John Lewis, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Sanford Bishop seek clemency for Troy Davis
The Georgia members of Congress have asked the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant clemency for Troy Davis, who is scheduled to face execution next week the 1989 killing of off-duty Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail.
Hank Johnson of Decatur, John Lewis and David Scott of Atlanta, and Sanford Bishop of Albany, all Democrats, put their signatures to the letter that can be read here. A total of four dozen members of Congress signed.
Among the letter’s points:
“It is clear now that the doubts plaguing Davis’s case can never be adequately addressed; the lack of hard scientific or relevant physical evidence has made it impossible to resolve with any degree of certainty.
“Over the last four years, the inability of our courts to resolve these uncertainties has shaken public confidence in our judicial system, and an execution under such a cloud of doubt would do nothing but further undermine that confidence. Public faith in the integrity of justice in Georgia is at stake and it is for this reason that we urge you to grant clemency for Troy Davis.”
Many others have argued for a commutation of Davis’s death sentence, including former President Jimmy Carter.
Worth noting is the absence of a signature from one Georgia Democrat — John Barrow — on the letter mentioned above.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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89 comments Add your comment
SWATS Guy
September 12th, 2011
3:46 pm
If 7 and that is Seven of the witnesses recanted isn’t that reason enough to hold off?
lee
September 12th, 2011
4:16 pm
this animal needs todie now!!! john lewis need to shut up and focus on jobs not helping a killer!
Phil Lunney
September 12th, 2011
4:24 pm
With the recent findings about how unreliable “eye witness” testimony is, in general, this sentence should not result in death. I understand that an officer was killed and his family wants closure, but this conviction does not seem to pass the “reasonable doubt” qualifications. I support the effort for clemency, but I do not have a reasonable hope that it will occur.
RGB
September 12th, 2011
4:24 pm
So if the 7 and that is Seven witnesses lied then, perhaps the 7 and that is Seven are lying now. If they re-recanted would you believe them then?
I never heard a reason as to why the witnesses claim they lied then and now claim they aren’t lying. Were they held at gunpoint and forced to lie? Were all of their family members threatened? Why after 22 years should we believe them? Is the crime now fresher in their memory?
I wish John Lewis et. al would focus like a laser beam on getting their president to stop destroying the economy instead of chasing cases that have been adequately adjudicated.
Davis has had every appeal opportunity but justice has spoken.
Remember Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail.
Browncoat
September 12th, 2011
4:29 pm
Was that 7?
Andrew D
September 12th, 2011
4:32 pm
If there is any doubt that this man did not committ this crime why not commute his sentence to life in prison. I’m not saying that the death of a police officer isn’t worth the death sentence. But what if somewhere down the road we find out that something was overlooked. Can we bring this man back from the grave? Too many people are fighting for this man, that alone should tell us something. As for as John Lewis is concern, he’s able to do both while foucing on the end results of each. How many men and women have been executed and we founded out later that they shouldn’t been.
Rick
September 12th, 2011
4:33 pm
Perhaps these members of Congress should use their official letterhead, positions, power and time to work on the problems of this nation rather than attempting to use their positions to influence our parole board.
Don’t think that these liberal members of Congress would stop here if the Georgia Parole Board commutes Davis’ sentence to life without parole. I am certain that they won’t rest until he is a free man, despite the findings of a trial jury and numerous appellate courts, including the US Supreme Court. The only public confidence that has been shaken is the confidence of anti-death penalty activists and those they have recruited to support their cause.
Shame on them for using their official positions to attempt to influence the decisions of our state officials of a matter of local, not federal, concern. Disgusting.
SouthGeorgiaDawg
September 12th, 2011
4:38 pm
To me the recanting of the testimony by the witnesses and now the testimony by one person that another person that was present and has been a suspect bragged about being the actual killer would make me have reasonable doubt about Mr. Davis’ guilt. Any reasonable person would have the same reaction. I hope to see the day when Georgia does away with the death penalty because the possiblity of executing an innocent person is too great and a simple sorry our mistake want bring back the innocent.
