Innocent Man to be Executed Tomorrow? QUICK ACTIONS You Can Take Today!

[emlev]

This is Troy Davis.

Will the State of Georgia kill him tomorrow for a crime he did not commit?

Click here to send a fax demanding commutation of the death sentence!

From the ACLU:

Troy Davis is at risk of being executed despite strong evidence suggesting he is innocent.
Davis was sent to death row 15 years ago for the shooting of a white police officer in Savannah, Georgia.

• The conviction was not based on any physical evidence.
  
• The murder weapon was never found.
  
• All witnesses, but two, have recanted or contradicted their story.
  
• Many were coerced by the police.
  
• The remaining testimonies are dubious!
  
• One witness has been implicated as the murderer by nine people!
  
• The other witness could only recall the color of the shooter’s clothes.

Death penalty appeals are very difficult and no court has reviewed all the new evidence that came out since his initial trial! We need your support to stop this execution!

For more information please contact Georgians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty call [phone] ext. 12.

From Amnesty International:

Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen McPhail in Georgia. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state's nine non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted their testimony. Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.

From Democracy Now!:

Click here to listen to or watch today's in-depth segment on this case, or to read the rush transcript.

What you can do:

• Send a fax to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles: [phone].
  
• Click http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=8894">here if you have no fax machine. Amnesty International USA will send the fax on your behalf.
  
• Send an email to [e-mail].
  
• Help get this thread to the Greatest page and keep it kicked so more people will act.
  
• Spread the word! Send this message as an email, with live links, to everyone you know.
  
  Thank you for taking action.
  
  Emlev
  
  (Edited to fix link.)
  
  

[still_one]

1. Isn't the govenor the only one who could stop the execution at this stage? /nt

[emlev]

3. People close to the case are asking everyone to fax

There was a hearing this morning. According to the Democracy Now! story, the decision from that hearing will be made tomorrow afternoon, four hours before the scheduled execution. The point was made in the story that it's not too late for it to be stopped.

[Tom Joad]

2. Now this time it really is Clinton/Newt fault

billy signed the "effective death penalty act" which helped make it easier for the state to kill people.
a lasting legacy of billy's administration. thanks bill.

[NNN0LHI]

10. The fecker went back to Arkansas to witness the execution of a retarded man...

...he had signed the death warrant for as governor.

When they led the retarded man away to his death he asked his jailers not to throw away his piece of apple pie that came with his last meal as he intended to eat it when he got back from wherever they were taking him.

Don

[EFerrari]

4. K&R

[Beaverhausen]

5. K & R

When will we stop this barbaric practice in this country?

[truebrit71]

6. Done.

.

[DU9598]

7. Done

Thanks for posting!!!!

[TexasLawyer]

8. kick

[progressoid]

9. Lets hope we can make a difference

even at this late hour.

[Puregonzo1188]

11. The link for the fax is

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=8894

It didn't show up in the op. I actually had never heard of this case, but just happened to be listening to Democracy Now this morning and as soon as I got home sent a fax, and sent the link to everyone in my email address book, something I've never done before.

[emlev]

15. Thanks. Fixed it in the OP as well.

[Vincardog]

12. Done k & R

[TexasLawyer]

13. My e-mail

Here's the e-mail I sent to Governor Sonny Perdue and to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles this morning. Feel free to crib.


[e-mail]


To the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles:

I am writing about Troy Anthony Davis, who will be executed tomorrow night at 7 pm unless the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles commutes his sentence.

I believe this would be a miscarriage of justice, and that Mr. Davis should be given a new trial. At the very least, his execution tomorrow should be delayed, while his sentence is considered.

Seven of the nine non-police witnesses said they were coerced by police and have since recanted their testimony. Nine witnesses have also implicated another man in the murder.

I urge you to do what you can to prevent this injustice. Make Georgia a fair and equitable place for all.

Sincerely,

<Texas Lawyer and family
address and return e-mail>

No reply necessary.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. We have to do away with the Death Penalty

Whenever someone is executed, We will all have to answer for it. :(

[NNN0LHI]

18. Yes its my hot-button issue living here in Illinois

When it was discovered that more than half of the 25 people here on Death Row were innocent it opened my eyes.

Don

[demgurl]

16. I sent an email.

What an evil barbaric world we live in. How many innocents have died? :cry:

[hfojvt]

17. according to the board

"The board has vowed to listen carefully to both sides and base its decision on the facts. It says it will not be swayed by public pressure."

That sounds like the right thing to do. There is some question about whether the recanting witnesses will be there to testify. So some of it is up to them.

I hope the board errs on the side of life, because a wrong execution is impossible to take back.

[emlev]

20. Is that from today's hearing?

[hfojvt]

35. No, it was from an article I found

while researching the case.

[emlev]

19. The key distinction between The State and Troy Davis

Last week this quote on torture made appeared on DU:

(The key distinction) "between you and the guy you are torturing is that he might be innocent, but you are not."

Appropos, no?

[emlev]

21. Petition to sign

Sign .

[DeSwiss]

22. Done.

K&R!!!

[Nutmegger]

23. It's time to ban this barbaric ritual NOW!

Before more innocent are killed in the name of revenge justice!

R and K.

The Innocence Project

[shireen]

24. Troy Davis could be anyone of us

who are simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

This is truly sick.

[NNN0LHI]

25. Or our brother or father or anything

And it is sick.

