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Urge Board to Reconsider Clemency for Troy Davis
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Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed on September 23 for the murder of Police Officer Mark MacPhail in Georgia, yet serious doubts of his guilt remain and compelling evidence of his innocence has not been heard in court. On Friday, September 12, the Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles denied clemency to Davis -- we must urge them to reconsider their decision.

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There are four executions scheduled this week and 22 by the end of the year. See a complete list at NCADP - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, or receive a weekly update via e-mail by joining the For Whom the Bells Toll Campaign e-mail update list by clicking here.

NCADP is updating you about the Troy Davis case because it is so high profile and so compelling. We also want you to know that Jack Alderman, who was scheduled to be killed in Georgia later today, received a stay of execution so that he would have an opportunity to make a case for mercy to the Parole Board. Since then, the Parole Board scheduled a clemency hearing for this morning (Tuesday) at 9am. It is quite possible that this execution will take place.

On Friday, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency for Troy Davis. Georgians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty writes the following:

We are aware of two entities that can prevent the execution of Troy Davis: the US Supreme Court and the Parole Board. While the Board did deny clemency on Friday, they have unfettered discretion all the way up to the final hour and can still weigh in.

These odds are tough, but they are not mathematically impossible. Therefore, we will direct our fight where we have any chance! And we must not let off the attention and activism. There are some media strategies we are working on to influence the Supreme Court. As for the Parole Board, we want to appeal to them again - but we encourage you not to antagonize the board as this is not likely to persuade them to change their decision! The board members each voted Friday in secrecy, so we do not know what the vote count was, but if it was not unanimous, then changing even one person's mind may be what is needed.

://www.ncadp.org/

Troy Anthony Davis is currently on death row in Georgia and his execution is now scheduled for September 23rd, 2008. In 1991, Troy was convicted in the murder of off-duty police officer Marc MacPhail largely on the basis of eyewitness testimony—no physical evidence links him to the crime. Since his trial, seven of nine eyewitnesses have recanted their original statements, yet federal law prevents these new eyewitness statements from being heard. On September 12, 2008 he was denied clemency by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. Learn more about this case and take action here.

Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008

Dear Abolitionists,

See "in person" action opportunities for those in or near Georgia and DC below.

Other than Georgia's Board of Pardons and Paroles, the U.S. Supreme Court can stop the execution of Troy Davis. Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. for his alleged murder of Police Officer Mark MacPhail in Georgia. Yet serious doubts of his guilt remain and compelling evidence of his innocence has not been heard in court.

There is no physical evidence linking Troy to the crime; no DNA, no murder weapon. Seven out of 9 witnesses have recanted their testimony implicating Troy, and one of the two remaining witnesses is the likely suspect. All Troy Davis has ever asked for is the chance to be tried in a court of law with the actual evidence. Now more than ever is the time for justice to be served.

Troy Davis and his family need your help!

Please see Bob Herbert's column in the New York Times, also below, and note the following, send the e-mail, send the fax, and on Monday morning make yourself heard again via telephone... The message is simple: "I am calling to ask the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to reconsider the case of Troy Davis and to stop this execution."

A friend in California called me to say that "...in reference to telephone numbers, I discovered this morning that for the State of Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the most accessible - i. e., a real person answered and spoke versus a series of recordings... Get a real person at 404-656-5712...."

"...in reference to facsimile numbers, 404-651-8502 works...."

"...in reference to electronic messages. clemency_information@pap.state.ga.us
will most likely work....

"...according to the individual with whom this morning I spoke, more than 84,000 electronic messages, more than 20,000 facsimiles and an unquantified number of telephone calls had in favor of Mister Davis been received....

"...THE STATE OF GEORGIA BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES IS COUNTING....

"...PLEASE CONTINUE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE COUNT....


Click here to read about last week's protests in Atlanta, including a fast going on now that you can join in solidarity...



In the New York Times....

September 20, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
What*s the Rush?
By BOB HERBERT

Troy Davis, who was convicted of shooting a police officer to death in the parking lot of a Burger King in Savannah, Ga., is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday.

There is some question as to his guilt (even the pope has weighed in on this case), but the odds of Mr. Davis escaping the death penalty are very slim. Putting someone to death whose guilt is uncertain is always perverted, but there*s an extra dose of perversion in this case.

The United States Supreme Court is scheduled to make a decision on whether to hear a last-ditch appeal by Mr. Davis on Sept. 29. That's six days after the state of Georgia plans to kill him.

