] "With less than three days left as governor of Illinois,
] George H. Ryan looked at the staff members who were
] helping him decide who on death row should live and who
] should die.

] ``I can't play God,'' he said finally.

] With that, Ryan's staff knew that the governor would
] empty out Illinois' death row of all 167 of its inmates
] and complete his remarkable, four-year journey from
] staunch supporter of capital punishment to one of the
] country's most influential anti-death penalty advocates."

] Ryan halted all executions in Illinois, pointing out that since
] capital punishment was reinstated in 1977, 13 death row inmates
] had been exonerated - more than the 12 executed.

Ryan Changes Stand on Death Penalty