In just over a week, Georgia may execute an innocent man. Can you make a call right now to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles to ask them to spare the life of Troy Anthony Davis?
Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of a police officer in Savannah; 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 that was full of inconsistencies. Since then, all but two of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted their testimony. Many have sworn in affidavits that police pressured or coerced them into testifying or signing statements. Former FBI director William Sessions told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Serious questions have been raised about Davis' guilt. It would be intolerable to execute an innocent man."
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles is meeting today to decide Troy Davis' fate. Can you call them right now and ask them to spare his life? Call (404) 651-6599 and tell them you are for clemency or commutation for Troy Davis because you don't want Georgia to make the mistake of executing an innocent man.
Once you've called, please let us know by sending an email to calls@colorofchange.org. Then, please pass this on to your friends and family--Troy Davis needs all the help he can get.
Last summer, the day before Troy Davis' original execution date of July 17, 2007, ColorOfChange.org members flooded the phone lines of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles asking for clemency for Troy Davis. The board granted him a stay of execution stating, "the board 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." The Georgia Supreme Court and US Supreme Court have refused to hear new evidence in the case--ensuring that doubts about his guilt will always remain.
Once again, Troy Davis' life is in the hands of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. They are meeting today to decide whether to move forward with his execution. Every ounce of pressure will be needed to reverse the course of this injustice.
Can you take a moment to call the board and ask them to commute the death sentence of Troy Davis? Call (404) 651-6599 and tell them to grant Troy Davis clemency or commute his sentence. Then let us know you called by sending an email to calls@colorofchange.org.
Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, Kai, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
September 12th, 2008
For more information about the Troy Davis case, please click on the links below.
1. "Troy Davis -- Finality over Fairness," Amnesty International USA
http://tinyurl.com/42z2tp 2. "Davis execution scheduled; 7 witnesses have recanted," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/03/08
http://tinyurl.com/68r5e5 3. "As execution nears, last push from inmates' supporters," New York Times, 7/15/07
http://tinyurl.com/6xou5x 4. "Execution of Georgia man near despite recantations," Washington Post, 7/16/07
http://tinyurl.com/699lvl 5. "New Round for Davis," Savannah Morning News, 7/18/07
http://savannahnow.com/node/327610 I don't know about you but when I read this, I found this disturbing. Not so much that it happened because most of us know someone (or are someone) caught in the trap of the prison-industrial complex; but that in this day and age that we are so openly railroaded to the execution chamber.
Any thoughts?
Posted By: Dr. S. Maxwell Hines
Friday, September 12th 2008 at 8:21PM
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