Death-row inmate Troy Davis Denied Clemency

reply to post by Kryties


Those are all still very short snippets cherry-picked to make a point. Those men were convicted by a jury of their peers. I wonder why that would happen? Not only were they convicted, but the convictions were upheld by several mandatory court appeals to follow, and then lastly, before the execution, the governor's team of lawyers reviewed the request for clemency and declined to approve it. There are infinite checks and balances in the system.

None of the examples you cite were ever proven innocent. Your held line says, "possibly."

Sorry, but as in the many previous posts, if there is a problem with guilt or innocence, that is a problem with the trial system, not the penal system. In my opinion life in prison is not significantly different than execution. They both constitute a loss of life. If you have a problem with innocent people being convicted, then attack the trial system, don't use the death penalty as an end around.

reply to post by getreadyalready


I see, in your perfect world mistakes do not happen, people are not corrupted nor is evidence withheld or altered and witnesses are never coerced.

What planet is it that you live on again?

Originally posted by getreadyalready
In my opinion life in prison is not significantly different than execution. They both constitute a loss of life.

Yes, at least the prison option doesn't turn the rest of us into murderers. That and if the person is actually innocent, they can be released. It's hard to release somebody from a grave don't you agree?

If you have a problem with innocent people being convicted, then attack the trial system, don't use the death penalty as an end around.

Mate, you seem to be confused. I have a problem with both innocent people being wrongfully convicted AND the death penalty as a whole. I have explained this to you before mate, I'm not sure why you continue to say that it's just one or the other.

in this case, I believe they go hand in hand.

Also what happens if DNA evidence is found in 2-3 years and it links the other guy or someone else to this killing?

What then?

All other sentences can be overturned, except the death penalty.


I think this comment from The Independent website says it all

This is a country that excutes people who committed crimes as junvilles and people with the mental age of 12 .

This is the country that wants to spread its form of democracy around the world.

This is a country that overthrows democratically elected governments it doesn't like. (Chile september 11th 1973) and sends over 6 thousand to their death.

This is a country that is supposedly moral and just!

This is the country that does NOT want Palestine to be recognized!

I'm done, I don't even want to be in a thread where people condone this kind of disgusting, state-funded murder.

And people wonder why Humans can be evil and kill and show no remorse and so on.... It's the trickle down effect I guess.

Originally posted by blupblup
I'm done, I don't even want to be in a thread where people condone this kind of disgusting, state-funded murder.

And people wonder why Humans can be evil and kill and show no remorse and so on.... It's the trickle down effect I guess.

Completely agreed. I am utterly repulsed by some humans.

I am off to bed, stayed up all night watching the twitter feed for this and I'm stuffed. When I wake up, I hope that common sense has prevailed and this man has been given a reprieve - if at least to take another THOROUGH look at the evidence.

reply to post by Kryties


It seems the main argument here in this thread is that he might be innocent. In my opinion, that has nothing to do with the death penalty. I understand that you idealogically oppose it, and I appreciate that view, but I haven't seen a lot of logical or rational arguments against the death penalty, I have only seen arguments that he might be innocent.

You answered me earlier, if there was 100% certainty that he was guilty, could not be rehabilitated, and life in prison is more costly than administering an execution, you would still oppose the execution, and I appreciate your view, but I don't understand it. Can you please elaborate on that specificity without bringing innocence into the equation?

And for the record, if I was wrongly accused, and I sat in jail for 20 years, and I didn't see my kids grow up, and I wasn't there for my mother's final days, and I lost my youth and my vigor, and missed the opportunity to be married and make a career............ if I wasn't a murderer going in, I would certainly be one coming out. I do not believe it makes any kind of amends to release a wrongly accused person, but maybe others are more forgiving than me.

reply to post by getreadyalready


I'll start again.

The issue here for me, and other posters, is twofold. The first is that this man quite possibly may have been wrongfully convicted. The second is that he has been given the death penalty.

Now, if this man were sentenced to life in prison, I would still advocate for him to have another trial in order to determine his innocence - considering the evidence that has come to light. I would not, however, have such a sense of urgency to it as his life would not be in imminent danger. Therein lies the difference.

The fact he was given the death penalty, while related to the above, is also a separate issue that I find abhorrent.

Hope that clears it up for you - bearing in mind I'm now in bed typing this on my iPhone.

www.nytimes.com...