GA_Law
September 12th, 2011
4:51 pm
If Jimmy Carter is asking for the sentence to be commuted, then I am against it being commuted
NameRequired
September 12th, 2011
4:52 pm
Seven witnesses did not recant. Read the trial transcripts or the many judge’s orders and opinions in this case, not the news stories. There is physical evidence from an eairler shooting that night in East Savannah that links Tory Davis to the death of Officer McPhail and supports the guilty verdict. The rule of law should prevail.
The Anti-Wooten
September 12th, 2011
4:52 pm
@RGB, if you’d read anything other than Wingfield and Wooten then you might know that the person that many suspect is the actual killer was an extremely violent person in the neighborhood where this happened. He has in the past threatened people that were witnesses against him. So yes, there are very valid reasons why people may have lied.
Armedice
September 12th, 2011
4:57 pm
7 people didn’t recant. That is a lie. Everyone supporting this guy is a liberal and they always side with evil. Therefore Troy must be guilty…
James
September 12th, 2011
5:01 pm
I wonder if these racists hypocrites would be so eager to defend Davis if he were white!! Oh, I’m sure that race has nothing to do with it!
November 6, 2012
September 12th, 2011
5:07 pm
Why am I not surprised…….these people are “Racists” with a capital “R”.
bhowle
September 12th, 2011
5:10 pm
John Lewis cant help it if he was WHITE would we be puting his 2 cent worth in.
Steve
September 12th, 2011
5:11 pm
Just the chance of killing an innocent person, makes me sick. The society we live in disgusts me.
Tilli
September 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
Fry his guilty butt. He killed a cop. This revisionist BS.
NameRequired is correct. Read the actual trial notes, not Jimmy Carter & Cos version.
cop killers deserve to die
September 12th, 2011
5:21 pm
cop killers deserve to die a slow and excruciatingly painful death – ’nuff said
me
September 12th, 2011
5:22 pm
Rick…What a JackAss! You do show that you have absolutely no knowledge of the American Justice System!!!!
BIg Hat
September 12th, 2011
5:22 pm
9 out of 10 GOP scientists agree: pain, suffering an death are good for you. Political scientists, that is.
Howard
September 12th, 2011
5:24 pm
When I read the headline, without even looking at the article, I knew the petitioners for clemency had to have been black, liberal Democrats…voila I was right. Jimmy Carter adding to the cries for this murdering cop killer to escape the death penalty only added to the reasons I am sure he was guilty as hell. Why do Democrats always support criminals, terrorists, deadbeats and perverts?? Must be in the genes I guess…
Ellen
September 12th, 2011
5:26 pm
Do you really want to risk making a mistake with a man’s life? What kind of God do you believe in that makes taking such a chance OK?
Bob
September 12th, 2011
5:29 pm
Read John Grishom’s latest book.
Wally
September 12th, 2011
5:33 pm
I dont care if Troy Davis is Pink,Blue or RED. What does his color have to do with the fact he killed a police officer and was convicted of it.Appeals were heard and denied.You cannot recant your testimony,if you could everyone would use this tactic,especially after you agreed to tell the truth, the whole truth,so help you God.. Enough is enough,put the needle in that cop killer.It is inhumane to keep giving him a stay at the last minute before his execution days.
Barry Corker
September 12th, 2011
5:35 pm
Capitlal Punishment cases should and are settled with a beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is not a case about race. It is a case whereby our legal system should provide clemency with this high degree of ambiguous testimony from witnesses. I applaud congressmen, Hank Johnson, John Lewis and Sanford Bishop for stepping beyond the congressional veil and seek justice in this case.
Wally
September 12th, 2011
5:37 pm
Ellen, Maybe you should ask Troy that question? hmmm
Steve, I bet you would think different if it was your family member.
Let Jimmy Carter take his place. One great idea.
Jayone
September 12th, 2011
5:38 pm
Howard: Would you please pull your head out of the what you sit in a chair on. What does color have to do with it. Thats why we as a people will never move on in this world. If there are witness who re-cant and the justices system doesnot believe in the defendant. Then just maybe the board should commute the sentence. This way if proof finally comes out that he did not comment this crime the State won’t look like IDIOTS. To which I think there are still some in this state.
findog
September 12th, 2011
5:40 pm
If the seven who recanted their testimony were willing to go to jail for perjury then I might consider a change to life without parole
Chuck
September 12th, 2011
5:43 pm
How many years of appeals does it take to execute a cop killer in Georgia? How much does it cost to house someone on death row for 20 years? I’m all for due process but this is insane. We need to double our court system, speed up all these trials and appeals, and promptly serve justice.
