Rest in Peace: Troy Davis (1968-2011)

The state of Georgia carried out the death penalty on Troy Davis on this date in 2011.   He was declared dead at 11:08 pm ET on September 21, 2011.  Not much else to say at this point.
  

May God have mercy on his soul.

Supreme Court Issues 7-Day Reprieve on Troy Davis Execution

It appears that the voice of the people was heard by the Supreme Court of the United States. Troy Davis was scheduled for execution at 7:00pm ET today. Our understanding is that the Supreme Court has issued a reprieve that could last a few hours ... or up to seven days. The reprieve gives the SCOTUS a chance to review the petition for a stay of execution.   

Oddly enough, it appears that Justice Clarence Thomas may be the one trying to get consensus from his peers on the court.    Clarence Thomas was born and raised in Georgia.  Perhaps this will be an opportunity for Clarence Thomas to do the right thing for Black people.

Troy Davis can still be executed if the Georgia authorities decide to do so.

It appears that the Georgia parole board had a close vote, 3-to-2, to deny clemency to Davis. There were people in that room who had doubts about his conviction. There is simply too much doubt to put this man to death.

The news on this case flowed through the Internet much quicker than I saw it on either cable or network television. I followed the flow on Twitter and with the live streaming taking place on Democracy Now in front of the Georgia prison where the execution was scheduled to take place.

Too Much Doubt: Stop Death Penalty Execution of Troy Davis

This blog has been following the tragic story of Troy Davis for a couple of years now. It is a sad day in America as we learn that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny clemency to Troy Davis.

This means that very little is standing in the way of the state of Georgia executing a potentially innocent man this Wednesday, September 21 st at 7pm.

There is simply too much doubt in the case against Troy Davis to allow for this execution to go forward. However, it appears that the state of Georgia and Chatham County (Savannah) District Attorney Larry Chisolm don't intend to do anything to put brakes on a runaway justice system that is calling for Troy's execution. They have until the final moments before Troy's scheduled execution to put the brakes on this runaway justice system.

Amnesty International plans to fight the scheduled execution down to the last minute. This blog will join them in their call to action. We encourage all villagers to contact Georgia's District Attorney and urge him to stop the execution of Troy Davis.


Make the state of Georgia hear you! Tell them that executing Troy Davis will only deepen the cycle of violence and injustice.

Too Much Doubt for Us to Execute Troy Davis (VIDEO: Jasiri X)

Georgia's Board of Pardons & Paroles will hold a final clemency hearing tomorrow -- a final chance to prevent the execution of Troy Davis. The Board of Pardons claims that the execution would only take place if there is “no doubt” about the guilt of the man they are killing.


Our prayers are with both families who have been torn apart by this tragedy.  You see, we understand the grief and despair felt by Michael McPhail's mother.   Her son was the off-duty cop killed in August 1989.  McPhail's family is looking forward to the execution scheduled for September 21.   They feel it will be some form of 'justice' and 'closure'. 

However, this blog along with many other villagers think that there is 'too much doubt':

1. Of the nine original witnesses in the case, seven have either recanted or contradicted their original stories. One witness said in a CNN news interview "If I knew then, what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row."
2. Of the two witnesses who have not recanted, one of them (Sylvester Coles) was a suspect in the murder. A witness even claimed that Coles bragged at a party about having killed an off-duty police officer.
3. Nine individuals have signed affidavits indicting that the murder was committed by Sylvester Coles

Troy Davis survived three previous execution dates .... but, in order to do so again it will take action by all of us. Here are some ways that you can help.

1. Request clemency from the Board of Pardons
2. Sign Amnesty International petition to the Board of Pardons
3. Sign Your Black World petition to the Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and President Barack Obama
4. Send a message of support to Troy as he fights for justice on what may be the final days of his life: http://action.naacp.org/LettersOfSupport 
5. Sign the name wall, if you haven't already. And if you have, send it to your friends and family. Each name means a more united front for justice: http://action.naacp.org/Name-Wall
6. Tell everyone you know! Spread the word about this injustice on Twitter by using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt. Be sure to tell your Facebook friends as well.
   

Please take action to help us save the life of Troy Davis.

Almost 50 Members of Congress Want Clemency for Troy Davis

Soulclap to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for telling us that four dozen members have asked the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant clemency for Troy Davis, who is scheduled to face execution on September 21st for the 1989 killing of off-duty Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail.

