that
Burris' appointment may be the result of another deal by Blagojevich to benefit from the appointment -
if it goes through. And definitely the U.S. Senate shall make sure that this won't happen. Nikos Retsos, retired professor, Illinois
Pingback posted January 1, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
[...] Pro Publica’s Ben Protess does some digging into the past of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, who was chosen to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich was arrested last Continue .. [...]
Pingback posted January 1, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
[...] The Washington Independent » Burris Pushed for Death Penalty for … [...]
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 11:04 pm
BLAGO & FRIENDS…
See Rod Blagojevich and an all-star cast in “All-Star Jailhouse Rock” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBdkTaoavXI
SEE MORE PARODIES AT http://parodyandson.blogspot.com
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 11:21 pm
If America needs an enema, we know where to insert the tube.
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 11:36 pm
Turn off American Idol. Turn off the Wii. Let's take charge of our country.
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 11:45 pm
Rolando Cruz was Hispanic and Roland Burris is black. If Cruz were black, Roland Burris might
have helped him to impress his constituency – the black electorate. That's why the judge who set Rolando Cruz free scolded the politicians for the wild turns of the case that almost cost Rolando Cruz his life. The judge couldn't point the finger at anybody from the bench due to the Cannon Rules, but
Burris was certainly one of those who shared the blame.
Burris has been one of the most mediocre politicians, and his decision to become a bedfellow with a
discredited governor fighting impeachment says it all. But the U.S. Constitution, Amendment XVII mandates that the Illinois legislature “must empower” the governor to fill a U.S. senate seat vacancy. A standing provision in the Illinois Statutes shall not apply on this appointment because
the governor was arrested for trying to sell that appointment and he is awaiting an indictment.
The U.S. senate committee that would screen Blagojevich's appointment shall demand that the governor submit an Illinois Legislature “empower authorization” writ of consent to fill the seat due to the ongoing impeachment proceedings, and the upcoming trial of the governor on corruption charges.
It may be a technicality, but the U.S. senate can apply the requirement due to the extenuating circumstances, and the sudden Roland Burris appointment that is suspect at best. I don't think that the U.S. senate shall allow a discredited and hounded governor to outwit them.
Blagojevich has lost everything, his sound mind, his friends – allowed publicly that “he has been feeling lonely lately,” he has been kicked around by everybody, and he is on a course that would probably cost his job, and probably later his freedom. But by appointing Rolland Burris, he just wants
to show that he still has some cards to play, and that he is not finished yet.
Given the allegations and impeding impeachment and indictment of Blagojevich, there is a chance that
Burris' appointment may be the result of another deal by Blagojevich to benefit from the appointment -
if it goes through. And definitely the U.S. Senate shall make sure that this won't happen. Nikos Retsos, retired professor, Illinois
Pingback posted January 2, 2009 @ 4:39 am
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