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Illinois Governor Pardons Four Death Row Inmates
Aired January 10, 2003 - 14:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Pardons for four death row inmates.
The outgoing governor of Illinois, George Ryan, says he believes the men, who say Chicago police beat confessions out of them.
Our bureau chief Jeff Flock live in Chicago now -- Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. He went ahead and did it. The four pardons that we have been discussing all day, just moments ago he went ahead and made formal.
Let's take a look back inside the room now, where Governor Ryan is taking questions from some law students.
Reverend Jackson, Jesse Jackson at the podium now.
Ryan took, in painstaking detail, a lot of time to tell reporters and the rest of this state why he took this action. Recounting in painstaking detail the reasons why he pardoned these four men.
Now, to go across, give you some sense of the men, Aaron Patterson, Madison Hobley, Leroy Orange, and Stanley Howard, the four men.
Let's listen to Governor Ryan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GEORGE RYAN (R), ILLINOIS: Three years ago I was faced with some startling information. We had exonerated not one, not two, but 13 men from death row.
Thirteen men that had been found guilty by a jury of their peers, and every appellate place they went, they were found guilty, as high as the Illinois Supreme Court, in some cases.
Thirteen. They were all found innocent eventually, innocent of the charges for which they were sentenced to die.
Now, you know, those words you can hear, but you've got to think about them. You've got to think about what I just said. Innocent people convicted to die for a crime they didn't commit. I can't imagine it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: Ryan today taking a lot of time to try and show his outrage. You are looking live now at a woman who was also outraged. Her name is Joanne Patterson. She is the mother of Aaron Patterson.
Flint Taylor, to her left there, is an attorney that has long worked on the Patterson case.
We talked to her at her home earlier this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOANNE PATTERSON, PARDONED INMATE'S MOTHER: And you know, mom, I'm on death row, and I really don't need you to come out here when it's execution time to hold a candle and cry and say, you know oh, woe is me.
We really need to get on this and help. You know, we need to do something about this, because I did not do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: And in fact, a lot of people did a lot of things about it.
Aaron Patterson has been fighting for years for his -- to prove his innocence. Today the final lap in that fight, in that race to prove his innocence. Aaron Patterson, one of four men now receiving pardons.
We should point out it looks like Patterson and it would be Orange will be getting out of Pontiac Prison -- no, it's -- I'm sorry. Patterson and Hobley out of Pontiac Prison, thank you. It is Orange out of Cook County Jail.
And that could happen reasonably soon. His attorney will be heading directly from here over to the jail. And according to the people we've talked to at Cook County Jail, they will release, as soon as they get the governor's letter -- and the attorney will be carrying that letter.
As soon as they get it, they will release Leroy Orange. And he should be free sometime later this afternoon.
We hope to be over there live. It will be quite a scene when he walks out of that old, old jail here in Chicago, Kyra. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: No doubt. All right. Jeff Flock, thanks.
Aired January 10, 2003 - 14:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Pardons for four death row inmates.
The outgoing governor of Illinois, George Ryan, says he believes the men, who say Chicago police beat confessions out of them.
Our bureau chief Jeff Flock live in Chicago now -- Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. He went ahead and did it. The four pardons that we have been discussing all day, just moments ago he went ahead and made formal.
Let's take a look back inside the room now, where Governor Ryan is taking questions from some law students.
Reverend Jackson, Jesse Jackson at the podium now.
Ryan took, in painstaking detail, a lot of time to tell reporters and the rest of this state why he took this action. Recounting in painstaking detail the reasons why he pardoned these four men.
Now, to go across, give you some sense of the men, Aaron Patterson, Madison Hobley, Leroy Orange, and Stanley Howard, the four men.
Let's listen to Governor Ryan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GEORGE RYAN (R), ILLINOIS: Three years ago I was faced with some startling information. We had exonerated not one, not two, but 13 men from death row.
Thirteen men that had been found guilty by a jury of their peers, and every appellate place they went, they were found guilty, as high as the Illinois Supreme Court, in some cases.
Thirteen. They were all found innocent eventually, innocent of the charges for which they were sentenced to die.
Now, you know, those words you can hear, but you've got to think about them. You've got to think about what I just said. Innocent people convicted to die for a crime they didn't commit. I can't imagine it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: Ryan today taking a lot of time to try and show his outrage. You are looking live now at a woman who was also outraged. Her name is Joanne Patterson. She is the mother of Aaron Patterson.
Flint Taylor, to her left there, is an attorney that has long worked on the Patterson case.
We talked to her at her home earlier this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOANNE PATTERSON, PARDONED INMATE'S MOTHER: And you know, mom, I'm on death row, and I really don't need you to come out here when it's execution time to hold a candle and cry and say, you know oh, woe is me.
We really need to get on this and help. You know, we need to do something about this, because I did not do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK: And in fact, a lot of people did a lot of things about it.
Aaron Patterson has been fighting for years for his -- to prove his innocence. Today the final lap in that fight, in that race to prove his innocence. Aaron Patterson, one of four men now receiving pardons.
We should point out it looks like Patterson and it would be Orange will be getting out of Pontiac Prison -- no, it's -- I'm sorry. Patterson and Hobley out of Pontiac Prison, thank you. It is Orange out of Cook County Jail.
And that could happen reasonably soon. His attorney will be heading directly from here over to the jail. And according to the people we've talked to at Cook County Jail, they will release, as soon as they get the governor's letter -- and the attorney will be carrying that letter.
As soon as they get it, they will release Leroy Orange. And he should be free sometime later this afternoon.
We hope to be over there live. It will be quite a scene when he walks out of that old, old jail here in Chicago, Kyra. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: No doubt. All right. Jeff Flock, thanks.
