Troy Davis reaction: Resignation from John Lewis, and a call for a prison strike
As you probably know, the state Board of Pardons and Paroles this morning declined to commute the death sentence of Troy Anthony Davis, convicted of the 1989 murder of an off-duty police officer.
The decision was immediately denounced by Amnesty International, the NAACP and other groups that made the case an international cause – arguing that the recantation of multiple eyewitnesses had thrown sufficient doubt on the verdict.
Republicans, including Gov. Nathan Deal, have remained largely quiet, preferring the system to run its course.
The reaction from Democrats has varied. U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta expressed resignation. In part:
“We have come a great distance in Georgia, but today we have demonstrated we still have a great distance to go before we build a society based on simple justice that values the dignity and the worth of every human being. We are not there yet. I am deeply saddened and deeply disappointed by this decision, but in light of all I have seen through the years, it does not surprise me.”
State Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, called for a work stoppage by the men and women who keep inmates at the Jackson, Ga., facility corralled. Again, in part:
”I am calling for a general strike or sick-out by all but a skeleton staff of the Georgia Diagnostic Prison on September 21st, 2011. I say to the prison staff: If you work on that day, you will enable the prison to carry out the execution of a possibly innocent man.”
In a column he wrote for CNN, former Georgia congressman and federal prosecutor Bob Barr levels this harsh criticism:
Imposing a death sentence on the skimpiest of evidence does not serve the interest of justice. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles did not honor the standards of justice on which all Americans depend by granting clemency. In doing so, it will allow a man to be executed when we cannot be assured of his guilt.
That was the final admirable principle standing between Davis and his scheduled death by lethal injection Wednesday. And the parole board did not uphold it.
Commenting on this post has been closed.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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196 comments Add your comment
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:19 pm
because if there are 200 million people in the US for example…and 13% of that population are black and only 10% and 70% are white and of that 70%, 15% are on welfare (thats white folk) there are more people on welfare in the white community than blacks
I guess Frankie is trying to say the numbers are not fully representative. i am not sure but I GUESS that is what he is saying.
Is he saying white folks as a percentage are on welfare more or is he saying there are more white people on welfare period. I am too redneck and ignorant to understand his high level of thought.
hl
September 20th, 2011
3:20 pm
Not sure if this has been mentioned but the governor of GA cannot intervene. According to our US Constitution Presidents can only intervene Federal cases.
The prosecution did not present physical evidence tying Davis to the murder but nine witnesses testified. Seven of those witnesses recanted their testimony, does anyone know about the other two?
Was Cole one of those that didn’t change his testimony? .
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:22 pm
Dwayne….good thoughtful post….lets not kid ourselves here….if it were merely a conviction based on testimony I would say retrial but there is evidence as well.
Is there DNA…no….but sometimes walking and talking like a duck should convict a duck.
RogerMalcom
September 20th, 2011
3:22 pm
Ron-
I think what he’s saying is that even though Blacks make up 13% of the population, they are responsible for 78% of the crime. How’s that for math?
Warren
September 20th, 2011
3:22 pm
This is one black man that thinks the system got it right. We have allowed our culture to be hijacked by the thugs and hustlers and we do not have any respect for ourselves. It is sad to see a once proud people reduced to what we have become. We need to have a real discussion among ourselves before we compeltely devolve.
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:23 pm
Yes Roger but of that 78% only .00001% are guilty…the rest are victims of racism.
I get your point now Frankie.
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:24 pm
Good post Warren. Self accountbaility is key for any man INDIVIDUALLY and not involving skin color.
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:24 pm
I agree Frankie. I think killing people is wrong and should be met with capital punishment.
Bob
September 20th, 2011
3:25 pm
As I watched the protest and the calls to “Free Troy”, I was struck with the misinformation about this case. The opponents to the death penalty really looked bad and it was evident this protest was all about opposition to the death penalty and nothing about this man’s innocence. The defense has 22 years to prove his innocence, he has has 3 stays and 2 trips to the Supreme Court. It is highly likely that the recanted testimony is coerced or at best “recruited” by those opposing the death penalty. Mr Davis has the best legal representation possible for 22 years and they failed. At some point in time you have to say enough is enough.