Don

[melody]

26. On what moral ground do we stand if we murder and then tell someone else not to kill

Particularly when there's a doubt about guilt ...

Kicked recced signed emailed, etc.

[GCP]

27. Done

Let's hope they listen and give him a new trial.

[shireen]

28. email media

i just sent a message to Countdown.

[emlev]

31. good idea

[entanglement]

29. What a shame! Meanwhile, a preacher guilty of sodomizing 3 boys gets no prison time

in Alabama.

[Downtown Hound]

30. Done.

[Silent3]

32. Commutation for this guy?

Who do you think he is, Scooter Libby? :sarcasm:

Sounds like not only is commutation in order, but a full pardon, a huge apology, and hefty damages.

[LeftishBrit]

33. done; and k&r

[Parche]

34. Tomorrow

Why do you wait until the last minute?
15Years is a long time

[emlev]

39. I just learned about this case this morning

Many people have been working hard on it for a long time.

[TexasLawyer]

36. kick

[MrSlayer]

37. I'm very much in favor of the DP, particularly for this crime.

However, in this case I do not believe they have overwhelming evidence of this man's guilt. At the very least he deserves a commutation. He probably deserves a new trial. I will send the fax.

[still_one]

40. So what is the problem with life imprisonment without parolle

I know that is not exactly the point of this thread, but it would avoid any problems of executing the wrong person

[ingac70]

52. Then an innocent man would rot in jail.

A fate worse than death, in my opinion.

This guy needs a new trial.

[emlev]

38. UPDATE: Today's hearing

Congressman John Lewis, who attended today's nine hour clemency hearing, is quoted as saying, "(N)obody should be put to death based on the evidence we now have in this case."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Story:

Parole board deliberates on Davis' clemency plea

By CARLOS CAMPOS
Published on: 07/16/07

The fate of convicted cop killer Troy Anthony Davis now lies with the state parole board following a nine-hour clemency hearing.

After the hearing wrapped up about 6:30 p.m., the parole board began deliberating whether Davis will live or be executed by lethal injection Tuesday. He is seeking to have his sentence commuted to life in prison, with or without the possibility of parole. His lawyers also have filed last-minute court appeals seeking a new trial.

Davis met with friends, relatives and clergy while the parole board debated, prison officials said. Afterward, he was placed on "death watch," the formal protocol in which condemned inmates are monitored constantly by corrections officers.

, including several photos of today's hearing

[mcg]

41. Done. nt

[emlev]

42. BREAKING: Davis granted 90 DAY STAY

Davis Gets Stay of Execution for 90 Days

By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News (July 16, 2007)

(APN) SAVANNAH -- Troy Anthony Davis has received a 90 day stay of execution, Atlanta Progressive News has learned.

The meeting of Davis's lawyers and supporters with the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles lasted until 3:15pm today, thus lasting about six hours, Laura Moye, Deputy Director of Amnesty International Southern Regional Office, said. After this, the Board met with state prosecutors.

US Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) was among those who spoke in support of Davis at the hearing today. US Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) also offered to speak in support of Davis, spokesperson Deb Speights told APN.

more

The Atlanta Progressive News is great and deserves our support, BTW.

[emlev]

43. Here's the LBN thread with that news, so you can K&R

Maybe our faxes today helped!

link

[emlev]

44. Story updated since originally posted

Link to Atlanta Progressive News story

[Pushed To The Left]

50. Ooops! I just sent a bunch of alerts to the Yahoogroups I'm a member of with outdated info!

That is great news, though! We should still keep the pressure on until they give him a new trial.

[TexasLawyer]

45. emlev-- Thank you!

Thanks for this informational and highly motivating post! I think it helped get the word out, and was responsible for many more e-mails and phone calls supporting Mr. Davis.

You done good! O8)

:grouphug: And a BIG thank you to everyone who took action today!!!:grouphug:

[emlev]

48. You're welcome, and thank you for doing your part

I think what we did today resulted in at least hundreds of faxes, maybe thousands. Of course we'll never know, and that's just fine.

I hope Troy Davis is getting word that more and more people know about his situation and are trying to help.

Now we need to keep increasing the pressure over the next 90 days!

[southerncrone]

46. This sounds eerily like the Phillip Workman case in TN

He also was accused of shooting a police officer to death in the commission of a robbery. Turns out the bullet that killed the officer was from another officer. Eye witness also recanted story. Phillip had a bad drug habit & a wife & child.
Phillip was executed last month.

This does NOT need to happen again.
Bless you, Troy Davis.

[emlev]

49. Horrible. Just horrible.

[ingac70]

53. The glaring differences in the cases....

Another man named Sylvester Coles went around telling folks he commited the crime Davis is convicted of, and even identified Davis as the killer.

Workman was in a shoot out with police. Apples/oranges.
I am from Tennessee, and although I feel Workman shouldn't have gotten the death penalty, he was not innocent.

[southerncrone]

57. I'm not insinuating that Workman was not guilty of the robbery,

but agree he should not have been executed.

[Pushed To The Left]

47. Kick! Thanks for posting this. n/t

[ingac70]

51. Done. n/t.

[samsingh]

54. this has to be stopped

[shireen]

55. what's next?

do you know what kind of legal support he has during the 90d stay? His previous counsel must have been totally incompetent to let things get this far, and I hope he has good people working his case this time.

[emlev]

56. UPDATE with more ACTION ITEMS

here