Truemors
I received the following very heartbreaking news regarding Georgia death row inmate, Troy Davis, today:
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Thanks for taking the time to support justice for Troy Davis and Officer MacPhail. If you have not already done so, please forward this urgent action (http://www.amnestyu sa.org/troydavis) to all of your friends.
In solidarity,
The Campaign to Abolish the Death Penalty
Amnesty International USA
Your message was sent to:
Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
On October 14, the U.S. Supreme Court also refused to hold a hearing on the case of Troy Davis. That means that now, no court of law will ever hold a hearing on evidence that has raised serious doubts about his guilt. In July 2007, you stated that the Board "will not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused." While I was deeply disappointed when you denied clemency to Troy Anthony Davis on September 12 of this year, I understand you can reconsider this decision at any time. Please do so.
Doubts of Troy Davis’ guilt will always remain. In their dissent from the March 2008 ruling denying Troy Davis a new trial or hearing, three members of the Georgia Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, expressed serious concerns that doubts about guilt had not been resolved. And now, they never will be.
People in Georgia and throughout the United States are seriously disturbed by the thought of an innocent man being executed. Nothing can undermine public faith in a criminal justice system faster than an execution when there are still serious doubts about guilt. Your power to grant clemency exists to prevent such an irreversible error and preserve public faith in the state’s justice system.
My confidence in Georgia criminal justice has been shaken to the core by this case. I believe it is vital that you exercise your power of clemency in this case. I urge you to reconsider your decision, and to stop the execution of Troy Davis.
Thank you for your consideration
Sincerely
Leonna A. Brandao
Haverhill St.
Brockton, MA 02301
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This is a sad day for justice in America. This is a sad day for race relations in my beloved country. This is a sad day for death penalty opponents. This is a sad day for all the men and women on death row who hope that their DNA and other new evidence will be examined before they are killed by the State -- evidence that was unavailable when they were sentenced. This is a sad day for democracy.
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