Troy Davis' Execution Date Set By Georgia Authorities (VIDEO)

Years of public appeals, pleas of innocence and international support have yet to prevent what may be Troy Davis' fate: Prison officials in Georgia have set the date of execution for Davis, one of the highest-profile inmates on the state's death row.

It is the fourth time in as many years that officials have set such a date. This time the date is September 21.

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, having urged the courts to grant Davis a new trial. Family members have poured their hearts and souls into Davis' case. Advocacy groups rallied. Letter-writing campaigns were launched.

Earlier this year the U.S. Supreme Court turned down what likely was Davis' last set of appeals. In 2009, Davis, by filing an original writ of habeas corpus to the Supreme Court, convinced the justices to order a federal court in Georgia to look into new evidence that he said would establish his innocence. By then, according to reports, several of the witnesses had recanted their earlier testimony that Davis had gunned down officer Mark MacPhail in a Burger King parking lot that night 20 years earlier.

The new hearing in June of 2010 gave Davis a chance to present new evidence that might help his case. He chose not to take the stand or call on witnesses who had given statements on his behalf.

Journalist Patrick Rodgers, who covered the trial for Connect Savannah, an alternative newspaper, wrote at the time:

[I]f the gauge of success was establishing clarity, the results were less than satisfactory. Even with all the preparation, when the hearing concluded, the facts seemed more obscured than ever –- twisted up by two days of contradictory testimonies that never really answered the only real question left. Who did it?

Judge William T. Moore Jr., the trial judge, concluded that Davis' evidence was "largely smoke and mirrors," according to a New York Times article from earlier this year. The Supreme Court refused to review Moore's ruling.

Fast-forward a year and a couple months, and again Davis stands at a crossroads, perhaps his last. If all goes as planned, Davis will be put to death at 7:00 pm, two Wednesdays from now.

Comments

[scruffyrawdog]

09:09 AM on 10/30/2011

Troy Davis was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers. The majority of the jurers were black as well as most of the witness's. The last judge to review his case was Clarence Thomas, a black man. Blacks that are upset about this case are reactive instead of proactive. Where were yall 22 years ago when Troy Davis trial was going on, where have yall been all that time. What did yall do to assist Troy Davis in his winning his case. The one who are upset about this wait till the last minute to jump on the bandwagon to save a CONVICTED cop killer ! wtf. For every percieved injustice like the Troy Davis case there are at least 1000 if not 10000 black on black murders, rapes, violent assaults etc etc. Look at crime statistics in any city in the US and blacks are always the biggest percentage of perps. Blacks are blacks worst enemy. Recently in Kenya, two black men that were caught stealing potatoes were bound and gaged, dowsed with gasoline and set on fire. That is justice in Africa, the motherland. The story didnt even make the evening news. No trial, no judge, no jury, no 22 years of 3 meals a day, cable tv, a warm bed to sleep in every night like troy davis, just a gallon of gas and a match. The gas and match provide by another black by the way.

[Emil Lorch-Falch]

02:44 PM on 09/20/2011

After nearly 1 million petition signatures delivered to stop the execution of Troy Davis, calls for clemency from the Pope, Reagan's FBI Director, and countless others, clemency for Troy Davis was today denied.

Learn more and take action to help Troy Davis here: bit.ly/oIzg74

[Nina Patterson]

12:52 PM on 09/19/2011

What happened to the saying that it is better for 10 guilty men to go free than to allow one innocent man to punished, especially death? The American judicial system has been completely perverted by money, corruption, emotion, and stupidity. Justice should be based on the facts, the guidelines set up by state and gov't that determine right and wrong, when the system becomes compromised than the entire nation that stands upon it becomes compromised and then no one's rights are sacred. But to those of you who don't care if this man dies guilty or innocent...I pray to God that you don't find yourself the victim of such injustice, least the public call for your death w/o reprieve.

