GA - Troy Davis fails to prove his innocence to Supreme Court

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I think I am going to go lay down and try to get some sleep. I've got to get some rest because I intend to strap my boots back on tomorrow and get back into the fight.

Good night everyone. I'm so grateful for WS, and that I had all of you to be with tonight to help try to deal with this.

:grouphug:

Perhaps we could talk to Trisha and see if we can get a sub forum for innocence cases to help shed some light on them. There are lots of them out there....
 
I had read that Troy had refused a Last Meal as a special one. As he did times before, he opted for the regular prison food (cheeseburger, etc).

I do not know if he ate it, but there were prison officials who were apparently monitoring his food intake, mood, etc.

fwiw...matters little now. I am more empowered for the fight going forward, thanks to this case. So sorry for Troy having been the additional impetus by having to die for what I perceive as a true injustice.

I was always on his side, for good REASON.

Peace and good rest to all this night...the fight continues tomorrow.
 
I have only been following this case since it appeared in the local (Australia) paper a day or two ago.

I've tried to read up on things and haven't seen anything yet to convince me he isn't guilty. I'm hearing all the same things I usually hear from people about to be executed. I studied up on the Michael Perry case when his execution was nearing last year and the story was the same.

Now I know I'm half a planet away, but at what stage do we step back and say "actually, this guy IS guilty"?

The irony of us all (myself included) being part of the websleuths community isn't lost when I say this, but are we perhaps putting ourselves ahead of the justice system a bit too much these days?

I have a US cousin who is a priest who visits prisoners on death row every week and he assures me, they're all innocent....just like Mr Davis.
 
wonderllama said:
I have only been following this case since it appeared in the local (Australia) paper a day or two ago.

I've tried to read up on things and haven't seen anything yet to convince me he isn't guilty. I'm hearing all the same things I usually hear from people about to be executed. I studied up on the Michael Perry case when his execution was nearing last year and the story was the same.

Now I know I'm half a planet away, but at what stage do we step back and say "actually, this guy IS guilty"?

The irony of us all (myself included) being part of the websleuths community isn't lost when I say this, but are we perhaps putting ourselves ahead of the justice system a bit too much these days?

I have a US cousin who is a priest who visits prisoners on death row every week and he assures me, they're all innocent....just like Mr Davis.
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As a Legal Studies major (who can't sleep) and a person who volunteered for the Innocence Project cases for years and was there when one of the 138 innocent death row prisoners was released and held his face in my hands, I can assure you that it is always the public's duty to keep a watchful eye on our government and the judicial system. I don't know what things are like in Australia, but the founders of America and the Framers of our Constitution expected us to be vigilant in the defense of our Constitutional rights and insisted that these processes be transparent and a matter of public record so that we could look for ourselves.

I have worked many cases. I have been asked to assist on at least ten times as many as I have actually taken on. I refuse to assist on a case in which I have not read the entire record because there are so many innocence cases out there and I don't have time to help those I don't believe in, nor do I believe that I would be truly helping if my heart were not in it. Of the 17 cases I had a hand in, all of the men except 2 have been released. One I was wrong about. The other had his sentence commuted to life WITH parole, but procedural rules block him from getting a new trial.

After seeing so many injustices in this country and knowing how they happen, I am never ready to execute until the evidence proves their guilt. And by evidence, I mean physical evidence. Not recanted eye witness testimony.
 
I think this case may be the tipping for me switching my major to criminal justice. Not sure what I would do with it but I'm feeling more passionate about crime then political science.

I hope his supporters can go back and prove he didn't do it in some court or place of authority. I'm drawing a blank on the gentleman's name, the wit who said Troy was shooter but later told other people he did it and possibly threatened a witness. CNN tried to interview him but they couldnt find him.

I understand double jeopardy but if they gathered enough evidence could this guy be charged with the murder as well? I'm not optimistic that this would ever happen but I was just wondering about it.
 
greycoupon said:
I think this case may be the tipping for me switching my major to criminal justice. Not sure what I would do with it but I'm feeling more passionate about crime then political science.