The letter signed by the Congressional representatives can be read here.

This blog hopes that the momentum to get Troy Davis off death row continues in the next few days. Please do anything that you can to help this cause!

Troy Davis Scheduled for Execution on September 21st

We are very sad to learn that the state of Georgia plans to execute Troy Davis on September 21st. Most villagers know that Troy Davis has been on death row in the state of Georgia since 1991. He was convicted on August 19, 1989 of the murder of Georgia police officer, Mark MacPhail.

On August 24, 2010, the conviction was upheld, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia declaring, “Davis is not innocent.” The judge did not say that Davis is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, implying that the standard for exoneration had been lifted unreasonably high.

The Supreme Court refused to hear his final appeal -- even though many of us feel that Troy Davis is innocent of all charges.

Georgia's Board of Pardons & Paroles will hold a final clemency hearing in the next week or so -- a final chance to prevent the execution of Troy Davis. The Board of Pardons claims that the execution would only take place if there is “no doubt” about the guilt of the man they are killing.

Many villagers think that there is 'plenty of doubt':

1. Of the nine original witnesses in the case, seven have either recanted or contradicted their original stories. One witness said in a CNN news interview "If I knew then, what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row."
2. Of the two witnesses who have not recanted, one of them (Sylvester Coles) was a suspect in the murder. A witness even claimed that Coles bragged at a party about having killed an off-duty police officer.
3. Nine individuals have signed affidavits indicting that the murder was committed by Sylvester Coles

Troy Davis survived three previous execution dates .... but, in order to do so again it will take action by all of us. Here are some ways that you can help.

1. Request clemency from the Board of Pardons
2. Sign Amnesty International petition to the Board of Pardons
3. Sign Your Black World petition to the Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and President Barack Obama
4. Organize locally for Troy. Sign up now to rally in the coming days to stop the execution of Troy Davis.
5. Tell everyone you know! Spread the word about this injustice on Twitter by using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt. Be sure to tell your Facebook friends as well.
   

Please take action to help us save the life of Troy Davis.

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal by Troy Davis

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis, clearing the way for the state to resume planning for Davis’ execution.

The justices refused to order the federal appeals court in Atlanta to examine Davis’ case and they declined to do so themselves.

In 2009, the high court ordered a federal judge to examine evidence Davis said would show he was innocent of the 1989 killing for which he has been sentenced to death.

But the judge decided last year that Davis had failed to clear his name. At the moment, executions are on hold in Georgia after federal agents seized the state’s supply of a key lethal injection drug.

Jessie Dotson Goes to Death Row for First Degree Murder in the Lester Street Massacre [VIDEO]

Villagers may recall that this blog provided the horrific details of the Lester Street Massacre that took place March 2008 in Memphis, TN. Jessie Dotson was arrested in connection with the deaths of six people, including two children.

He had his day in court. Villagers can view the full video of his 74 minutes testimony or the news clip version (shown below):





The jury in his trial found him guilty on six counts of first degree murder and another three counts of first degree attempted murder in the attacks on three children who survived the massacre. Some of the surviving children testified against their "Uncle Junior" in the 10-day trial that concluded earlier today. [SOURCE]

The judge told Jessie Dotson that he would die by lethal injection, concluding with the single comment, "May God to have mercy on Dotson's soul."

This blog has been known to fight against the death penalty in the past. However, we will not have any protest to the lethal injection taking place for Jessie Dotson. He is truly an evil man who forfeited his human rights when he went on his murderous Lester Street rampage two years ago.

Death Row Inmate Troy Davis Fails to Prove Innocence

Soulclap to NAACP Wichita Branch for sharing breaking news about a death penalty case that this blog has been tracking over the past couple of years.

Judge William T. Moore ruled that Troy Davis did not "clearly establish" his innocence. Because of the ruling, the State of Georgia will make plans to carry out the death sentence and set a new execution date.

The June evidentiary hearing was not a new trial, Troy Davis had no presumption of innocence and was limited in what able to be presented. And while he was still able to produce four witnesses who testified under oath that they lied at Troy's trial and yet others implicated the alternative suspect, he was unable to meet the very high standard set to prove his innocence.

Troy Davis's legal team has stated that they plan to appeal the ruling.