[DidiM]

03:16 PM on 09/18/2011

I just finished reading the Supreme Courts 112 pages reasons for rendering their, 'Denial' for a new trail etc... It's clear the Supreme Court had made its "decision", long before considering the recantations of witnesses who said, they were 'coerced by the police to make false statements". Their distaste and discrimination against the witnesses who recanted their statements and throughout their review of Mr. Davis's appeal - is crystal clear. "..that even though Mr. Davis had presented, some evidence that gave rise to his being innocent", they decided to freaking 'dismiss it - because he didn't present it well enough to them!! The conveniently dismiss the fact that Mr. Davis is NOT an attorney!! The witnesses who didn't testify or have their statements freaking notarized" were clearly frightened of police retribution if they did meant nothing to them!! I was also stunned to find out that it was totally up to Mr. Davis - to prove his innocence, "..without a shadow of a doubt", to the Supreme Court! How on earth would that have been possible for Mr. Davis to do so without a NEW TRAIL? The Supreme Court demonstrated their 'bias against Mr. Davis ! The Supreme Court does not 'live in the real world' of 'police coercion' & its devastating effects on innocent people!! Executing a man when there is more than enough evidence of "reasonable doubt", is a horrific miscarriage of justice! The members of the Supreme Court should be ordered to have their heads examined.

[ninja108]

08:14 AM on 09/14/2011

This is another outrage of injustice for black americans being caught up in a web of corruption
through the correction facilities. How in the hell can the prison officials of Georgia continue to set a date for an innocent black man to be executed to death when the charges against him has been proven to be false. Troy Davis has been set up for the murder of a police officer 21yrs ago by faulty testimony of a witness who alibi don't hold water. When it's discovered that a convict
has been framed or setup to take the blame of murder, robbery, rape or any other vicious crime,
the justice dept of that state with the assistance of the prison official should hold up any death
penalty or length of time until the facts are proven otherwise. How can the prison official of
Georgia continued the execution of an innocent man who been framed. The justice dept of
Georgia need to have the prison officials investigated immediately.

[Emil Lorch-Falch]

10:13 AM on 09/13/2011

Since 1973, 138 people have been exonerated from death row. We do not know the number of innocents, who have been executed. But one thing is for sure: If the Parole Board wants to avoid a wrongful execution, they must halt the scheduled execution and commute Davis` sentence to life. There is too much doubt to execute Troy Davis. In 2007, the Parole Board said it would not allow an execution to proceed if there “was any doubt”. We have to make sure they are keeping that promise. We have to do like former President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Pope Benedict XVI, and thousands of other peoples have done. We have to speak up. Visit http://ncadp.org/#Troy_Front_Page and take action!

[DidiM]

03:24 PM on 09/18/2011

I read the Supreme Courts Transcript re: their decision to Not grant Troy Davis a new trail and its crystal clear - they don't give a hoot about 'any doubt'. They just freaking 'dismiss it' and prattle on trying to 'justify the unjustifiable and obvious discrimination' they heaped upon Troy Davis. An innocent man being executed - means bugger all to these, pretenders of upholding justice! IMO they are the one who belong in freaking jail!

[lkagel]

08:13 AM on 09/13/2011

I'm not sure where Roadgeek has been getting information, but Davis was not convicted of shooting anyone in the jaw outside a nightclub. The forensic evidence that the prosecution has used to convict Troy Davis of the murder of the police officer has all been discredited by experts. It says nothing about who shot the gun that killed Officer MacPhail. The murder weapon was never found. Even though an alternative suspect (Coles) had a weapon of the same caliber as the murder weapon (he admitted that), his home was never searched and he was never treated as a suspect. In fact, the Savannah police had him play an innocent bystander in a reenactment at the crime scene. Friends and relatives have come forward to say that the alternative suspect confessed that he killed the police officer and let Troy Davis take the fall. Going to the police voluntarily, as Coles did, does not make someone innocent. He went there to point the finger at Davis. How does that make him not a suspect?
The witnesses explained in court that they were not pressured in any way by the Davis family or the defense to recant their testimony.

[Roadgeek]

03:30 PM on 09/10/2011

Davis did murder officer Macphail. The ballistics at the scene recovered from Macphail's body match those recovered from a man whom Davis shot in the jaw outside a nightclub earlier that evening. The eyewitnesses to the murder all testified at trial that they didn't get pressured by police in any way for their testimony. Their stories "changed" after they were visited by defense attorney reps years later - (pressure perhaps?). The person whom Davis wants to blame for the shooting - Sylvester Coles, went to police headquarters voluntarily on his own accord after the murder. Meanwhile Troy Davis immediately fled to Atlanta, where he was arrested by police three weeks later. Why would Troy run if Troy had nothing to do with the murder? Hmmm.

[Lary9]

08:05 PM on 09/12/2011

I read up on this case extensively and the documentation that I read had Davis turning himself in to the police some time later. The crux of the evidentiary hearing apparently turned on his lawyers' incompetence in not calling readily available witnesses who were part of the first trial's incriminating testimony.