[Moderator's note: full news entries cannot be made on this forum. Read the story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/op...avis%22&st=cse



IN PERSON ACTION OPPORTUNITIES

GEORGIA

If you are in or near Georgia, see the web page of Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty at Welcome to GFADP for information on protest opportunities.


WASHINGTON, DC

WHAT: Emergency Rally at Supreme Court: Save Troy Davis

WHEN: Monday, September 22 @ noon

WHERE: One First ST, NE (Sidewalk in front of US Supreme Court Building)

For more info, contact cedp_dc@hotmail.com, or call 202 492 0441.
__________________________________________________ ___


SENT BY:

Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director of Affiliate Support
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
NCADP - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
abe@ncadp.org
202-331-4090
561-371-5204 (Mobile)

__________________
When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.

i hope there will be justice for troy but it has to be very soon time is ticking!!

__________________
be nice to the people on your way up,because you will meet them again on your way down

Troy Davis has been granted a stay by the U.S. Supreme Court. Check the developing news at Atlanta News, Sports, Atlanta Weather, Business News | ajc.com for details.

waldron do you got mail too from national coalition to abolish the death penalty?
got today the same news.

it's a good start don't you think??

__________________
be nice to the people on your way up,because you will meet them again on your way down

Troy Davis "s case is troubling where they so called justice system was hell bent on executing him With out even looking into the allegation of cop misconduct .Proprietorial misconduct and lack of evidence and problems with eye witnesses . One was on probation and threatened by the cops with a trumped up charge to send that person to prison to state Davis was the shooter . If it is the case the cops involved deliberately lied and deliberately coerced witnesses to make false statements and commit perjury they need to be held accountable for at least at this point attempted capitol murder and witnesses tampering the statue of limitations does not come into play . for this. If it isfound out the type of criminal behavior did go on hope Mr Davs does take legal andcivil action against tose involved . If they hjad ot face a long prisn term or worse there would be less of this behavior and it shows need for independent oversight of cops prosecutors and judges .
Cop " tesitlying" pressuring people to commit perjury and "helping" in a line up in person or in photos and prosecutors engaging in misconduct of all kinds goeson every day in every court room in the US . It is a very serious problem in the US and it is not really know how many are innocent due to this kind of willful disregard for justice and too the point of letting a person die . There is not any justice when a innocent person is deliberately incarcerated and worse sent to Death ROW while the guilty part is free .
In this case it was worse becuse a cops was shot and killed so they go into overdrive to get some one and any one will do . I don 't think it is a racial issue in this case but cops and prosecutors willing to go to any lengths and violate many laws to get a conviction at any cost it could have been any one in Davis place .He just hpappedn to be a convenient target for them
Here is a list of reason for wrongful convictions and that list is growing It isagood idea to learn about the very serious problems with Law enforcement , prosecutors and judges in the US . They have far too much power and we gave it to them out of hype and fear . and become educated not just via the internet but by reading nonfiction books and other dull and stuff about the law .

A good start is The Innocent Man . It is a nonfiction account of how this goes on all the time . The bibliography has a lot of good sources and for information . They are not what you call exciting reading though .

The Innocence Project - Understand the Causes

Troy Davis will hopefully get a new trial If he is found innocent I also hope those who put him on death row are held accountable though I doubt it they just say" opps " That is a serious problem If they did serious time 20 + years at minimum . I'll be the first to tell you cops and prosecutors do not do well in prison . It might be time to start incarcerating them for their conduct in convicting a innocent person maybe the if only out of fear they will do what is right . Then it is cases lie this that is slowly killing the DP and forcing US all to take a close look at what is going on in our courts.

Why is GA s in such a hurry to execute him? It is not going to make his case and the issues involved go away .

__________________
If the storm doesn't kill me
the government will

REM

Tomorrow, Monday, September 29, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to hear Troy Davis' appeal. If they accept the case, the Court will most likely hear arguments at some point in the next few months and then take a few more months to issue a decision. If they don't accept the case, we can expect the state of Georgia to set a new execution date and move forward

NCADP - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

://www.langleycreations.com/photo/deathpenalty/troydavis/

photo's of supporters at troy's stayed execution

Questions Before the U.S. Supreme Court in the Troy Davis Case

Questions Before the U.S. Supreme Court in the Troy Davis Case | Death Penalty Information Center

__________________
be nice to the people on your way up,because you will meet them again on your way down

Dear E-Abolitionists,

By now you have probably heard that yesterday (Oct. 14, 2008), the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Troy Davis' appeal in which he was seeking to have the fact that most of the witnesses against him have recanted their testimony heard in open court. This opens the door to a new execution date being set at any point. The next step is for a Chatham County judge to set a time frame during which Davis' execution can be scheduled by the Department of Corrections.