Troy Davis Fights Death Penalty in Federal Court

Villagers should know that an evidentiary hearing for death row inmate Troy Davis is taking place today in a Savannah federal district court. According to his sister, Martina Correia, Mr. Davis is in a great spirit and prayerful about the pending outcome.

“Troy is in total prayer, asking God to deliver him. He says people keep asking him why he’s not upset or broken down by now. It is because he believes God is protecting him," said Ms. Correia. [SOURCE]

Today's hearing was ordered last year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Troy was sentenced to death for the 1991 killing of Mark McPhail, a police officer in Savannah, Georgia. We have posted before that the State of Georgia should not kill Troy Davis because there is no physical evidence tying him to the crime and seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

The high court ordered a federal judge in Georgia to determine whether there is evidence "that could not have been obtained at the time of trial (that) clearly establishes petitioner's innocence."

For more information please log on to: www.troyanthonydavis.org or read past Electronic Village blog posts.

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Troy Davis

Villagers will be happy to know that the U.S. Supreme Court today announced that Troy Davis will finally get his day in court ... and a chance to prove his innocence. The court ordered a federal judge in Georgia to review the overwhelming evidence of Troy's innocence.

Troy was sentenced to death for the 1991 killing of Mark McPhail, a police officer in Savannah, Georgia. We have posted before that the State of Georgia should not kill Troy Davis because there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime and seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

The high court ordered a federal judge in Georgia to determine whether there is evidence "that could not have been obtained at the time of trial (that) clearly establishes petitioner's innocence."

"The substantial risk of putting an innocent man to death clearly provides an adequate justification for holding an evidentiary hearing," said Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the court. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer concurred with Stevens.

Davis' attorneys have delayed his execution three times by raising doubts about those witnesses. But state and federal courts have denied Davis' request for a new trial, and Georgia officials have repeatedly rejected calls for clemency.

The case has attracted worldwide attention, with calls to stop Davis' execution from former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Desmond Tutu.

Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented from the decision to order an evidentiary hearing.

Scalia said, "every judicial and executive body that has examined petitioner's claim has been unpersuaded ... Davis' claim is a sure loser ... transferring his petition to the District Court is a confusing exercise that can serve no purpose except to delay the state's execution of its lawful criminal judgment."

Davis' family said the ruling gives them hope that he could be exonerated.

"I'm always optimistic," said his sister Martina Correia, who has traveled around the world advocating for his case. "This means he gets another chance. And we're going to keep fighting for that chance."

State officials welcomed the ruling.

"Hopefully, this hearing will resolve the doubts about the verdict handed down by the Chatham County jury 18 years ago," Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker said in a statement.

Villager's Voice: Today is a good day! The Supreme Court is finally going to give Troy a chance to present this evidence and prove his innocence! That's a victory for Troy and his family — and for all villagers.

25-Day Stay of Execution: Troy Davis

After the Supreme Court refused to hear the Troy Davis appeal for a new trial, Georgia scheduled a new date for his execution - Monday, October 27. However, this morning the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 25-day stay of execution.

Many Sojourners and villagers have been following this story, writing letters, and signing petitions urging that Troy's execution be stayed. We will continue to use our blog to keep you informed.

Execution of Troy Davis

As you may already know, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Troy Davis' case. Hence, Georgia Department of Corrections re-scheduled the execution for October 27, 2008.

Many of us believe that Troy Davis was improperly convicted. Davis is Black, and he is accused of killing a white police officer, Mark MacPhail, in Savannah, Ga., in 1989. There is no physical evidence linking him to the crime--no murder weapon, no fingerprints or DNA, no tests showing gunpowder residue.

Davis was convicted entirely because of eyewitness testimony. But seven of the nine witnesses who testified against Davis have since recanted, with many saying they were coerced by police who were frantic to pin the murder of a fellow officer on someone. Of the two witnesses who stick to their stories, one at first couldn't identify Davis for police, and the other, Sylvester Coles, was initially the cops' prime suspect. In the years since, five people have come forward to say they heard Coles admit he killed MacPhail.

The Atlanta district attorney sees it differently.

If you believe Troy Davis is innocent and will be wrongly executed, please act now.