I hope his supporters can go back and prove he didn't do it in some court or place of authority. I'm drawing a blank on the gentleman's name, the wit who said Troy was shooter but later told other people he did it and possibly threatened a witness. CNN tried to interview him but they couldnt find him.

I understand double jeopardy but if they gathered enough evidence could this guy be charged with the murder as well? I'm not optimistic that this would ever happen but I was just wondering about it.
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The man's name is Sylvester "Redd" Coles. And from my understanding, he was not charged with this crime. I will have to go look and find out. He did admit to the police that he was the person who started the fight with the homeless man as well. If he was charged and tried in this crime, he can never, ever be tried again, regardless of any evidence, even if someone were to come up with a video tape of him doing it. If he has not been tried, he could be brought to justice, but it would NEVER happen. Because to try him--much less convict him, the state of GA would have to admit that they murdered Troy Davis tonight and that is a mistake that they can never admit.
 
See, we're about to change that rule here in Victoria, Australia.
Removal of Double Jeopardy in cases where indisputable evidence arises and the like.

It's an interesting prospect, but also a little worrying.
 
I am so very sad. I feel shame for our country's justice system.

A couple days ago I signed the petition Troy's sister had going. At the time there were over 650,000 signatures.

I do not know if this man was guilty but I believe there was enough evidence to at least warrant another look at his case. When a person is condemned to die, there must be no doubt of their guilt. How can our system justify a law that prohibits looking at evidence that might contradict a verdict? I had read that even many of the jurors had hoped for the stay to be granted.

May God be with Troy's family.
 
Every execution sickens me. Every single one.

There is no place for the death penalty in a civilized society. We should be better than this. Much, much better.
 
I've been following this over the last week or so. I understand that he was found guilty. I thought I also read over the years he appealed and was unable to prove innocence. Why now all of a sudden 20 some years later are these "witnesses" recanting their story? Why didn't they tell the truth in the first place? How do 7 of the 9 people now change their story? Does this ultimately land at hand of the jurors? I read that some of them said they would change their vote now. That happens, unfortunately. I have no doubt that some of the Casey jurors would probably change their vote too, but nothing can be done about it.

I'm not saying that this man should have been executed, but after 20 years and innocence unable to be proven....then what? I believe many people claim their innocence even when guilty...case in point...again, Casey Anthony. What's the solution then? Life in prison? If the verdict is reversed we potentially have a killer out on the streets. And it's all up to the jury......the ones who made the decision in the first place.
 
Gardenlady said:
May you have a peaceful death, Troy. I hope with everything that your dying tips the scales in this country, and helps bring about an end to the death penalty.

Peace to both families and loved ones, as well.
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yes i hope his death was more peaceful than the two men he shot that night.


good riddance.

jmo

also Sharpton wanting to outlaw eye witness testimony in DP cases is beyond dumb.
 
I believe the first time I saw an educational movie about eyewitness testimony being way wrong was back in the 60s, when I took a psych class at UC.

Thankful for my education.

jmo too
 
I've never been anti death penalty; but this one's got me troubled a bit. I personally wish there was more than eye witness testimony...and also that they'd just granted him a new trial after all that recanting and juror regret. Costly I know but so was death row and this. This was the first execution that made me uneasy.
 
I woke up to this, I am so horrified, disgusted, and ashamed.

RIP troy davis.
 
110921110855_davis-first-trial.jpg



"I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight."

Troy Davis
 
So awful... As BeanE said several pages back, "You can't undo dead." (or something to that effect)

Until the very end, Davis maintained his innocence.

After he was strapped to the death gurney, he lifted his head to address the family of the slain officer.

He told the family of Mark MacPhail that he was not responsible for the officer's death and did not have a gun at the time, according to execution witnesses.

Davis said the case merited further investigation, talking fast as officials prepared to give him the lethal cocktail.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/22/justice/georgia-execution/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
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