Innocent Man on Death Row

It is a scary feeling to know that in this country it is possible for an innocent civilian to be put to death. A young Georgia man, for instance, was convicted in 1991 for the murder of an off-duty police officer. The trial was unfair and biased. Witnesses accused the man because of police coercion, or by signing papers they could not read. The public needed a scapegoat, but Troy Anthony Davis is proof that true justice cannot be rushed.

Troy Anthony Davis has spent 18 years on death row for a crime he most likely did not commit. There was never a possible motive or any physical evidence against him, and 7 of the 9 original witnesses have recanted their testimonies. One of the two remaining, Sylvester Coles, has since confessed to the crime!

Troy Anthony Davis was 19 years old when he was arrested. He took care of his paralyzed sister during the day, then he went to work or community college at night. He gave most of his earned money to his mom, and he was a good student. His other sister, Martina Correia, has worked tirelessly all these years for his release.

How did an innocent man like Troy Davis end up on death row? He turned himself in when accused, always maintaining his innocence, but the media represented him as a captured criminal. Witnesses were told that they would be put in prison as accessories to murder if they did not point the finger at Davis. At trial no one who knew Davis was allowed to testify, so he was sentenced to death based solely on misrepresentations of his character made by the prosecution.

Later, the system was unable to give proper attention to new evidence because of a 70% cut in federal funding for post-conviction cases. Now it is the federal Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 that is blamed with tying up this particular process of Georgia justice.

Meanwhile, everyone from the Indigo Girls to European Parliament, from Ravi Shankar to Pope Benedict, have spoken up for Troy Davis. His life has been saved 3 times, yet he continues to live under the shadow of unjust execution.

On May 19th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. there will be a peaceful protest on the State Capitol Steps in Atlanta.

Letters of concern can be written to the following addresses:

Thurbert E. Baker
Office of the Attorney General
40 Capitol Square, SW
Atlanta, Ga 30334
Phone:(404) 656-3300
Fax:(404) 657-8733

Chairman Gale Buckner
State Board of Pardons and Paroles
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4909
Telephone: (404) 657-9350
Fax: 404-651-6670 and (404)651-8502

To request a Presidential Pardon, write to

Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

To sign Amnesty International's petition, visit

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=12168

What is truly beautiful about this story is that Troy Davis, his friends and family, and numerous supporters, have not lost hope. They still believe that justice can prevail.