TN DEATH PENALTY BLOG
We are traveling through Tennessee's heartland and highways, meeting folks and starting conversations about our death penalty.
Previous Posts
- WPLN Keys in Again!
- NAMI Recognizes the Importance of the Panetti Deci...
- Speaking of Crazy: Fred Thompson Weighs In
- Crazy Enough?
- New Study Underscores the Unfairness of TN Legal S...
- A Tale of Two Cities, and Two Organizing Strategies
- 1 Week to Go!
- It's Never too Late to Do the Right Thing
- Free Paul House T-Shirts!
- A Mother's Plea
Links
- Abolish the Death Penalty Blog
- Amnesty International Death Penalty Blog
- Asia Death Penalty Blog
- For Victims, Against the Death Penalty
- The Real Cost of Prisons Blog
- Uncommon Sense on the Death Penalty
- National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
- Death Penalty Information Center
- Citizens United Against the Death Penalty
- Murder Victims Families for Human Rights
- Google News: TN death penalty
Contributors
Monday, July 02, 2007
Save Troy Davis
Some of you may already be aware of the case of Troy Anthony Davis, currently on death row in Georgia. In 1991, Davis was convicted of murder largely on the basis of eyewitness testimony—no physical evidence links him to the crime. Since his trial, six of nine eyewitnesses have recanted their original statements, yet federal law prevents these new eyewitness statements from being heard. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Davis last week, opening the way for his execution.
The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has created a website providing a sample letter in order for you to write to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, asking for clemency. Please take a moment to let the state of Georgia know that Troy Davis should not be executed and must be given a hearing by the courts for new evidence to be examined.
The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has created a website providing a sample letter in order for you to write to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, asking for clemency. Please take a moment to let the state of Georgia know that Troy Davis should not be executed and must be given a hearing by the courts for new evidence to be examined.
Comments
:
<< Home
Federal law prohibits the arguments being heard by federal courts. There is nothing stopping a state court from looking at the evidence.
#
posted by 
:
Monday, July 09, 2007 1:25:00 PM
:
Monday, July 09, 2007 1:25:00 PM
Why should federal law prohibit the nation's highest courts from ensuring that innocent people are not executed? State judges are forced to stand for re-election and often pay with their jobs for looking "weak on crime." The federal judges are nominated for life and therefore can look at the true merits of a case. The fact that they are prohibited from looking at the truth in this case is just another example of how broken the death penalty system truly is!
It doesn't. As you know, House allows second petitions where innocence is shown.
#
posted by
:
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 1:54:00 PM
:
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 1:54:00 PM
Paul House's case is a special circumstance, due to the existence of DNA evidence. Troy Davis has as powerful a claim of innocence but no DNA evidence to allow those claims to be heard over the extremely rigid rules for introducing new evidence. Remember, of the 124 death row exonerees only 15 had DNA evidence prove their innocence. An innocent life may be taken soon, because procedural regulations have stopped the truth from being heard.
And likely one of those so-called exonerees (Timothy Hennis) is going to have DNA evidence nail him to the wall.
You guys need to look at AEDPA's innocence provision. The problem is not Troy's evidence of innocence--it's just that the case has issues now. But it is false to suggest that no court can look at his case. They can. The courts just may not think that the evidence of innocence here is as strong as you do.
You guys need to look at AEDPA's innocence provision. The problem is not Troy's evidence of innocence--it's just that the case has issues now. But it is false to suggest that no court can look at his case. They can. The courts just may not think that the evidence of innocence here is as strong as you do.
#
posted by
:
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 4:58:00 PM
:
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 4:58:00 PM
Please,please do not execute that poor man,all he did wrong was to be in the wrong place at the wrong times.We can just rely on eye witnesses becaue they can make mistakes.If you don't have any physical evidence against this men,then release him..Please!
#
posted by
:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:50:00 AM
:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:50:00 AM
Ryanne,
You'll be pleased to note that Troy Davis has received a 90-day stay.
As for the previous post, is Juan Melendez guilty? How about Ray Krone? Shujaa Graham? Harold Wilson? Greg Wilhoit? Is your argument that you believe 1 of the 124 death row exonerees is actually guilty so the years taken away from those men don't matter? Do we actually believe that every one of the over 3,000 death row inmates nationally are guilty? Or that every one of the 1,000 executed inmates in the modern era were guilty? I'm sure Cameron Todd Willingham's family would have something to say about that. The point is, our system isn't perfect. We're human beings and we make mistakes. Without ultimate knowledge and wisdom, we should not hand down ultimate punishment. Troy Davis' case is just one tragic example. And as for AEDPA, that awful piece of legislation closed the door on a lot of innocence claims as well as calls for true justice in sentencing. And suggesting that an "effective death penalty" in any way deters terrorists (particularly those who are seeking to become "martyrs") is simply ridiculous.
Post a Comment
You'll be pleased to note that Troy Davis has received a 90-day stay.
As for the previous post, is Juan Melendez guilty? How about Ray Krone? Shujaa Graham? Harold Wilson? Greg Wilhoit? Is your argument that you believe 1 of the 124 death row exonerees is actually guilty so the years taken away from those men don't matter? Do we actually believe that every one of the over 3,000 death row inmates nationally are guilty? Or that every one of the 1,000 executed inmates in the modern era were guilty? I'm sure Cameron Todd Willingham's family would have something to say about that. The point is, our system isn't perfect. We're human beings and we make mistakes. Without ultimate knowledge and wisdom, we should not hand down ultimate punishment. Troy Davis' case is just one tragic example. And as for AEDPA, that awful piece of legislation closed the door on a lot of innocence claims as well as calls for true justice in sentencing. And suggesting that an "effective death penalty" in any way deters terrorists (particularly those who are seeking to become "martyrs") is simply ridiculous.
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
