Yesterday, the American Bar Association recommended suspending executions in Kentucky, as their extensive study found serious flaws in our judicial system relating to capital punishment. They were joined by the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Kentucky Public Advocate Ed Monahan, and Louisville Metro Chief Public Defender Dan Goyette in calling for the suspension.

But they were not, however, joined by Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway:

Public defenders and other defense lawyers hailed the Kentucky Death Penalty Assessment Report and the proposed moratorium, while Attorney General Jack Conway disputed its conclusion that the system is broken and said suspending executions “disregards trial verdicts, years of judicial review and the surviving family members of victims.”

Other things that such a suspension would disregard: Jack’s ability to green light the execution of (potentially innocent) people, so that he can look like a tough-on-crime guy in whatever race he runs in next.

We’ll stand with the ABA and the Pope on this one, Jack.