Truth
September 20th, 2011
3:27 pm
Look at the prisons. That is a form of welfare. The taxpayers pay for that as well. Are you going to tell me more whites are in jail? 2 out of 3 black men will see jail time by their 23 birthday.
color blind man
September 20th, 2011
3:28 pm
All of you who keep posting false information should be jailed also. There was a shooting earlier in the night in which the same type of gun was used. The shell casings were not a perfect match and the ballistics expert could not confirm if the bullets came from the same gun. If you are going to tell the story please tell it correct. to date there is no physical evidence that has tied him to this crime. There were no bloody shorts. If there were we would have DNA dummies. For the sake of all man kind if there is no physical evidence how can we kill a man. Our justice system is is supposed to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If there is no physical evidence and just testimony that leaves doubt
Typical Redneck
September 20th, 2011
3:31 pm
Patrick
September 20th, 2011
12:49 pm
If this were a white man, convicted of killing a black police officer with the supporting testimony of witnesses who later recanted their testimony and claimed that it was forced or coerced out of them by black police officers and a black prosecuting attorney….
Then this white man would have already received a pardon from the Governor…let alone be “allowed” to rot in prison for the rest of his life
Really? Give me a break race baiter.
A dad
September 20th, 2011
3:48 pm
CBMan get your facts correct sir. The ballistic experts actually testified he was positive that a shell found by a homeless man in the parking lot of the BK/McD’s matched casings of the gun Davis used in the Coverdale pool party shooting (he shot Michael Cooper in the face earlier that day, remember?).
As far as the shorts, they were found in the dryer. Funny thing though. Only those shorts were in the dryer. Kinda wasteful to use an entire washload to wash a single pair of shorts…. And of course Davis confessed he shot McPhail to at least 2 people, one of which was his cellmate. And of course fleeing to Atlanta that night had nothing to do with it. Just like OJ driving around in the white Bronco (go ahead, accuse me of racism).
Bottom line is, there was, and still is, enough evidence/testimony/etc. to support his conviction and execution. And no, you don’t have to go to jail for posting inaccurate facts. You just don’t get to pass “go.”
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:51 pm
DANG….A DAD JUST SMOKED CBM!!!
Kevin
September 20th, 2011
3:52 pm
Doesn’t Barr mean that the Georgia parole board “did not honor the standards of justice” by DENYING clemency? Nonetheless, his point is clear: the board’s (and other courts’) actions are a huge disgrace.
SAWB
September 20th, 2011
3:54 pm
Why all this talk of race? Troy Davis is a criminal who murdered a Police Officer and was convicted by a racially diverse system. I fear many of you are allowing the radical liberal groups to bait you into interjecting race as an issue when it clearly is not.
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
the funny thing is blacks are always saying…who are we to judge in cases like mike vick and others but when a JUDGE gives a verdict they don’t like they still are upset….can you say blinded by skin color?
JR Hartley
September 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
Charges against the 7 who changed their testimony should be a slamdunk. Either they have admitted to perjury in their original testimony or they lied when they swore they lied. Jail ‘em all for wasting the court’s time and the taxpayers’ money.
Enough Already
September 20th, 2011
3:56 pm
I’m getting tired of hearing all of these Troy Davis supporters saying he’s not guilty. That’s BS! And why isn’t the AJC not reporting ALL of the relevant information about the trial. Like the fact that Troy’s blood stained shorts were found in his mother’s home right after the murder. Or the fact that Troy had already pistol whipped someone. Or what about the fact that he shot someone in the face at a party before he shot the police officer. So please spare me the “he’s innnocent” garbage. Good reporting means reporting ALL the facts AJC.
Enough Already
September 20th, 2011
3:58 pm
that should say, “why isn’t the AJC reporting all the facts.” Check the Savannah papers for ALL of the information on this horrific murder of a police officer.
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
3:59 pm
JR Hartley…those 7 people are not perjurers…they are probably black and thus innocent.
Ron Burgundy
September 20th, 2011
4:00 pm
Enough Already….its pure irony and happenstance…no way a black guy would shoot two people in one night. John lewis has always been a straight shooter who never let race interfere with his actions so i sday let this guy go!
JR Hartley
September 20th, 2011
4:06 pm
The real tragedy is that those opposed to executing murderers are usually OK with killing innocent babies.
stop the madness!
