Perhaps preoccupied with his own problems, Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has neglected the stack of clemency petitions overflowing his IN basket. The day before a long holiday weekend is always a good day to grant pardons. The inevitable "soft on crime" criticism that follows from giving someone a break is softened when voters are too busy watching things explode to pay much attention to the news.

Of the 19 pardons Blagojevich granted yesterday, some are clearly overdue:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has pardoned three men who were exonerated in 2002 after a federal investigation forced Chicago police to re-examine the 1997 kidnapping and murder that led to their convictions. The men spent years in jail before authorities determined they were not involved in the crimes, and have been awaiting the pardon decision for some time.

and

Blagojevich also pardoned a dead man who served more than a dozen years in prison for a rape and murder he didn't commit.

But the governor needs to get back to work. [more ...]

"While the four men who received innocence pardons are certainly deserving, there are numerous other exonerated individuals who are likewise awaiting innocence pardons," said Karen Daniel, an attorney with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University. "The governor should prioritize these innocence cases as he continues his review."