Savannah7890
September 12th, 2011
5:45 pm
FTD – it doesn’t mean FREE Troy Davis
DO HIM NOW!!!!!!
September 12th, 2011
5:49 pm
A cop killer should be put down immediatley – no mercy – no clemency – TOO BAD WE DON”T STILL USE THE ELECTRIC CHAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Free from Hank
September 12th, 2011
5:56 pm
I am not a supporter of the death penalty purely for economic reasons. I believe they should be locked up w/o tv, radio, contact w/ outside world or interaction with others – never to see the light of day. The expense of capital trials & appeals is not worth it.
However, our Federal reps should focus on their jobs, not locally-decided isues.
kreedham
September 12th, 2011
5:59 pm
John Barrow would sign too if he was in a safe district but he’s running for reelection and he’s running scared of the tea party wing. Guess what John…they ain’t gonna vote for you anyway!. Show some stones!
paul
September 12th, 2011
6:00 pm
growing up i was all supportive of the death penalty, as i grow older and the number of death row immates that have been released due to dna testing etc. and states and state attorney’s going for convictions at all costs i wasnt there, i didnt witness the crime, i wasnt part of the trial or jury, but i cant shake the feeling something isnt right here. that gives me pause. 7 of 9 of the witnesses have recanted their testimony… it could go on and on…. to execute someone is the ultimate punishment, we as a society with our value system have to be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person is guilty. we cant undo an execution. we cant turn back time to right a wrong–be it the family or Troy Davis –to many if’s for me to be ok with the state executing him….
BlkPantha
September 12th, 2011
6:05 pm
It is not surprising to me that Georgia and even these United States continue to Murder people of color regardless of any type of evidence to show innocence. It is an injustice to the Whole of Humanity. But what’s more disturbing are the people who continue to support the system in this injustice. This people allow themselves to be used as Agents/Conduits of SATAN. The ALMIGHTY is going to light ya’ll asses up; AND I CAN’T WAIT!!!
DublDawg
September 12th, 2011
6:07 pm
The liberals will stop at nothing and will obfuscate and lie to any extent to push their agenda.
They contend that there is “no” physical evidence or other evidence to support the conviction. But the prosecution and the state AG’s office have shown that is not true, and have demonstrated that a jury could have found Troy Davis guilty beyond a reasonable doubt even if the witnesses now wobbling had not even testified.
Use google to find the op-ed written by Spencer Lawton and others that provides the balance to the story.
The AJC sure as heck has never painted a balanced picture, its writers and editors are carrying the water for the liberals.
Steve
September 12th, 2011
6:11 pm
Wally, Wrong! I would much prefer the murderer of one of my family members to sit in solitary confinement for the rest of their life. That’s much worse than death….
GA No-more
September 12th, 2011
6:13 pm
The Voting Rights Act is going to be the ruin of this country. The retention of these clearly racist congressmen in these gerrymandered districts is simply wrong. If I hear “Great Leader” about John Lewis is again, I will puke. He has a nasty attitude towards whites, and if you don’t think so you are clearly dimwitted . And Hank, do you think we should send David to Guam so he can stand on the other side of the island, to keep it from tipping over. Stop lowering the bar.
Wally
September 12th, 2011
6:13 pm
I believe that Gary Hilton did not do what they have accused and found him guilty of.Do ya think we can either get him off,set free, or at least life in prison if we get Jimmy Carter and these others to go along with it? I also am not too sure about that Timothy McVae as well.Just saying.I believe we can get some people to recant their testimony’s as well.
