Troy Davis in spotlight again as execution nears - The Associated Press
Davis, convicted of the 1989 killing of an off-duty Savannah police officer, has steadfastly maintained his innocence. In the decades since his conviction, his case has become somewhat of a cause célèbre, with former President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and even Pope Benedict XVI, among others, urging the courts to grant Davis a new trial. Advocacy groups rallied. Letter-writing campaigns were launched.
In 2009 Davis, by filing an original writ of habeas corpus with the U.S. Supreme Court, convinced the justices to order a federal court in Georgia to look into new evidence that he said would establish his innocence. Earlier this year the Supreme Court turned down what likely was Davis’ last set of appeals.
Some of the witnesses in the case against Davis have recanted their testimony. Even with that evidence, Judge William T. Moore Jr., the trial judge, concluded that Davis’ evidence was “largely smoke and mirrors” and ruled against a new trial.
The time for action is now! Here’s what you can do to join the fight:
- Sign the petition to the Board of Pardons & Paroles urging them to grant clemency! Your signatures will be delivered week of Sept. 12th.
- Organize locally for Troy: Take to the streets with us. Soon we’ll be announcing the date for the official Troy Davis Day of Action. Sign up now to rally in the coming days to stop the execution of Troy Davis.
- Tell everyone you know! Spread the word about this injustice on Twitter by using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt. Be sure to tell your Facebook friends Troy’s story too!
An execution date for Troy Davis has been set, but an execution is NOT inevitable.
