Georgia Executes Troy Davis

I am speechless!  I cannot believe that with all the doubt hanging over this case, the State of Georgia moved forward with the execution of Troy Davis. As one person wrote in a comment to an article regarding the delay of the execution: "We don't know if Troy Davis is guilty of murder, but if the State of Georgia goes forward with the execution, we know they are". 

When the case has sparked worldwide attention, and it seems everybody doubts his guilt, it is strange to me that he through his appeal process was required to "prove his innocence" rather than the prosecution being required to prove him guilty "beyond any reasonable doubt". If the latter was not done in the first trial, and there remains overwhelming doubt about his guilt, should the prosecution not be required to prove the case before killing a man?  That this was a death penalty case in the first place with the lack of physical evidence, is quite another story.

MSNBC reports that Davis maintained his innocence until the end and asked for prayers for his executioners.

The only ones who seemed to be pleased with the outcome, was the victim's family and Spencer Lawton, the district attorney who secured Davis' conviction in 1991. Spencer said he was embarrassed for the judicial system — not because of the execution, but because it has taken so long to carry out.

"What we have had is a manufactured appearance of doubt which has taken on the quality of legitimate doubt itself. And all of it is exquisitely unfair," said Lawton, who retired as Chatham County's head prosecutor in 2008. "The good news is we live in a civilized society where questions like this are decided based on fact in open and transparent courts of law, and not on street corners." A manufactured appearance of doubt?  When 7 of the 9 witnesses recant their statements, and 10 people point to another suspect - where is the manufactured appearance?  And exactly which part of killing a possibly innocent man makes our society "civilized"?

I hope this will go down in the books as the biggest mistake of the justice system in the state of Georgia. Unfortunately, it is not one that can be undone. 

Troy Davis Execution Delayed

Not yet resolved, but at least delayed.

ABC News reports that Troy Davis execution was delayed tonight as the Supreme Court weighed arguments by Davis' legal team and the state of Georgia over whether or not he deserves a stay.  The execution order is still in effect until September 28, and we can only hope the Supreme Court comes up with a better answer than the Georgia board of pardons and paroles.

Troy Davis to Be Executed On 09/21/11

As the Parole Board has denied clemency for Troy Davis, and his execution is scheduled for 09/21/11, I am utterly disgusted with our justice system.  

As I stated in my prior post regarding this case, I am profoundly against the death penalty, but even if you believe this barbaric punishment belongs in our justice system, at least make sure the person is guilty before killing him.  In this case  there is nothing but doubt, and the possibility that the State of Georgia will kill an innocent person is quite real.

You can find an update on the case here.

Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA released the following statement: 

"It is unconscionable that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied relief to Troy Davis. Allowing a man to be sent to death under an enormous cloud of doubt about his guilt is an outrageous affront to justice.

In 2007 the Board vowed that no execution would go forward unless there was ‘no doubt’ about guilt, a vow that has now been rendered meaningless. To fail to re-examine the facts, including allegations about an alternate suspect, and allow this execution to go forward is an injustice to both the Davises and the MacPhails. Amnesty International urges the Board to reconsider its decision immediately, and for District Attorney Larry Chisolm to seek to vacate the death warrant. Should Troy Davis be executed, Georgia may well have executed an innocent man and in so doing discredited the justice system.

The case against Davis unraveled long ago. Seven out of nine original state witnesses recanted or changed their original testimonies, some alleging police coercion. Ten people have pointed to one of the remaining witnesses as the actual killer. There is no murder weapon that links Davis to the crime. Any notion of physical evidence that demonstrates Davis’ guilt has been debunked."

In light of all the doubt surrounding this case, I hope you will all join me in signing the petition to stop the execution of Troy Davis.  You can find it here. 

Unfixable Death Penalty

Is killing ever right?  Have you ever pondered that questions?  Maybe this week more than ever, I have given it some thought.  I am profoundly against the death penalty, because I so strongly believe that killing is NOT right. Allowing the government to hide behind laws to justify killing someone, does not make it any more right.  And the whole idea of killing someone who killed someone to teach others not to kill, does not quite make sense to me.

 To quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:  

“I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

I am not talking about Osama Bin Laden.  In war, there will obviously be casualties, and whether we chose to rejoice Bin Laden's death or not, I don't think there are anyone in America who does not believe the resent events were for the better for our country.

I do however, want to take a closer look at the practice of the death penalty in the U.S. In 2010, 46 executions took place in the U.S.  with Texas and Ohio leading the way with 17 and eight executions.  In all, twelve states performed executions in 2010, and I am certain, will continue to do so in 2011.

One case in particular, has caught my interest, and I think, shows so clearly what a broken system we have.  The case of Troy Davis has surfaced in the news, and has been a focus of Amnesty International for the past few years.  He was convicted of the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail in 1989, and has since faced three execution dates, and will soon face a fourth.  However, the doubts about his guilt are not resolved, and the chances the State of Georgia will execute an innocent man seem quite real.

Troy Davis was convicted without a shred of physical evidence.  His conviction is based on witness testimony only. Seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their testimony, several stating that they were pressured and coerced by the police to make the statements. However, where their credibility was good enough to convict him,  their lack of credibility was brought up in the ruling against him at a special evidentiary hearing last summer.  The Supreme Court has rejected hearing his appeal on that ruling.  You can find more details on the current status of  his case here.

Photo by Salvator Vuono /freedigitalphotos.net

Whether you agree with the death penalty or not,  I hope we can all agree that the person's guilt has to be proven beyond any reasonable doubt. In this case, there is nothing but doubt, and I hope you will join me in signing Amnesty International's petition to stop the execution of Troy Davis until all doubt about his guilt has been resolved.  You can find the petition here.