Bruce
September 12th, 2011
6:15 pm
Troy Davis has had more than twenty years to prove his case. He shot and killed a Savannah, Georgia Police Officer that came to the rescue of a man being pistol whipped in a parking lot. The state of Georgia & it’s tax payers have spent millions defending Davis and now you have Congressmen and a former President of the United States defending his actions ? I have not heard one thing about Officer McPhail, how his family has had to struggle or any sympathy for their loss. Troy Davis has had his day in court several times, it’s about time he paid the price for his crime !!!!
dtboy
September 12th, 2011
6:15 pm
The role of government is to protect the unalienable right to life, even for the guilty. Not play the role of revenge. As a republican, this is one of the worse things that sickens me about the party; their arrogance of knowing that people are imperfect, but somehow not applying that same belief to capital punishment. They have a general belief in God, yet executes someone as if God is present during the act. Hypocrisy. As much as I don’t like Democrat, they at least behave with some sort of conscience in such matters.
GA No-more
September 12th, 2011
6:16 pm
My last post: Please remove “is” after Lewis, and Davis vice David.
DublDawg
September 12th, 2011
6:38 pm
Read Spencer Lawton’s Op-Ed with this link. You may need to cut and paste it.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/10/21/lawtoned.html
Troy Davis is being made out to be an innocent lamb being carried in for the slaughter. It is also contended that his conviction turns on the testimony of the witnesses who are supposedly now telling the truth when they say that they were lying 20 year ago. Neither is accurate.
If you believe that Troy Davis is innocent, did the AJC persuade you of that before you knew that he was convicted of shooting another man earlier in the evening and that the physical evidence linked that shooting to the shooting of the police officer?
Wally
September 12th, 2011
6:44 pm
Very Well said Bruce and I agree like most sensible responsible taxpaying citizen should.Time for Troy to pay up.His case has run it’s course. period
What if it was you?
September 12th, 2011
6:47 pm
Check out how many prisoners have been released from Texas prisons due to DNA evidence. Eye witnesses are not always reliable, especially if the witness and the accused don’t look like each other.
TruthBe
September 12th, 2011
7:07 pm
The Politicans are correct if there isn’t enough hard evidence and seven of the witnesses have changed their stories than there should be a new trial. Is there any DNA to be investigated? And if the witnesses are found to be lying than charhes should be filed.
Mike
September 12th, 2011
7:14 pm
We have seen countless times where over zealous prosecutors will stop at nothing to get a conviction. And based on this fact the death penalty should be abolished. Who are these people who confuse politics with morality, Cops pressure people all the time to falsely testify in a criminal case. It happens all over this country. Fear always motivates people to make the wrong decision. This thread is full of hate and bigotry. It is sickening especially if the guilty remains out there. Ph by the way I am white.
lee
September 12th, 2011
7:29 pm
they had ballistics, bloodspatter evidance, and a blood type match to the victim from the blood on Davis’s clothes he’s guilty and needs to DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TB
September 12th, 2011
7:48 pm
I am white and support the death penalty. However, for it to be ,there should be absolutely NO doubt of someone’s guilt. In this case there is a lot of doubt. The Governor, who professes to be a Christian, should do the Christian thing and, in this case, grant clemency.
Barry
September 12th, 2011
8:52 pm
The governor in Georgia does not have the legal authority to grant clemency or pardon, TB. That ability rests solely in the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles.
tim
September 12th, 2011
8:52 pm
Shouldn’t some of the low life looney toon Congress members who signed the letter be in jail?
If the killer wasn’t black they wouldn’t bother.
Complaining and complaining, lower and lower they go.
Makes you wanna holler.
Jerry
September 12th, 2011
8:56 pm
I say burn his ass and get it over with.
I am NOT Troy Davis
September 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
Judge William T. Moore, Jr., ruled that Troy Davis did not “clearly establish” his innocence
Game over…the law prevails…
Hank Johnson…you are a scumbag…I hate the fact you represent me.
Republican for Life
September 12th, 2011
9:32 pm
If there is reasonable doubt, he shouldn’t be prosecuted. No matter what race, ethinicity or creed he is.
paulo977
September 12th, 2011
9:40 pm
South Georgia D
“I hope to see the day when Georgia does away with the death penalty because the possiblity of executing an innocent person is too great and a simple sorry our mistake want bring back the innocent.”
Oh yes , you have my vote!!
