Once accused of murder, Hobbs argues against death penalty

SPRINGFIELD -- If he could be wrongly accused, so could others. That's the argument against the death penalty given by Jerry Hobbs, recently exonerated after being imprisoned on charges of killing his daughter and her friend in Zion five years ago.

Hobbs, now living in Texas, was in Springfield Tuesday lobbying for the end of the Illinois death penalty.

Though his case did not go to trial and he never was on Death Row, he said his arrest and prosecution are an example why the death penalty should be eliminated so innocent people aren't targeted.

Hobbs was charged in the May 2005 killings of his 8-year-old daughter, Laura, and her friend, 9-year-old Krystal Tobias.

He was held in county jail for about five years after being charged and his case was considered for the death penalty. He was released earlier this year after DNA evidence cleared him of the crime.

Now, Hobbs lives in Texas with a job climbing cell phone towers and oil rigs for repairs.

Hobbs talked to lawmakers at the state Capitol as supporters tried to push legislation to abolish capital punishment in Illinois.

Hobbs said serving life in prison would be harder than facing death.

“To do that time being a nothing and a nobody is a lot harder,” Hobbs said. “They're defeating the purpose by giving a man the death penalty.”

Not everyone traveling to Springfield was trying to abolish the death penalty, though. Bob Berlin, chief of the criminal bureau of the DuPage County State's Attorney's office, testified before lawmakers that recent reforms to the Illinois death penalty process are working to keep innocent people off Death Row.

The punishment shouldn't be abolished, he said.

“We have the worst of the worst on Death Row,” Berlin said.