As our examination of the geography of the Court’s docket continues, this post and next we’ll be looking at which counties accounted for the Court’s death penalty cases prior to abolition in July 2011.
Not surprisingly, Cook County accounted for the vast majority of the death sentences reviewed by the Court: twelve in 1990, six in 1991, twelve in 1992 and nine per year in 1993, 1994 and 1995. The only other counties which accounted for more than one death case in any single year were Du Page county (two in 1995), Stephenson county (two in 1995) and Williamson county (two in 1995).
The pattern was similar between 1996 and 2000. Cook county accounted for ten death cases in 1996, six in 1997, twelve in 1998, four in 1999 and nine in 2000. Du Page county had two decided in 2000, Henry county had two in 1997 and Lake county had two in 1997. Other than that, no county produced more than one case in any single year.
Join us back here next time as we review the data for the years 2001 to 2010.
Image courtesy of Flickr by Ben Seidelman (no changes).