[Nina Patterson]

12:46 PM on 09/19/2011

It is the duty of some ppl to perpetuate or invent misinformation in order to make themselves and others feel comfortable w/injustice.

[cbrantley15]

05:25 PM on 09/08/2011

It's terribly tragic... Hope he gets a new trial...

[illinwek]

12:24 PM on 09/08/2011

This is just one more horrible example of why we should not have a Death Penalty in this country. The Supreme Court ruled against it once and then states amended law in the various states anyway.

In Illinois we had more than 20+ people on Death Row found to be innocent so successive governors have stayed the executions in spite of the law.

[Erewhon7]

03:11 PM on 09/08/2011

What's so "horrible" about community-mandated punishment for a convicted murderer?

[Daniel Kemetick]

06:39 PM on 09/08/2011

Do you really want an answer to this question? OK look. It's horrible because as a member of the community, I don't want this done in my name. I am completely against taking life as a punishment for taking life.

[yoyodyne666]

02:29 AM on 09/11/2011

The fact that our judicial system is far from perfect.

[Daniel Kemetick]

06:36 PM on 09/08/2011

Just recently Gov Quinn ended the death penalty in Illinois. He earned my vote with that.

[liyorkyoh]

11:33 AM on 09/08/2011

Troy should DEFINITELY receive a new trial due to the witnesses new statements.

[Erewhon7]

02:50 PM on 09/08/2011

Davis had his hearing on the witness statements. T court determined that Davis and attorneys have failed to present anything substantial.
Finish it.

[Erewhon7]

03:13 PM on 09/08/2011

2009. Davis and his lawyers were given another chance to present their evidence. They failed to convince the court the evidence was compelling.
Commence the next phase in the process. Now/

[liyorkyoh]

09:47 AM on 09/10/2011

I understand that but because of the the witnesses recinds he should've automatically received a new trial.

[jammer1225]

10:41 AM on 09/08/2011

i, do not agree with the death penelty. my reason is that how many people have been put to death and were NOT GUILTY ?. Everyday they are finding more and more that are indeed not guilty. so how can one just say kill them?. Its just not right. If it were someone thats was indeed proven guily 100% or admitted the guilt them im all for it but otherwise i stand my ground.

[Erewhon7]

03:13 PM on 09/08/2011

Every day???????
LMAO!!!

[cmbaba]

09:47 AM on 09/12/2011

Example: "Everyday" we are discovering more scientific evidence on, for example, how the brain works and implications of this research for the justice system. See http://neulaw.org/. Putting a man to death when there is doubt - why would we choose to do that, as human beings?

[gordie2324]

10:40 AM on 09/08/2011

It costs the taxpayers $35,000.00 a year to feed and cloth this man plus medical attention, and yet you are expected to live on your social security pension that might be only $14,000.00 a year.

[gardinerda]

12:58 PM on 09/08/2011

TRUE! BUT it costs the taxpayers MILLIONS in order to carry out the death penalty. Years pass between convition and the final punishment, YEARS of appeals, lawyer fees, stays, etc., etc. so it is "cheaper" to keep some one in jail for life, in most cases, then to execute them! As far as your pension goes, SS, is only PART of what should be used for retirement. The worker should save for his/her own retirement, as SS should only make up about 30 to 40% of what is need to live on.

[cmbaba]

09:49 AM on 09/12/2011

In California, as teachers, we used to joke (morbidly) about how they'd rather send our kids to prison than on a field trip. Prison industrial complex.

[natal plum]

10:05 AM on 09/08/2011

Flagged

[South Side Of Nowhere]

11:13 AM on 09/08/2011

One of a Democrat's pathetic moral inconsistencies isn't it? But then again, Democrats are now, have been and forever will be a morally bankrupt, disgusting breed of feral beast. Go figure.

[johnr49]

02:17 PM on 09/08/2011

The difference between Democrats and Republican/Baggers is that Dems understand the difference between an embryo or fetus and a baby.

[Brethynda]

04:58 PM on 09/09/2011

I'm sure that you thought you said something deep and meaningul there.

[sgtmike132]

09:40 AM on 09/08/2011

I don't even have to look at the comments below; but I'm sure that a bunch of bored and uncooth people are going to use this as a stump to call the party they don't agree with names. What you should be debating is evidence and what constitutes murder.
No matter what party you agree with, you should ask yourself certain questions. Is a written letter from politicians or political appointees enough to justify killing this guy? Do you make your moral life choices based on what some political hacks are given money to say? Would you agree and stick to a law,no matter how right or wrong, just because it's a law?