August 9 clemency hearing has been canceled

On August 3, the Georgia Supreme Court decided to hear the appeal of Troy Davis. He will be able to introduce the substantial new evidence pointing to his innocence.

On August 6, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles canceled the clemency hearing that had been scheduled for August 9.

For Amnesty International's new urgent action request , click here. For  a short background summary:

Background:

 On July 16, less than 24 hours before Troy Davis was scheduled to be executed in Georgia, the state Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a temporary stay of execution, to be not longer than 90 days, "for the purpose of evaluating and analyzing" the information submitted to it during the 9-hour clemency hearing earlier in the day.  That information included compelling evidence that Troy Davis may in fact be innocent.  The parole board has scheduled a new hearing for August 9. 

Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen McPhail; a murder he maintains he did not commit. There was no physical evidence against him and the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony and, since then, all but two of the state's nine non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted 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.

Technicalities and time-limits in the Federal appeals process have meant that no court has ever held a hearing on this recanted testimony.  Now, despite these huge, unresolved doubts, only clemency can stop the execution of a man who may well be innocent.

Please send a message, as soon as possible and definitely before August 9, to the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles urging them to grant clemency for Troy Davis.

Go to: www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis

Or write to the Board at:

State Board of Pardons and Paroles
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower
Atlanta, Georgia, 30334-4909
Fax: (404) 651-5282

Act today to stop this execution!

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(July 17)

90-Day Stay of Execution Granted for Troy Davis

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles has granted a 90-day stay of execution for Troy Davis, who was to be executed today in the killing of a Savannah police officer in 1989.

Lawyers for Davis spent more than five hours today pleading with the board to grant a reprieve, arguing that Davis is Davis innocent of the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail.

Prosecutors were given a chance during the closed-door hearing to rebut the request for clemency for Davis, who was to be executed tomorrow at at 7pm.

The board’s options included granting a stay of his execution while it considers the issues.

Also today, Davis’ lawyers filed an appeal before the state Supreme Court of an earlier decision by a Chatham County judge to deny a stay of Davis’ execution.

Among the people who argued for clemency for Davis during the parole board hearing were friends, family and US Representative John Lewis, an Atlanta Democrat and civil rights icon. Five witnesses who testified at trial spoke to the board on Davis’ behalf, Ewart said.

 Update by the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

(early July)

 Washington, DC - Troy Anthony Davis may well be innocent.  He was sentenced to death for the killing of a white police officer, and the state of Georgia has scheduled him for execution on July 17.  Compelling evidence of his innocence has been uncovered, but, citing procedural bars, no court has ever held a hearing on this new evidence.

Troy Davis was convicted entirely by witness testimony.  There was no forensic evidence, no murder weapon, no DNA evidence.  Seven of the nine non-police witnesses who testified against him have since recanted or contradicted their trial testimony in sworn affidavits, many alleging police intimidation or coercion.  One of the two witnesses who has not recanted has been implicated by several others as the real assailant.  

Without most of their witnesses, the state of Georgia does not have much of a case.  This raises grave doubts about Troy Davis’ guilt.  But in our appeals courts, upholding procedural rules has become more important than addressing questions of innocence, and these doubts remain unresolved.  Not only might an innocent man be executed on July 17th but he might be executed without ever having the chance to prove his innocence.

To find out what you can do to help, contact Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, Amnesty International, USA

(202-544-0200 x 238 or 202-320-1445 (cell); This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it