Don't Tread
September 12th, 2011
10:17 pm
Let’s hope justice will finally be served and this scumbag burns in hell soon…extra crispy.
rooster
September 13th, 2011
12:05 am
I have no firm opinion on the merits of Davis’ defense’s claim that reasonable doubt exists. And I am not opposed in principle to capital punishment. But as a practical matter, I have come to believe that the death penalty should be discontinued. It costs too much, it sometimes fails to account for uncertainty, and it is haphazardly applied. Think about this: Brian Nichols was sentenced to life without parole for killing 4 people, including the judge presiding over his rape case, in full view of others. He killed people in the courtroom, went outside and killed a deputy, got in a car and drove 7 miles uptown and killed another person. Everybody knows Nichols did the killings. He did them methodically and ruthlessly. No reasonable person would have objected had he been sentenced to death. That is, even a death penalty opponent would say that if anyone should be executed, Nichols should be. And yet he got life without parole. Now, how does it serve justice – and, just as important, the public’s sense that justice has been done – for Davis to die while Nichols does life? I think the Davis case is as good a reason as any for us to abandon capital punishment.
walter
September 13th, 2011
12:33 am
- 51 Members of Congress signed this latest letter, dated 9/7/2011, to the Georgia Parole Board.
Next letter should go to Obama- send the CDC to Georgia, and figure out wtf is wrong with them.
double
September 13th, 2011
1:23 am
These Dem/Libs trying to recruit all the felony votes in Ga.
bonehead
September 13th, 2011
3:48 am
There is too much doubt and Davis was convicted by the testimony of a criminal. Now 7 witnesses changed their story and all the defense wants is a retrial to present evidence not presented at the original trial. The death penalty should be the last resort for heinous crimes and beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is not. Death to Davis will not bring Officer MacPhail back but we as a civil society can ensure an innocent man is not put to death over faulty evidence and testimony.
Buckhead Boy
September 13th, 2011
4:58 am
I have confidence in the Board of Pardons and Paroles as presently constituted to give this clemency matter a full and fair hearing.
Steve
September 13th, 2011
7:01 am
Rooster…. That was very well said, and I could not agree more. I was for capital punishment in the past, but now looking back it pains me to know we have killed many innocent people with it. Without dna evidence, many more would have died. Anyone remember the Alday killings in south Ga back in the 70’s? Like Nichols, those three men deserved death. All of this to say we don’t need it or can’t afford it. I’m for clemency for Davis.
Politi Cal
September 13th, 2011
8:24 am
i.e., the “usual” suspects….
King
September 13th, 2011
8:38 am
Why is it a big deal that there was the death of a police officer. Is one person’s chosen profession more worthy of retribution than another’s?
Dumb and Dumber
September 13th, 2011
8:48 am
Sometimes innocent people have to be executed to prove that judges and politicians are tough on crime. That’s what it takes to be elected in this state (and in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, etc.
Don’t know if Davis is guilty or not. It doesn’t really matter. Granting clemency to an african-american on death row is going to cost Nathan Deal votes in the next election – and that is all that matters.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles will do whatever Deal wants — after all, they saw what happened to the director and chief of staff of the Georgia ethics board when they proposed to investigate Deal’s election financing. The Board of Pardons and Paroles will be more concerned about keeping their paychecks coming in than anything else. That’s just the way it is in the “good ole boy system.”
helpus
September 13th, 2011
9:20 am
God, didn’t say that it was going to be easy!!! do not judge or you too will be judged. for in the same way you judged others,you will be judged and with measure you use, will be measured to you. You dont know what happen. just because he was an officer doesn’t means that he was a good person. God will answer his pray,what ever it is!!!
helpus
September 13th, 2011
9:25 am
Lee, that is so terrible to say! may God help you.
helpus
September 13th, 2011
9:32 am
If it had been a Blk Police, they would grant him clemency. YOU KNOW THE STORY…
common sense
September 13th, 2011
9:58 am
“Everyone supporting this guy is a liberal and they always side with evil. Therefore Troy must be guilty…”
Wow. That explains it. Tight logic, there Armedice. LOL! It must make things so much simpler to boil every complex issue down to good vs. evil.
