Georgia parole board hearing last-ditch appeal from death-row inmate (Troy Davis)

[alp227]

Source: CNN

Atlanta (CNN) -- Georgia's parole board convened Monday morning to hear a last-minute appeal by Troy Davis, who is set to die by lethal injection for the murder 21 years ago of a Savannah police officer.

A jury convicted Davis of murder in 1991, paving the way for his execution, which has been delayed three times and is now scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at a state prison in Jackson, Georgia.

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles noted in a press release Sunday it is "the sole authority in Georgia for granting clemency to inmates." Options for the board include commuting a death sentence without parole, giving a convict a life sentence or denying clemency -- which, in this case, would pave the way for Davis' execution.

In addition to Davis and his supporters making their appeal, the victim's mother, Anneliese MacPhail, told CNN this weekend that she, too, plans to attend.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/09/18/georgia.davis.execution/index.html

[tropicanarose]

1. I signed the petition for Troy Davis. I wonder when we will hear the results.

[CarmanK]

3. I think the BD made the statement to reject "outside interference"!

It was a snubb of all you outsiders who signed petitions and marched for justice. You are a bunch of outsiders and it is up to them to make the final decision, which they will do without undue pressure from outside strangers. I did not sign the petition for that reason. But, I did sign the one for the guy in TX. I thought putting national pressure on the SUPREME COURT would be more meaningful.

[tropicanarose]

4. The court of public opinion is meaningless to them? I wonder how long they will rop

deliberate on the issue. Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday as it stands now.
I wonder what is going to happen.

[struggle4progress]

6. Some of them have been real jerks about it: a few years back, I wrote each of them about this case

My emails were brief, factual and polite

What happened next was interesting: several weeks after I emailed, a number of my emails bounced back with the message that the recipient wouldn't accept emails from me

[RebelOne]

9. I have signed every e-mail petition for him.

I am not sure of his innocence or guilt. But it seems there was definitely not enough evidence to prove his guilt.

[duhneece]

12. Exactly: there is too much doubt to execute him

One innocent executed is one too many. It never made sense to me to kill someone to show that killing is wrong.

[CarmanK]

2. We already know who the potential murderers are! You!!

The question is will you use the authority given to you as representatives of a SOCIETY of people or just power junkies with the decision over life or death. Is our society one that seeks justice or vengence??

[mvd]

5. Yep, since murder is wrong, it is my belief that..

it should be wrong in all cases except for complete self-defense. Plus, I have a host of other reasons for being against the death penalty.

[udbcrzy2]

7. This is sort of confusing

Davis claims he's innocent, but has been convicted in a jury trial. One of the original witnesses has NEVER recanted, some of the others have. This is what is confusing to me. The petition is to get him off death row, but not to have him released?

If it's to get him off death row, then the people signing the petition should work to have the laws changed.

I do not think this guy is innocent.

[FiveGoodMen]

10. "One of the original witnesses has NEVER recanted"

And several apparently have, some claiming police coercion.

That's doesn't say "reasonable doubt" to you?

[udbcrzy2]

11. Two did not recant. sorry

The jury convicted him and we have to believe in the jury process. If they were to give him a new trial, he would probably be convicted again on the testimony of two eyewitnesses. Those who recanted wouldn't be testifying at the new trial if one were given. I really hate to see Judges legislating from the bench like most of us do.

Here is the opinion of Georgia District Court in 2010.
http://multimedia.savannahnow.com/media/pdfs/DavisRuling082410.pdf

I believe page 162 and onward talks about the evidence besides the witness testimony.

I also understand that they did have a bloody shirt from his mother's home, but could not use it at trial due to not having a search warrant.

I'm really surprised that he isn't trying the usual, like mental retardation, or some other classic defense.

on page 169
Worse, these witnesses were readily available—one was actually waiting in the courthouse—and Mr. Davis chose not to present their recantations as live testimony.


That is telling to me and gives me no reasonable doubt at all.

[Gregorian]

8. Good lord. What the fuck does it take to get justice in America!

This is one of the most frustrating things I've had to endure. Millions of us pleading for some bureaucratic machine to wake the hell up and hear us.