September 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
Seems that they want someone to pay for this police officer’s death and I get that, but why put to death an innocent man? Because they want a Black man to pay for this man’s death…doesn’t matter who, just a Black man. It is so amazing this country is still divided by race. This is just a modern day lynching and for all of you who agree with this cruel injustice, I hope someday when you least expect it, someone will accuse you of a crime, far be it from murder, and you have to defend your innocence. Georgia is still a racist state, just like Mississippi….
SAWB
September 20th, 2011
4:13 pm
“Seems that they want someone to pay for this police officer’s death and I get that, but why put to death an innocent man?”
Troy Davis is not innocent he was convicted by a jury that included African Americans. Stop the race bating and misinformation!
Mert
September 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
I have no opinion on this case as I have not followed it and have no knowledge about this case.
I do, however, find the request of some Ga lawmakers for a sick out to be totally disgusting. Do you know how many lives you are placing in danger by calling for this measure? How can you put the lives of your citizens at risk in this way?
rockytop
September 20th, 2011
4:16 pm
Hopefully John Lewis will resign now – he is as sorry as the day is long. And the other fool that is calling for a walk-out of the prison guards – what kind of idiot are you? When this sorry man came to court in Savannah last year he wanted the prison guards to stop for dinner – what makes him think the GA Tax payers need to take him out to dinner. I feel sorry for the police force on the streets of Savannah for the next few days – they will suffer the results of this board. My heart goes out to the family of the slain police officer — they have lived with this for 20 years – children without a father. The family of the convicted should be also remembered for trying to fight for someone they probably knew in their hearts could have committed this crime. Justice has spoken – if Obama pardons this guy then his reelection should be over by the weekend.
tim
September 20th, 2011
4:17 pm
VINNY FORT…A work stoppage? Isn’t that what you’re all about. You don’t work, you complain. just shut up for once and PAY YOUR DELINQUENT TAXES!
You are a joke….
brad
September 20th, 2011
4:30 pm
Thanks, Dekalb Man, for demonstrating that racism is very much alive and well in Georgia. Regardless of whether it’s a material factor in the Troy Davis case, it’s absurd to claim, as several on this blog have, that racism does not exist.
Emma
September 20th, 2011
4:30 pm
Wellll if it’s totally up to the officer’s mother, she basically said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth: On 9/28/08 Annaliese, McPhail’s mother reacts angrily to the latest stay “My son is dead. Their’s is alive, That’s just the way I feel.” I guess she feels someone had to pay for her son’s death…
TP4U
September 20th, 2011
4:36 pm
@gm – Correction–there are two African American males on the Georgia Pardon & Parole Board. In addition, there’s one white female and two white males. They did not disclose who voted for or against clemency; however, you need three votes to overturn the execution.
DamntheButcher
September 20th, 2011
4:40 pm
Black or White… White or Black. If you kill, shoot, rob then you are one SOB that needs to DIE. These idiots that are saying Troy Davis is innocent would have turned Brian Nichols lose. The idiots in the inner city are nothing more than uneducated fools. They all grow up wanting to be Rappers, Models and pro Ball players. They wilol say that a Black man don’t have a chance. Excuse me….. IS Obama Black? Did he come from a single home? Enough said.. Case Closed and Troy Davis will Die tomorrow.
DamntheButcher
September 20th, 2011
4:43 pm
And why do Blacks want to be called African Americans??? I am white and I dont want to be called a Irish American.. A English American. I am an AMERICAN. I couldn’t care less about the people from where ever my family came from 300 years ago.
TP4U
September 20th, 2011
4:44 pm
@GM – Please get yourself a dictionary. Your spelling is terrible.
DamntheButcher
September 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
Pardo.. What a Joke
Do you mean George Wallace the Black comedian or the former Governor of Alabama??? LMAO
A dad
September 20th, 2011
4:46 pm
Just out of curiousity, would all posters who think the Troy Davis case is about nothing more than racism please respond by posting “aye!”
Thank you in advance for your honesty.
Senator Bob Barr - From CNN.COM
September 20th, 2011
4:47 pm
Only the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles stood between life and death for Troy Anthony Davis, and the core principles of American jurisprudence should have been the board’s guide. But the board ignored those principles in denying Davis clemency.
Davis was convicted in 1991 of the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. But the trial included no physical evidence to support his conviction. The prosecution produced no murder weapon, no DNA evidence and no surveillance tapes.
