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U.S. Supreme Court Orders Hearing for Troy Davis
Posted: August 17, 2009 1:33 pm
In a highly unusual step, the U.S. Supreme Court today ordered a new hearing in the case of Troy Davis, who has been on Georgia’s death row for nearly two decades for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Ruling on a habeas corpus petition from Davis, the court ordered a federal judge to “receive testimony and findings of fact as to whether evidence that could not have been obtained at the time of trial clearly establishes [Davis’] innocence.”
Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.
But Justice John Paul Stevens cited prior court precedent that said it would be “an atrocious violation of our Constitution and the principles upon which it is based” to execute an innocent man.Last year, the Innocence Project joined with the Innocence Network in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in federal court on Davis’ behalf, arguing that eyewitness identification – a major contributor to Davis’ conviction – is often unreliable and that the case should be subject to review on appeal. Download the Network brief here. (PDF)
“Imagine a petitioner in Davis’s situation who possesses new evidence conclusively and definitively proving, beyond any scintilla of doubt, that he is an innocent man,” Stevens wrote. “The dissent’s reasoning would allow such a petitioner to be put to death nonetheless.”
Read the full story here. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 08/17/09)
UPDATE: Innocence Project Staff Attorney Ezekiel Edwards discussed the case on DemocracyNow! on August 19 with Davis' sister Martina Correia and others. Watch his appearance here.
Tags: Troy Davis
Troy Davis' Innocence Claim is Denied
Posted: August 24, 2010 5:40 pm
Tags: Eyewitness Misidentification, Troy Davis
Speaking Up for Troy Davis
Posted: September 16, 2011 5:54 pm
Tags: Troy Davis
Clemency Denied for Troy Davis -- Take Action Now to Stop the Execution
Posted: September 20, 2011 6:15 pm
Troy Davis himself also sent a message to supporters today, urging us all to keep fighting for justice in his case – and others. "The struggle for justice doesn't end with me,” he said. “ This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I'm in good spirits and I'm prayerful and at peace. But I will not stop fighting until I've taken my last breath."
Innocence Project Co-Director Barry Scheck discussed Davis’ case and the unreliability of eyewitness testimony last night on MSNBC’s Politics Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton. Watch a video of their conversation below.
Tags: Troy Davis
Troy Davis Execution Delayed
Posted: September 21, 2011 8:13 pm
Tags: Troy Davis
Troy Davis Executed in Georgia
Posted: September 22, 2011 12:10 am
Tags: Troy Davis
Remembering Troy Davis
Posted: September 24, 2012 5:00 pm
One year after the State of Georgia executed Troy Davis for a 1989 murder that he maintained he didn’t commit, Davis’ sister vows to abolish the death penalty.
Speaking to the Guardian, Kimberly Davis said that her family was still determined to clear his name. Seven of the nine witnesses who identified Davis as the shooter have recanted their testimony.
"They insisted on executing an innocent man despite so much doubt around the case. If those seven witnesses were credible enough to put my brother on death row, then why weren't they credible when they recanted?" Davis said.
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"My brother was murdered by the state of Georgia. For the Troy Davises who came before him, and the Troy Davises who will come after him, we want to stop the killing of innocent men," she said.
Shortly before Davis’ death, the Innocence Project sent a letter to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Troy Davis’ death sentence to life due to serious questions about his guilt. A group of organizations and activists delivered a petition with more than 660,000 signatures calling on the Board of Pardons and Paroles to stop Davis’ execution. In a three to two vote, the members of the Board ultimately rejected the clemency bid.
Read the full article.
Read more about Troy Davis execution.
Read more about the role of eyewitness misidentification in Troy Davis’ questionable conviction.
Tags: Georgia, Troy Davis