Thursday, September 22, 2011

Stay of Execution For the Boston Globe

Still buying and reading it.  It's all for you, dear readers.

"Ga. panel is urged to stop execution in ’89 killing; Supporters say inmate didn’t shoot officer" by Greg Bluestein Associated Press / September 20, 2011

ATLANTA - Troy Davis has captured worldwide attention because of the doubt his supporters have raised over whether he killed off-duty Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail, who was shot to death while rushing to help a homeless man who had been attacked.

Not that the case doesn't merit it; however, why his and not so many others?

Several of the witnesses who helped convict him at his 1991 trial have backed off their testimony or recanted. Others who did not testify say another man at the scene admitted to the shooting.

The US Supreme Court even granted Davis a hearing to prove his innocence....   

In the land of the innocent until proven guilty?

“We are hopeful this tremendous outpouring of support will demonstrate there’s such a huge concern about this case, and that this message will resonate with them,’’ said Laura Moye of Amnesty International, who delivered thousands of petitions in support of Davis to the board last week. “The very reputation and faith that this public has in its justice system is on the line.’’

Among those who support Davis’s clemency request are former president Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict XVI. A host of conservative figures have also advocated on his behalf, including former US Representative Bob Barr, ex-Justice Department official Larry Thompson, and former FBI director William Sessions....

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"Ga. inmate loses bid to stay execution for ’89 slaying; Parole board denies lawyers’ last-ditch effort" September 21, 2011|By Kim Severson, New York Times

ATLANTA - The last-ditch effort to spare Davis’s life produced a widespread reaction among people who believe there was too much doubt to execute him.

More than 630,000 letters asking the board to stay the execution were delivered by Amnesty International last Friday. The list of people asking that the Georgia parole board offer clemency included Jimmy Carter, the former president; Archbishop Desmond Tutu; 51 members of Congress; entertainment figures like Cee Lo Green; and death penalty supporters, including William S. Sessions, a former FBI director.

On Friday, more than 3,000 people gathered at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, in the heart of Martin Luther King Jr.’s former neighborhood, for a prayer vigil and protest....

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"Supreme Court won't block Davis execution; Vigils held worldwide to save inmate" by Greg Bluestein Associated Press / September 22, 2011

The Supreme Court late yesterday rejected an 11th-hour request to block the execution of Troy Davis, who convinced hundreds of thousands of people but not the justice system of his innocence in the murder of an offduty police officer....

Though Davis’s lawyers say seven of nine key witnesses against him have disputed all or parts of their testimony, state and federal judges have repeatedly ruled against granting him a new trial. As the court losses piled up yesterday, his offer to take a polygraph test was rejected and the pardons board refused to give him one more hearing. 


Because AmeriKan justice is not about finding the truth; it's about getting a conviction and keeping it no matter what the doubt, facts, or police misconduct. It's about tailoring the case to the suspect and discarding the rest. It's about making the intelligence and facts fit the policy. And it's about letting the elite and powerful walk with a wrist slap.

Davis’s supporters staged vigils in the Unitd States and Europe, declaring “I am Troy Davis’’ on signs, T-shirts, and the Internet. Some tried increasingly frenzied measures, urging prison workers to stay home and even posting a judge’s phone number online, hoping people will press him to put a stop to the lethal injection. President Obama deflected calls for him to get involved.  

Given a chance to show leadership, he passes. 

Yeah, he's too busy running interference for Israel down in New York City.

“They say death row; we say hell no!’’ protesters shouted outside the prison where Davis was to be executed. In Washington, a crowd outside the Supreme Court yelled the same chant.

The crowd outside the prison swelled to more than 500 as night fell and a few dozen riot police stood watch. About 10 counterdemonstrators also were there....

At a Paris rally, many of the roughly 150 demonstrators carried signs emblazoned with Davis’s face. “Everyone who looks a little bit at the case knows that there is too much doubt to execute him,’’ Nicolas Krameyer of Amnesty International said at the protest....

Globe is really all over these protests, huh?

As his last hours ticked away, an upbeat and prayerful Davis turned down an offer for a special last meal as he met with friends, family, and supporters.

“Troy Davis has impacted the world,’’ his sister Martina Correia said at a news conference. “They say, ‘I am Troy Davis,’ in languages he can’t speak.’’

Correia, who is battling breast cancer and using a wheelchair as she helps coordinate rallies and other events, called on people to push for change in the justice system....

Amnesty International says nearly 1 million people have signed a petition on Davis’s behalf. His supporters include former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, a former FBI director, the NAACP, several conservative figures, and many celebrities.

The Supreme Court gave Davis an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence in a lower court last year....

Yes, you have to prove your innocence in AmeriKa.

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Update: Troy Davis executed, supporters cry injustice