He was sentenced to death on the basis of nine so-called eyewitnesses, who testified in the trial. Seven of those witnesses, however, have since recanted or materially changed their stories. The jury, for instance, relied on two people who did not witness the crime but who testified that Davis had confessed to the shooting. Since then, both have said they were lying.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles declared in 2007 that it “will 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.”
Bob BarrAnd in the Davis case, a significant measure of doubt remained.
The U.S. Supreme Court took the extraordinary step of ordering a lower court to conduct an evidentiary hearing in the case because of the witness recantations and the absence of hard evidence. But in that hearing, the federal judge established a much higher standard of proof than the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. After finding — astonishingly for the first time — that executing an innocent man is unconstitutional, the court then required Davis to prove that he was innocent.
Proving innocence is far more difficult than establishing doubts as to one’s guilt and flips our system of criminal jurisprudence on its head. Instead of the American system’s presumption of innocence and a requirement that the state prove guilt, Davis’ evidentiary hearing began with the court presuming guilt and required the condemned to prove his innocence.
Even though the judge in the evidentiary hearing denied Davis a new trial, he conceded the standard was “extraordinarily high.”
Davis was unable to meet this nearly insurmountable task. But while he fell short of “proving” his innocence, he established doubts as to his guilt, prompting the judge to concede the state’s case against him was “not ironclad.”
I support the death penalty, and have for a long time. And I am not making a judgment as to whether Davis is guilty or innocent. But surely the citizens of Savannah and the state of Georgia want justice served on behalf of MacPhail, the police officer.
Imposing a death sentence on the skimpiest of evidence does not serve the interest of justice. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles did not honor the standards of justice on which all Americans depend by granting clemency. In doing so, it will allow a man to be executed when we cannot be assured of his guilt.
That was the final admirable principle standing between Davis and his scheduled death by lethal injection Wednesday. And the parole board did not uphold it.
JSH
September 20th, 2011
4:50 pm
This guy should have been executed years ago. White or black, it should’nt matter. The travesty with this case is that it has been allowed to go on too long.
brad
September 20th, 2011
5:18 pm
Ron: Agreed, it goes both ways.
brad
September 20th, 2011
5:22 pm
Obama does not have the authority to stop a state execution. Hate him or love him, but at least get the facts right.
gm
September 20th, 2011
5:28 pm
Did this surprise any one? around the world, georgia is view as a state of hicks and red necks, killing this man shows what a bunch of racist rep conservatives that run this state. Nathan Deal and the rest of these hypocrites rep conservatives will attend church on sunday like nothing never happen.
Now if Troy was running a football for these modern day klansmen tea party hicks, he would have been freed, you had top officials around the world calling to spare this man life, but what do the white board of hicksville do, turn their head, there is no evidence to kill this man, but our rep conservatives terroist will show no mercy.
African Americans will have a better chance with the terrorist overseas then the ones that live in Georgia.
gm
September 20th, 2011
5:35 pm
Buckhead Lady
If it was not for the black men of civil rights movement you white women would still be in the background fetching beers, so you gain your rights off the blood of black men, idiot.
Patrick
September 20th, 2011
5:42 pm
@What’s Important-
The OJ trial took place in California…not Jim Crowe Savannah. OJ was a football star and celebrity, not your typical African American. And the OJ case was a circus and ruined by the jury.
You can’t even begin to draw connections between OJ and Davis. In Davis’s case, 7 of the 9 non-police witnesses have withdrawn their testimony and many said they felt forced to testify against Davis. This is a big deal. People don’t admit to perjury lightly.
In the OJ case no one has accused the defense or prosecutors of any wrongdoing. No one has said OJ got off because people lied under oath, forced to do so by the defense. Other than them being black they have nothing in common.
John Justice
September 20th, 2011
5:45 pm
The facts revealed that Troy Davis was once an evil human being who pistol whipped a helpless homeless person. I pray that he has asked for forgiveness and has been saved.
Rick
September 20th, 2011
5:50 pm
A low point for humanity, the criminal justice system, and the continuing effort of Georgia to enter the enlightenment of the 21st century on this issue. We will be diminished tomorrow.
Troy Davis updates: Davis addresses supporters, Georgia lawmakers call for prison strike, protesting preacher arrested | Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
September 20th, 2011
9:24 pm
[...] WXIA11 Atlanta: Georgia state senator Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) released a more detailed statement calling for a [...]