That being said, no, I don’t think Troy Davis should go free by any means. However, do we want to take the chance of executing him when there is so much doubt? Seems like a dicey proposition to me. Look at all of the people who’ve gotten out of jail through DNA evidence proving their innocence…
Nonetheless, he HAS exhausted all appeals, and the justice system has looked at this case from every angle. Either way you look at it, it will be a sad day for GA when we execute him: sad for his family, sad for the McPhail’s, and sad that it had to come to this at all.
common sense
September 13th, 2011
10:07 am
“These Dem/Libs trying to recruit all the felony votes in Ga.”
PoliSci 101: a felon cannot vote. So that would be impossible.
Also, for everyone who’s confused, the Governor has no say in this matter. And the Parole Board, constituted as it is now and as it has been over the course of many years under Governors of different parties, has come to the same conclusion time and again. Ditto for both the Supreme Court of GA and the Federal courts. Then the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review the case, for it seemed to them that the law had been properly applied.
So let’s not boil this down to 1. race or 2. “the good ole boy system,” mkay?? If it was that easy we’d either have executed or freed him a long time ago.
P.S. Does anyone on this thread even know who the Parole Board members are and their backgrounds? Look that up…
Wally
September 13th, 2011
10:27 am
I cannot wait until next Wednesday so we can put this issue to rest,literally. I am so tired of hearing about this man’s possible innocence from black’s.It is the same thought process they had with O J Simpson and so many others in the past.You don’t see white folks defending their own that commit such horrendous crimes.
Capsized in DeKalb
September 13th, 2011
10:41 am
Here are the numbers. It costs us, the taxpayers $35,000 per year to house, feed, clothe and medically treat inmates in our penal system. He has been incarcerated for the past 22 years. He gets better health care, he gets cable TV and internet, clean clothes and shelter ALL at the taxpayers expense.
Now, who wants to pass the collection plate to keep this guy alive? John Lewis? Hank Johnson? Sanford Bishop et al? I doubt it.
Do you know what every person who signed the petition has in common with the convicted cop killer?
They ALL are living off of our TAX DOLLARS! and will live off of our tax dollars until death do us part!
You like apples? How about them apples?
Limey
September 13th, 2011
10:45 am
The usual gang of idiots…….
quantivious' mama
September 13th, 2011
10:50 am
@tim, September 12th, 2011, 8:52 pm, ‘Shouldn’t some of the low life looney toon Congress members who signed the letter be in jail? “If the killer wasn’t black they wouldn’t bother.”Complaining and complaining, lower and lower they go.’
if the officer was not white, the death penalty would not have been levied. duhhhh.
the only thing i have is a request:: may i please see, feel, touch the letter those fine gentlemen wrote and signed asking for swift and serious repercussions regarding the aps scandal??
The Multi-Cultural Kid
September 13th, 2011
10:52 am
As a 1/8th Hispanic, 1/8th Native American, 1/8th Irish, 1/8th African, 1/8th Cherokee, 1/8th Mongoloid, 1/8th Pinoy, 1/8th Martian I think I speak for the rest of my brethren when I say “Fry the ###hole!”
Unless he is not guilty — then just parboil him.
Jon Lester
September 13th, 2011
11:47 am
When Brian Nichols was given life in prison, that should have been the end of capital punishment as an option in Georgia, and all pending executions should have been immediately commuted as a matter of fairness.
yellowdog
September 13th, 2011
11:53 am
tho i dont think a police officer is any more worthy than a private citizen who was murdered, i do believe that troy davis has been given all the consideration available under the law. and then some. georgia unfortunately has a death penalty law and given that, i think justice has prevailed in this case. it wont be anytime soon that this legislature will overturn the death penalty……….
Wally
September 13th, 2011
12:15 pm
yellowdog said”tho i dont think a police officer is any more worthy than a private citizen who was murdered”
Well what about if he killed a child or children, how about a pregnant mom? I believe you should be on the fasttrack to hell if he does, we need much stiffer laws on this, and yes Law enforcement getting murdered while trying to protect us/on duty should be included as well.
