Troy Davis Put To Death in Georgia

[tropicsgoddess]

I support the death penalty to take down those that can kill again in cold blood. However, I have to say that there are some flaws in some cases regarding the death penalty. In this case, Troy Davis, a man accused of murdering a cop, Mark McPhail in 1989 was just put to death today in Georgia despite many appeals and recants of witness statements and his pleas of innocence. This is one thing I believe that could really use tweaking in the death penalty system. Couldn't the courts have taken another look at the case and the statements initially made versus the recanted statements from witnesses or any other evidence? What's your take on this?

Link!

[Rageaholic]

This is a shame. They had potentially sentanced an innocent man to death.

Also

"This delay again is very upsetting and I think really unfair to us, because we want this situation closed," the slain officer's mother, Anneliese MacPhail, told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" earlier in the evening. She said the execution would bring her "relief and maybe some peace."

This kind of stuff pisses me off. I know I should be sorry for her loss and I am, but goddamn it, can't she see that this may be an INNOCENT MAN? Putting him to death won't do anything at this point. It's not like he was released from jail, just stopped from getting the death sentense. So they could figure out if they were killing an innocent man. But no no no, someone has to pay!!

A perfect example of why arguements for the death penalty are based purely on intense emotion.

[Andara Bledin]

The worst part about this whole thing is that there's a very real probability that the man responsible for her son's death has just been given a free pass to go out and do the same thing again because Davis was a thug they figured nobody would mourn, and actually working to find the real perpetrator as opposed to someone who could be railroaded and put to death is too much like honest work.

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[HYHYBT]

It's times like this I'm ashamed of my home.

[bara]

Im for the death penalty, but when even ONE witness recants they need to take another look at things.

In this case several witnesses recanted. This man should not have been put to death.

[telecom_goddess]

I didn't really follow this case but in this day and age there's technology and dna evidence to back up accusations like this. From what I understand he had several tries, and his case was gone over again several times....and it didn't prove him innocent.

I'm just amazed that it took 22 years to finally execute him. Keeping people on death row for decades like that is a waste.

If there is another person out there who's the "real" killer, wouldn't he have done SOMETHING by now to draw attention to himself?

[MaggieTheCat]

....and it didn't prove him innocent.

No one needs to be "proven innocent." It is up to the prosecutors to prove someone's guilt, if they are truly guilty, and in order for a jury to convict, they need to believe that person is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Yes, the jurors convicted him 20 years ago, but that was with falsified and/or coerced evidence. Some of those same jurors have said that if the evidence that has been given as of right now was available 20 years ago, they probably would not have come to the same conclusions. One juror even showed up at the board of pardons and paroles to tell them directly that if she'd had all the facts 20 years ago, she would not have convicted.

[AdminAssistant]

This is the most compelling reason that the United States legal system should not be in the business of killing people. Ever. This is murder. Even if the evidence was rock solid...it's murder. One murder doesn't negate another murder.

[Andara Bledin]

I didn't really follow this case but in this day and age there's technology and dna evidence to back up accusations like this. From what I understand he had several tries, and his case was gone over again several times....and it didn't prove him innocent.

Honestly, you should at least read the comments in the thread about the case before making such an uninformed judgment.

The only "evidence" available in this case was the testimony of over a dozen witnesses, all but 2 of whom have since recanted with comments about police coercion and threats. Of the 2 left, one is the other man who was there that night and was just as likely as Davis to have committed the crime, and the one who ratted him out. Both had the opportunity, the means, the weapons, and both have exactly as much evidence against them as the other.

It's very likely that they both should have been tried and been given life sentences for their parts in the event that night. But to put someone to death when there is absolutely nothing to mark that person as the shooter is an egregious miscarriage of justice.

It may not feel as "satisfying" as killing him back, but it would have been the right thing to do.

I'm just amazed that it took 22 years to finally execute him. Keeping people on death row for decades like that is a waste.

Since we're still freeing innocents and killing them, it's obvious that not only is it not a waste, but it's also not enough time.

If there is another person out there who's the "real" killer, wouldn't he have done SOMETHING by now to draw attention to himself?

When the person who would have been the killer were Davis not is the primary witness for the prosecution, he doesn't have to keep his head down. He rushed at the chance to implicate someone that wasn't him, and the cops in their desire to commit retribution on someone regardless of the facts railroaded Davis.

It is possible that he actually was the one that shot the victim. But there is absolutely no proof. That he was convicted and then killed for this is a travesty that should be fought against, no matter how unsympathetic or guilty of other crimes the individual may have been.

It is not justice to victimize someone else in the fervor to commit righteous vengeance.

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[LexiaFira]

I support the death penalty to take down those that can kill again in cold blood. However

A life is a life and sadly I don't like the thought of killing others, yet for those that have and will kill again the death penalty may be the only way.

This is a shame. They had potentially sentenced an innocent man to death.

This kind of stuff pisses me off. I know I should be sorry for her loss and I am, but goddamn it, can't she see that this may be an INNOCENT MAN? Putting him to death won't do anything at this point. It's not like he was released from jail, just stopped from getting the death sentence. So they could figure out if they were killing an innocent man. But no no no, someone has to pay!!

A perfect example of why arguments for the death penalty are based purely on intense emotion.

She wanted peace? There are other ways than taking the life of someone who did not kill the office. I am sorry but as much as you want, killing Troy Davis won't bring McPhail back.

And as emotionally intense as that statement could be, its a way of fighting fire with fire, a bad way, but I didn't intone it with anger or passion and in my mind said it as calmly as she said her words.

[Andara Bledin]

Amnesty International USA's "Not In My Name" Pledge to fight to abolish the death penalty.

Their page to Abolish the Death Penalty.

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[LexiaFira]

just realized the song "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" might apply to this in chorus only
"That's the night the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night they *killed* an innocent man"
(changed one word)
going by the innocent until proven guilty and the fact that because there was speculation brought up again due to the witnesses recanting their testimony

mean this in honor of him, not in poor taste but if it offends I can delete this as thats not my intention

[Greenday]

I just don't get how, with so much overwhelming new evidence of the police tampering with the case, that they couldn't stop the execution. Keep him in jail, but once you kill him, there's no do-overs.

[tropicsgoddess]

I just don't get how, with so much overwhelming new evidence of the police tampering with the case, that they couldn't stop the execution. Keep him in jail, but once you kill him, there's no do-overs.

The Supreme court rejected the appeals from Troy Davis' lawyers, unfortunately. He maintained his innocence even when he was about to die on the gurney from lethal injection. To top that, several of the witnesses recanting their statements and the jailhouse snitch's statement being false. The state of Georgia did indeed execute an innocent man.

[KnitShoni]

I don't know that he was innocent. I do think he was involved. However, the issue here is that there is entirely too much doubt as to whether he was the one to pull the trigger, which is what he was executed for.