Timeline of Governor Ryan's Time in Office

Chronology of Governor George H. Ryan's career and the Death Penalty:

January 11, 1999: George H. Ryan (R) is inaugurated as Governor of Illinois.

February 5, 1999: Illinois Death Row inmate Anthony Porter is released from prison. He is officially exonerated 5 weeks later.

March 17, 1999: Illinois Death Row inmate Andrew Kokoraleis is executed.

January 31, 2000: Ryan imposes a moratorium on the death penalty.

May 4, 2000: Ryan appoints a 14-member Commission to review Illinois’ capital punishment system.

April 15, 2002: The Commission recommends 85 death penalty reforms, none of which are implemented by the legislature.

October 15, 2002: Clemency hearings begin for 142 Death Row inmates.

January 10, 2003: Ryan pardons four Illinois Death Row inmates.

January 11, 2003: Ryan grants blanket clemency to remaining 167 Illinois Death Row inmates.

January 13, 2003: Ryan leaves office, Rod Blagojevich (D) inaugurated as the Governor of Illinois. Moratorium remains in effect.

November 19, 2003: Sweeping death penalty reforms—drawing heavily on Ryan’s Commission’s recommendations—are passed into law. These include a requirement for most homicide-related interrogations and confessions to be video-taped or audio-taped.

January 20, 2004: Additional legislation based on the Commission’s proposals is enacted.