DublDawg
September 13th, 2011
1:01 pm
To the people that reference the Nichols sentence as a benchmark, why should stupid, poor, underachieving dolts in a Fulton County jury set standards and policy for the rest of the state?
Ful Co juries are notoriously dumb and averse to the death penalty. Many other counties empanel juries of people with education, pride in themselves, good common sense, and they contribute to society. They are much more capable of sorting the wheat from the chaff and deciding what is just. Ful Co juries and criminal verdicts are anomalous vis a vis statewide juries, just as civil verdicts often are. in death penalty cases, the system allows a lot more voire dire and the venire (jury pool) is much bigger. The defense lawyers have the opportunity to keep drawing and eliminating jurors until they get one not composed of liberal, underachieving mushbrains not likely to impose the death penalty.
A lot of project rats stopped responding to jury summonses in Ful Co, and the judges were not issuing warrants and the sheriff and marshall were not out rounding people up for failure to show. The result was that the venire became whiter, smarter, and more mainstream, and thus the verdicts became more mainstream. The liberal blacks could not have that, so the judges recently decided they were going to have to start enforcing jury summonses again.
DublDawg
September 13th, 2011
1:03 pm
One can tell by reading the responses herein that even after having a chance to make an informed opinion by reading Lawton’s op-ed and discovering the facts supporting the conviction and supporting the judges’ refusal to overturn it, that people would rather opine on emotion rather than fact.
The omission of the facts from the coverage of this story and inclusion of the recanting of testimony only is EXHIBIT A of yellow journalism at its finest.
Congress members seek clemency for Troy Davis | Friends of Justice
September 13th, 2011
2:59 pm
[...] John Lewis, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Sanford Bishop seek clemency for Troy Davis [...]
Bill Evelyn
September 13th, 2011
3:37 pm
John Lewis, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Sanford Bishop … This is none of their business and they should butt out. It is Nathan Deal’s decision and no one else.
SDB Evening News Reads for 091311: It’s too hot to fish…but it ain’t too hot to fry! « Sky Dancing
September 13th, 2011
5:15 pm
[...] John Lewis, Hank Johnson and Sanford Bishop seek clemency for Troy Davis | Political Insider The Georgia members of Congress have asked the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant clemency for Troy Davis, who is scheduled to face execution next week the 1989 killing of off-duty Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail. [...]
Cameron
September 13th, 2011
7:17 pm
1. Cops lie. Ask any criminal lawyer. Ask any cop. They plant evidence. They invent. They hide exculpatory evidence. When bribery fails, they torture and coerce “witnesses” and “informers.” It’s routine, especially in cracker states like Georgia. They’ve got a ton of rationalizations for their lying.
2. “Eyewitnesses” threatened by cops lie.
Therefore nobody convicted of a capital crime in Georgia soley on eyewitness testimony has been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt. If the state of Georgia murders Troy Davis, it’s murder, no matter what the howling mob of crackers says.
lee
September 13th, 2011
7:45 pm
this animal murdered a cop people he’s scum who should be bound to a tablle and cut into little tiny pieces!
Obamaniqua
September 13th, 2011
8:26 pm
“John Lewis, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Sanford Bishop seek clemency…”
Now that wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Troy murdered a white cop, would it?
John a. Eustace
September 14th, 2011
10:36 am
Anyone that doesn’t believe Scumbag Davis should be executed “SUCKS”.
Roxanne Ivey
September 14th, 2011
9:11 pm
THOUGH THE HEAVENS FALL
for Troy Davis
Innocent eyes
The clearest of skies,
Though clouded by contempt,
Incite us to see
The blind tyranny
Of terror in suspense—
The scales of justice weighted
By the jaded sway of lies,
A life held in the balance
And a cradled compromise;
Yet hope kneels at her altar
‘Til the day he is set free,
And empathetic hearts cry out,
“I am Troy, and Troy is me!”
Roxanne Ivey
Poets for Positive Change
http://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanneivey
Troy Anthony Davis: Probably Innocent; About To Be Executed | The Moderate Voice
September 15th, 2011
2:42 pm
[...] John Lewis, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Sanford Bishop are also seeking clemency for Troy Davis. [...]