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Inside Politics

Convicted Rapist, Murderer Ricky McGinn Awaits Death Penalty in Texas Today

Aired September 27, 2000 - 5:30 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: About an hour and a half from now, another Death Row inmate is scheduled to be executed in Texas on Governor George W. Bush's watch.

The inmate in question, Ricky McGinn, holds the distinction of being the only convict ever granted a 30-day reprieve by Bush.

CNN's Tony Clark has more on this case and the death penalty issue that has been controversial for Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY CLARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): During the 5 1/2 years George Bush has been governor, more than 140 Texas inmates have been put to death, and there are another 446 inmates awaiting execution on Death Row.

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's very important, before we put anybody to death, that we fully analyze all the evidence.

CLARK: In the case of Ricky McGinn, Bush was confident he was guilty of murdering his 12-year-old stepdaughter Stephanie Flanary. But under Texas law, McGinn also had to be guilty of the other felony of which he was convicted -- rape -- in order to get the death penalty.

So Governor Bush did something he had never done for a convict before: He granted McGinn a 30-day reprieve to see if sophisticated DNA tests support the rape conviction.

BUSH: I expect, for the courts and all relevant parties, to act expeditiously to review the evidence, to finally determine his innocence or guilt as to the charge of rape in the case of Ricky McGinn.

CLARK: The DNA test showed a near perfect match between McGinn and semen and hair found on the young girl's body. McGinn claimed he was framed.

RICKY MCGINN, CONVICTED MURDERER: But somebody else put that stuff there, not me.

CLARK: Though Bush's reprieve gave McGinn nearly four months more to live, it hasn't changed his feeling toward the governor.

MCGINN: Well, Mr. Bush knows I don't like him. I appreciate what he did for me. He gave me the chance that I asked for, and I appreciate that.

I still don't think he needs to be president of the United States, because he thinks it's funny to kill people and it's not. He thinks it's a game. It's not.

CLARK: At this point, the only thing that could stop McGinn's execution is executive clemency, and that is not likely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And the only way for their to be executive clemency or, in other words, a pardon, would be for McGinn to ask for a pardon and the pardon paroles board to recommend it to Governor Bush. None of that has happened.

At this hour, Ricky McGinn is having his last meal -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Tony, as far as you know, is this the last execution scheduled in the state of Texas between now and Election Day, November 7?

CLARK: No; in fact, there is a lull of sorts, because there have been executions almost every week or every other week.

Now, there are currently two scheduled to take place between now and Election Day in addition to McGinn's tonight.

WOODRUFF: All right; Tony Clark, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

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