Troy Davis - Guilty or Innocent?

[Kätzchen]

Nat???

I believe he is innocent and my heart hurts to hear or read accounts of human suffering such as Troy Davis'.

My oldest son (a decorated vet, now rendered undecorated for his valorous behaviors in service due to his current imprisonment), is now serving time in prison for a crime he did not commit... I cannot even articulate the pain I feel for my son or others like him who have been wrongfully adjudicated by the (human) system currently in place.

For the record:

I do not support the death penalty.

I would write more but Troy Davis' situation hits too close to home.

[AtLast]

Have to say that the governor of Georgia does not have authority to either stop or do anything as an executive to influence this execution. In GA, the pardons board has full authority over this, not the governor. Not all states give clemency/pardon authority to the governor. Now, it does seem to me that the governor in GA might have some other avenue in terms of investigating any possible "tampering" of this Pardon's Board, if for example there is any evidence that the fact that this was the killing of a police officer has any bearing on the boards decision. Each state has different appeal protocols as well. From 1975 to 2003 Georgia governors have been Democrats. So, for the bulk of time that Mr. Davis has been incarcerated and was convicted, there was a Democrat as Governor. Wonder about this Pardons Board.

I have no idea if this man is guilty of this crime. I have followed this case somewhat over a few years in terms of it getting media attention. I do feel that there has been enough about the initial investigation, the number of witness recantations, a possible confession of another person, data on eye witness testimony not being very accurate at all, to put this case into a re-trial stance. I don't understand why this never happened (or am I wrong about his never being re-tried?). Also, there are some problems with witnesses being only shown one photo of this suspect- not a photo among at least 5 other people with similar features. That right there would put me to a place of throwing out the verdict and a new trial being ordered if I were an appeals judge.

I do support the death penalty for some types of crimes, and view it as a just punishment- and as cold as this sounds, I don't care about the drug cocktail and any suffering. I also know that my years working with victims of violent sexual crimes, including against children has a whole lot to do with my feelings.

But, there is no way I can support this execution. I do not believe this man received a fair trial with an impartial jury of his peers. I keep hoping that a "last minute" stay is ordered and he is re-tried. I keep thinking that even in GA, that if the executive powers of the governor’s office was one in which this was on the single conscience of that executive (due to the preponderance of screw-ups in the investigation and even a GOP in this office), this would a very different set of circumstances at this point. Then again, I have to think about the “blue wall” and the police in cases in which an officer is killed. This does not mean I do not feel for this officer’s family. I do.

I don’t think that even as someone losing a loved one via murder, I could rest easy knowing that there is substantial evidence pointing to innocence of Troy Davis. I would want to know the truth and that the right person was being executed. Although, this murder is not among the type I support the death penalty for even if guilty.

This is one of those cases in which our judicial systems loses.

[Nat]

[suebee]

Livestreaming by Democracy Now. Click here.

[suebee]

Troy Davis just got a stay of execution!

[suebee]

Now they're saying perhaps it was a mistake, that there's no stay. He has not been excecuted yet, but there's no confirmation of a stay.

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by suebee

Now they're saying perhaps it was a mistake, that there's no stay. He has not been excecuted yet, but there's no confirmation of a stay.

Damnit. I hate this.

[suebee]

The Supreme Court has requested that the execution be delayed so they can consider the motion before them. No indication how long this could last. He could still be executed tonight. I cannot even imagine what Davis and his family are going through. Nor the family of the victim.

[Nat]

The us supreme court has at the last minute delayed the execution while the facts are reviewed.

[MissItalianDiva]

I believe this man is absolutely innocent without a shadow of doubt in my mind. He has been on my mind all day long and am so relieved that he has received a temporary stay. I personally believe in God and can only hope that whatever is up there somehow has some kind of divine intervention in mind.

Twenty two years 16 of them on death row and he still has faith that justice will prevail. I have followed this case for years and hope ultimately he will be exonerated and that the state will have to admit they are wrong. I also hope in all this the police involved as well as the DA for this case is held accountable for their shady dealings

[MissItalianDiva]

Originally Posted by Nat

Troy Davis' request for polygraph denied.

The judge in my sig line has neither a working phone line nor fax line. The governor of Georgia's phone is busy but fax went through. His fax is 404-657-7332. Obama's is 202-456-2461.

If I am not mistaken it could not have been used in a new trial so I suppose that doesn't really matter.

[suebee]

The Supreme Court has refused to block the execution of Troy Davis.

[Nat]

Originally Posted by suebee

The Supreme Court has refused to block the execution of Troy Davis.

just read that.

[Nat]

[Updated at 10:55 p.m.] Davis’ execution is expected to begin between 11:05 to 11:10 p.m. ET, the Georgia Department of Corrections says.

Basically if it's not over yet it will be in the next two minutes.

[Corkey]

My heart aches for this man and his family.

[suebee]

He's gone.

[Nat]

updated 1 minute ago
Georgia executes Troy Davis after his last pleas fail

[Nat]

"To All:



I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.



As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.



I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.



So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.



I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,



“I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!”



Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!"

[MissItalianDiva]

Wow and once again our justice system has failed...another reason for either repeal or reform of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 needs to be addressed.

[dykeumentary]

Coretta Scott King:
"As one whose husband and mother-in-law have died the victims of murder and assassination, I stand firmly and unequivocally opposed to the death penalty for those convicted of capital offenses," she said. "An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation. Justice is never advanced in the taking of a human life. Morality is never upheld by a legalized murder".