ATLANTA — An official of the N.A.A.C.P. said on Wednesday that the vote by the Georgia parole board to deny clemency to Troy Davis was so close that he hoped there might still be a chance to save him from execution at 7 p.m.

Edward O. DuBose, president of the Georgia chapter, said the organization had “very reliable information from the board members directly that the board was split 3 to 2 on whether to grant clemency.”

“The fact that that kind of division was in the room is even more of a sign that there is a strong possibility to save Troy’s life,” he said.

That Georgia parole board sounds REAL sure of his guilt.

reply to post by Kryties


But he HAS had another trial! And he was found guilty AGAIN!

But, as to your last post. I think it is ridiculous to go through with the execution on a 3-2 vote. You have won me over! If the vote wasn't unanimous, then they shouldn't execute the man. A jury has to be unanimous, so why not a clemency board.

I hope they stay it based on that news alone. Good Find.

reply to post by getreadyalready


First of all you fail to recognise the blatant hypocrisy of saying it is wrong to kill someone so because you have killed someone we are going to kill you.

If we then accept that capital punishment is to be allowed then surely it is imperative that only those cases where there is proof beyond any doubt whatsoever should result in the death penalty.
And this clearly isn't so in this case.

One innocent man murdered as a result of being erronously convicted of a capital crime is one person too many and if a case is ever proven then the state itself is surely guilty of murder and should pay the ultimate price.
You reap what you sow.

And I find it equally hypocritical and ironic that the USA moralises to the rest of the world then stands along side regimes it is allegedly diametrically opposed to in committing such acts.

reply to post by getreadyalready


I apologise if I have come across a little harsh to you mate, as you can tell I am more than a little passionate about the subject!

You want to know want some cold hard facts about capital punishment:

Since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. (Staff Report, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil & Constitutional Rights, Oct. 1993, with updates from DPIC).

That report came out in 1993 with a total of 226 executions since 1976.

Since 1975 there have been 1267 executions through Sept. 14 ,2011

From 1973-1999, there was an average of 3.1 exonerations per year. From 2000-2007, there has been an average of 5 exonerations per year.

Those are just the ones we caught, how many more have been executed while being innocent of the crime?

Do you truly believe that our justice system can be charged with determining weather somebody lives or dies?

Link to Report

There are some very interesting facts in that report.

reply to post by Freeborn




Excellent post mate, said it much better than me

Some Videos to watch.
Only a few hours left and close to zero chance it will get stopped

There are reports floating around in Twitter that 4 of the 5 members of the Georgia parole board are ex-cops.

The victim was a cop.

Doesn't take a genius to figure out why Troy Davis was denied clemency by them.

Wonder what he decided to eat for his last meal?

Originally posted by Carseller4
Wonder what he decided to eat for his last meal?

At 4 p.m., Davis was given a last meal of a cheeseburger, potatoes and slaw -- the same as what was served other inmates today -- but he has not eaten it, a prison spokeswoman said.

www.ajc.com...

Originally posted by Kryties
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

I apologise if I have come across a little harsh to you mate, as you can tell I am more than a little passionate about the subject!

It is a passionate subject. You should feel that way. We are talking about the ultimate, most important subject there is...... life itself.

I may seem cavalier in my approach, but I assure you that is not the case. I appreciate your passion on the subject, and I believe it is entirely necessary. I'm glad folks like you are around. I hope the ones on your side can be equally glad there are folks like me around, because sometimes things just have to get done, regardless the consequence.

reply to post by benintheuk
And if somone comes along and takes your eye for no reason only half the worlds blind.

Originally posted by redoubt

Originally posted by GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by UniverSoul

 

I think 22 years is plenty enough of a sentence.Our justice system is out of whack.

A human life can be paid for with 22 years?

That's interesting.

A human life can be paid for with another life? Well than who pays for this mans life? Endless cycle, pointless. Death is final, all that is dead is gone...

With the technology, and the gigantic improvements made on the forensic scene, the innocent truly have a great chance of proving that they are innocent, if they are.

In the years prior to DNA evidence and other such means, alot of people have been put on deathrow. Only recently it has come to light that a large percentage of these man, were infact innocent, as new forensic data shows.


It is not totally uncommon that people on deathrow are innocent, it happens, such is the result of a system that executes death penalties.