Contact Carlo Musso. Dr. Musso's company has a contract with the GA Department of Corrections (GDC) to participate in executions. GDC policy dictates that two doctors must be present to allow for an execution to be carried out. This is of course in addition to the other medical professionals who facilitate executions including nurses that prepare the IVs through which poison will flow to Troy Davis' veins.

Please take a moment to send a letter (sample below) to Dr. Musso, president of Rainbow Medical Associates and ask him to remember his humanity and decide NOT to participate in the execution of a man who may be innocent.

The American Medical Associate Code of Medical Ethics explicitly provide that "A physician, as a member of the profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, should not be a participant in a state execution." With these letters, we can remind Dr. Musso of his oath to facilitate healing, not killing.

You can fax Dr. Musso the letter on (770) 692-4754.

You can send the letter to him via the Internet: copy and paste the letter in their online contact form

Here is the sample letter:

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SAMPLE LETTER

October 16, 2008
Carlo Musso, MD.
President, Rainbow Medical Associates
c/o CorrectHealth
9020 Peridot Parkway
Stockbridge, GA 30281

Dear Dr. Musso,

We are writing today to urge you and your company, Rainbow Medical Associates, to decline involvement with the pending execution of Troy Anthony Davis on October 27, 2008 at 7:00pm at Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia.

The execution of Troy Davis would be immoral and wrong. Almost all of the witnesses against him have recanted or changed their stories and no physical evidence was used to convict him. The courts and the parole board have failed to use their power to prevent this imminent miscarriage of justice. However, Troy Davis' execution cannot take place unless human beings participate. You can refuse to help the state of Georgia put Troy Davis to death.

The American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics explicitly provides that "A physician, as a member of the profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, should not be a participant in a state execution." We implore you to remember your humanity and respect you and your firm's oath to facilitate healing, not killing.

We thank you in advance for choosing not to participate in the execution of a man who may well be innocent. Such an act would be irreversible, immoral and deeply damaging to the reputation of our state and the confidence in our justice system.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Address
Email or Phone Number

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If you aren't able to send a letter ... then please send a prayer for Troy Davis and his family.

Stay of Execution: Troy Davis

UPDATE: STAY OF EXECUTION!! The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed Troy Davis' execution until Monday, September 29. You can read more here.

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Troy Davis was scheduled to be executed by the state of Georgia on September 23, even though his serious claims of innocence have never been heard in court.

Take action right now to stop this execution!
Troy Davis was convicted of murder solely on the basis of witness testimony, and seven of the nine non-police witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony, several citing police coercion. Others have signed affidavits implicating one of the remaining two witnesses as the actual killer. But due to an increasingly restrictive appeals process, none of this new evidence has ever been heard in court.

On July 16, 2007, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles stayed Troy Davis’ execution, stating that it would “not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused". The failure of courts to hear the compelling evidence of innocence in this case means that massive doubts about Troy Davis’ guilt will remain unresolved.

Kenneth Foster Will Live!

The brother made some bad decisions as a youth. However, he didn't deserve to lose his life at the hands of the state for a crime in which he didn't have the gun that took the life. He does deserve to be in jail for a very long time. Texas governor Rick Perry felt the same way. As a result, Kenneth Foster will live.
In a last ditch appeal from supporters around the world to save Foster's life, along with recommendations from the Texas Pardons and Parole Board, Gov. Perry stayed the execution, that had been set to take place tonight ... he commuted Foster's sentence to life.

"After carefully considering the facts of this case, along with the recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, I believe the right and just decision is to commute Foster's sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment," Perry said in a statement.

"I am concerned about Texas law that allowed capital murder defendants to be tried simultaneously and it is an issue I think the legislature should examine."

The AfroSpear caused me to make a phone call earlier this morning to the governor's office. I spoke with a harried receptionist who asked if I was in favor or against the execution. She indicated that she was keeping a "tally". Evidently, the tally was part of the flow of information to the governor that made the difference. Kenneth Foster should be glad that this Texas governor isn't running for president. The last Texas governor to run for president didn't have that level of compassion or reason.

Anyhow, much love to Eddie Griffin for leading the charge here in the afrosphere to raise this issue to an international audience.

Shaquanda Cotton, Hot Ghetto Mess, Kenneth Foster. When the history is told by cyberspace griots in the future it appears that we will have many positive moments to reflect on. Kenneth Foster being alive should be part of our cyberspace griot's story.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on this case and today's outcome!