Troy Davis: GA issues unjust death warrant

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The State of Georgia would rather execute Troy Davis on a technicality than allow his innocence--and the misconduct
of police, prosecutors and judges who have allowed him to get this close to execution--exposed. As Amnesty International points out, it is outrageous that the State would set his execution date before the U.S. Supreme Court has even decided whether or not to take the case. In this email, you will find:

*Amnesty International' s Press Release
*An article from the Fort Mill Times

www.amnestyu sa.org/document. php?id=ENGUSA200 80903001& lang=e

Amnesty International
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, September 3, 2008

GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S DECISION TO ISSUE DAVIS DEATH WARRANT ‘AN APPALLING DISPLAY OF
INJUSTICE,’ SAYS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
----
Human Rights Organization Demands Stay of Execution

Contact: Wende Gozan, 212-633-4247, wgozan@aiusa. org
or Jared Feuer, 404-876-5661 x14, jfeuer@aiusa. org

(Atlanta, GA) – Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is shocked that the State Attorney General’s office today has issued
a death warrant for Troy Anthony Davis. Given that Mr. Davis has not been able to see justice served, the human rights organization maintains that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles must prevent the execution.

“The Attorney General's decision to issue the death warrant is an appalling display of injustice,” said Larry Cox, executive director for AIUSA. “Given the Georgia Supreme Court’s failure to order an evidentiary hearing for Mr. Davis, it is all the more essential that the Georgia Board step in. We are disappointed by the Attorney General’s decision to short-circuit justice.”

The death warrant is dated for September 23, signifying that his execution could occur anywhere from the 23rd to the 30th of this month.

“Last year the Georgia Board stated that they will not carry out this execution unless there is no doubt as to Mr. Davis’
guilt,” said Jared Feuer, Southern regional director for AIUSA. “Throughout his legal appeals, the courts have relied on
technicalities to ignore essential evidence as to Mr. Davis’ guilt. Not only do doubts remain, but they are pervasive. Letting this execution go forward simply should not be an option.”

Mr. Davis was convicted in 1991 of killing off-duty police officer Mark Allen MacPhail. His conviction came despite police failing to produce a murder weapon or any physical evidence linking Mr. Davis to the crime. Since his conviction, seven of nine state witnesses have recanted or changed their testimony in sworn affidavits, during a time in which convictions relying solely on eyewitness testimony have come under scrutiny. One of the remaining two state witnesses is alleged to be the actual killer, but this lead was not investigated by police.

Support for Mr. Davis has been far-reaching. To date Amnesty International has collected more than 100,000 letters and petition signatures for Mr. Davis from Georgians as well as concerned citizens across the United States and around the world. Groups ranging from the NAACP and European Parliament have passed resolutions calling for Mr. Davis’ sentence to be commuted.

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Ga. death row inmate's execution date set
By GREG BLUESTEIN
(Published September 03, 2008)
www.fortmill times.com/ 124/v-print/ story/277676. html

ATLANTA — A death row inmate who has drawn international headlines with claims that he is innocent of killing a
Savannah police officer is scheduled to be executed later this month, Georgia authorities said Wednesday. Troy Davis, who is on death row for gunning down a Savannah police officer in 1989, is scheduled to die Sept. 23. Davis contends he should be granted a new trial after several witnesses who testified against him have recanted their statements.

The execution order was signed by Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker six months after the Georgia Supreme Court narrowly denied his request for a new trial. An appeal has been filed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court is not scheduled to discuss the case until days after the impending execution.

The state's decision drew a sharp rebuke from Amnesty International, a human rights group that has worked to draw media and public attention to the case.

"We're shocked and appalled that the attorney general short-circuited justice by setting an execution before letting the Supreme Court weigh in," said Jared Feuer, the group's southern regional director.

Another inmate, Jack Alderman, is scheduled to die Sept. 16 for the 1974 killing of his wife in Chatham County. Alderman's challenge to the state's three-drug method of lethal injection was rejected by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday.

Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of 27-year-old officer Mark MacPhail, who was working off-duty as a security guard at a bus station. MacPhail had rushed to help a homeless man who had been pistol-whipped at a nearby parking lot, and when he approached Davis and two other men, he was shot in the face and the chest.

Witnesses identified Davis as the shooter. A jury convicted him in 1991 and sentenced him to death. At the trial, prosecutors said he wore a "smirk on his face" as he fired the gun, according to records.

But Davis' lawyers say new evidence could exonerate their client and prove that he was a victim of mistaken identity.

Several witnesses who initially testified against Davis have since recanted or contradicted their testimony. And three others who did not testify have said another man, Sylvester "Red" Coles - who testified against Davis at the trial - confessed to the killing.

Coles refused to talk about the case when contacted by The Associated Press during a 2007 Chatham County court appearance on an unrelated traffic charge, and he has no listed phone number.

Prosecutors have called the witness statements "suspect," and contended in court hearings the case is closed.

They also say some of the witness affidavits simply repeat what a trial jury has already heard, while others are irrelevant because they come from witnesses who never testified.

Davis was one day away from being put to death July 2007 when the state Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a stay of execution.

The state's top court rejected Davis' appeal in March and a plea to reconsider the ruling in April by identical 4-3 votes. The Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss whether to hear the case at a Sept. 29 conference.

The Attorney General's office said the state does not need to wait for the Supreme Court to act, and that Davis has already completed "the regular appeal track." Davis supporters, meanwhile, urge the Supreme Court to stay the execution until it can consider the case.

"We would hope the U.S. Supreme Court would grant a stay to allow their decision to be issued," said Feuer. "And I do have to say we are absolutely shocked that the attorney general would not allow legal avenues to be pursued."