Good News! On Friday, August 3rd, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that they are willing to hear Troy Davis' appeal to present new evidence! But the possibility of Troy's execution has not yet gone away.
» Sign the Petition that FAIRNESS MATTERS»
Read AIUSA's press release
Background
Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen McPhail at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia; a murder he maintains he did not commit. There was no physical evidence against him and the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony. Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.
Restrictions on Federal appeals have prevented Davis from having a hearing in federal court on the reliability of the witness testimony used against him, despite the fact that most of the witnesses have since recanted, many alleging they were pressured or coerced by police. Davis remains on Georgia death row, and may be scheduled for execution in the near future.
One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles – the principle alternative suspect, according to the defense, against whom there is new evidence implicating him as the gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles.
No comments:
Post a Comment