Troy Davis was convicted for the murder of a policeman, which he maintains he did not commit. Convicted solely on eye-witness testimony as there was no physical evidence, Troy’s case has been the subject of global debate and campaigns for years. Or rather, years and years; Troy has been sitting on death row since 1991.
Since Troy’s conviction, 7 of the 9 witnesses who gave evidence against him have either recanted or changed their statements – with some claiming that the police coerced them into testifying against Troy. And yet, Troy still lives his life locked up in Georgia’s state prison, in the shadow of his death sentence.
The case of Troy Anthony Davis speaks of gross injustice, not only with specifically how he has been treated – but more widely as representative of how America’s justice system functions. Or malfunctions, depending on your outlook.
This week, we have a unique opportunity to hear from Troy’s family, who dedicate a large proportion of their lives to campaigning for justice for Troy. Troy’s sister, Martina Correia, and her teenage son, De’Jaun, will be speaking and taking questions at an event here at Amnesty UK on Wednesday 25 November.
They will be joined by Richard Hughes from Keane, who is a long-term supporter of Troy’s case, and Kim Manning-Cooper, Amnesty UK’s Death Penalty Campaign Manager.
Georgia and the death penalty may feel a long way from our daily reality in the UK. If you want to understand Troy’s case from his family’s perspective and have the chance to ask them questions, make sure you attend the event where is the justice for me?: Campaigning for Troy Davis
i can’t understand why there are still a lot of people in prison who does not belong there…
Hello
I just wish they had come also to Amnesty France. It’s very close !
But maybe they will. I’m not aware of that.
Troy Davis: Both sides need to be told
Dudley Sharp, contact info below
Anyone interested in justice will demand a fair, thorough look at both sides of this or any case. Here is the side that the pro Troy Davis faction is, intentionally, not presenting.
(1) Davis v Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court, 3/17/08
Full ruling http://www.gasupreme.us/pdf/s07a1758.pdf
Summary http://www.gasupreme.us/op_summaries/mar_17.pdf
” . . . the majority finds that ‘most of the witnesses to the crime who have allegedly recanted have merely stated that they now do not feel able to identify the shooter.’ “One of the affidavits ‘might actually be read so as to confirm trial testimony that Davis was the shooter.’ ”
The murder occurred in 1989.
(2) “THE PAROLE BOARD’S CONSIDERATION OF THE TROY ANTHONY DAVIS CASE” , 9/22/08, http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/opencms/
“After an exhaustive review of all available information regarding the Troy Davis case and after considering all possible reasons for granting clemency, the Board has determined that clemency is not warranted.”
“The Board has now spent more than a year studying and considering this case. As a part of its proceedings, the Board gave Davisâ�� attorneys an opportunity to present every witness they desired to support their allegation that there is doubt as to Davisâ�� guilt. The Board heard each of these witnesses and questioned them closely. In addition, the Board has studied the voluminous trial transcript, the police investigation report and the initial statements of all witnesses. The Board has also had certain physical evidence retested and Davis interviewed.”
(3) A detailed review of the extraordinary consideration that Davis was given for all of his claims,
by Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton http://tinyurl.com/46c73l
Troy Davis’ claims are undermined, revealing the dishonesty of the Davis advocates . Look, particularly, at pages 4-7, which show the reasoned, thoughtful and generous reviews of Davis’ claims, as well a how despicable the one sided cynical pro Troy Davis effort is.
(4) Officer Mark Allen MacPhail: The family of murdered Officer MacPhail fully believes that Troy Davis murdered their loved one and that the evidence is supportive of that opinion. http://www.markallenmacphail.com/
Not simply an emotional and understandable plea for justice, but a detailed factual review of the case.
(5) “Death and Dying”, by Cliff Green, LIKE THE DEW, 7/22/09,
http://likethedew.com/2009/07/22/death-and-dying/
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail sharpjfa@aol.com 713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS, VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O’Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.