Troy Davis was scheduled to be executed on September 23 for the murder of Police Officer Mark MacPhail in Georgia but the U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of execution. Even though the Supreme Court has now declined to hear his appeal, serious doubts of his guilt remain and compelling evidence of his innocence will now never be heard in court. On Friday, September 12, the Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles denied clemency to Davis -- we must urge them to reconsider their decision..

Please visit the web page of Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty for updates and action opportunities.

The following commentary spells out the pertinent issues....

The Long Road To The Davis Case

Oct. 14, 2008(AP) Attorney Andrew Cohen analyzes legal issues for CBS News and CBSNews.com.

The decades-long, law-and-order-fueled trend toward restricting appellate avenues in criminal cases may be reaching its gruesome but inevitable conclusion in the case of Troy Davis, a death row inmate who apparently will be executed soon despite a series of post-trial revelations about his lack of culpability that ought to shock the conscience of even the most ardent supports of capital punishment.

Davis, who is black, was charged, tried and convicted in Georgia for murdering a white police officer. He was sentenced to death in 1991. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. There was no DNA. There was no murder weapon found on him. Since his trial, seven of the nine main prosecution eyewitnesses against him have recanted their trial testimony. Some of these witnesses claim police coercion or harsh interrogation tactics caused them to be untruthful at trial.

Moreover, a handful of witnesses have stepped forward to claim that another man has confessed to the crime. This "other man," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is one of the two remaining trial witnesses who, not surprisingly, still claims that Davis shot the officer. The final eyewitness (of the nine we are concerned with) initially told the police that he could not identify Davis at the crime scene before later changing his tune at trial and incriminating Davis. Even during this new age of DNA there has been no great movement to resolve these legal and factual conflicts.

Short of seeing a videotape of that other fellow's confession, it's hard to imagine a scenario that more clearly calls out for a full and independent evidentiary hearing, or even a new trial, to assess the validity of the changed narrative about Davis' role in the crime. And, indeed, in an earlier time in our history it is quite likely that the federal courts would have ensured such a review. No more. The highly-politicized, step-by-step closing of the courthouse doors to appeals like this-the intentional restriction of meaningful appeals rights-may send an innocent man to his death.

When Davis' appeal on these issues made it to the Georgia Supreme Court the judges there denied him any relief and declared in a 4-3 vote that there must be "no doubt of any kind" but that the trial testimony was of the "purest fabrication" in order to warrant interceding on Davis' behalf. Got that? It takes only the absence of "reasonable doubt" to convict someone of murder but in Georgia to properly investigate a condemned man's strong claim of innocence judges have to have "no doubt" at the outset of the inquiry that the inquiry will prove his innocence. How, one dissenting Georgia justice asked, can anyone ever meet such a standard?

It's a game that Davis can't win; and that's precisely how leaders of the anti-appeal movement have wanted it. As the criminal justice system has become more conservative, the courts and the Congress have relentlessly created (or recognized) barriers to meaningful appellate review. The stated reason, of course, has always been to diminish frivolous appeals by prison inmates who have nothing better to do with their time than test the judicial system. But today the barriers are so high that they are keeping beyond the reach of substantive review the sorts of vital questions raised by Davis and his attorneys.

Having lost in Georgia, and at the lower federal court level, the defense then asked the United States Supreme Court to declare that the State violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment when it executes an innocent man (or doesn't even hold a full hearing on his strong claims of innocence). At a minimum, the defense believed, the Justices would look closely at the stringent, new "pure fabrication" rule the Georgia High Court came up with in the Davis appeal.

But it isn't going to happen. The same Supreme Court in Washington, which delayed Davis' execution last month, announced on Tuesday that it would not, after all, take the case on its merits. This virtually guarantees that Davis will be executed despite the grave doubts about his guilt. There will be no evaluation of the Eighth Amendment in these circumstances; no considered review of the new Georgia rule; no ardent discussion between Justices Scalia and Stevens about when, if ever, a defendant like Davis can ever get that meaningful new look from the courts.

Why the Justices turned away from a case they had sniffed at last month may forever remain a mystery. But what is perfectly clear is that Georgia has now created a virtually unassailable bar to criminal defendants whose shaky convictions are later subverted through the discovery of new evidence or the dissolution of the accuracy, reliability and credibility of important trial evidence. After decades of success, subtle and otherwise, the anti-appeal movement has just now reached its crescendo or, depending upon your point of view, its nadir.

***

Yours in the Struggle,

--abe

__________________
When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.