How many people does it take to free one innocent man? What magic words are needed to persuade the courts that Troy Davis' innocence matters? This poignant letter from a teenager eloquently explains the absurdity of Mr. Davis' endless struggle to find a receptive audience in the courts.
What additional herculean effort is needed before this innocent death row inmate - arrested at age 20 and imprisoned for the last 20 years -can convince a court of law that he should be given the opportunity to have the compelling evidence of his innocence heard by a jury of his peers?
Will the Supreme Court of the United States "SCOTUS" finally grant Troy Davis relief?
See most recent SCOTUS briefing and amicus briefs from 27 former prosecutors and judges and NAACP.
Or will Mr. Davis' fate be placed in the hands of the newly-elected Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm?
Click the Act Now link to learn how you can help persuade DA Chisolm to honor his duty as a minister of justice.
In the past two years there were many missed opportunities for justice to prevail and, yet, it still eludes Davis.
On March 17, 2008, a slim majority of THE GEORGIA SUPREME COURT refused its opportunity to examine the "truth" behind the 1991 verdict. Four of the seven justices decided that it was legally acceptable to deny Troy a new trial. To their credit, three justices - Chief Justice Sears, Presiding Justice Hunstein, and Justice Benham - thought that the question of Troy's innocence was a fundamental one warranting a new day in court.
On September 12, 2008, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles refused to commute Troy's death sentence to life without parole.
On October 14, 2008, the SCOTUS denied Troy's petition for certiorari.
On April 16, 2009, Mr. Davis lost by one vote again (2/1), this time in front of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. A slim majority denied relief on procedural grounds while the lone voice of reason, embodied in Circuit Judge Rosemary Barkett's dissent, wherein she eloquently defends innocence and our constitution.
IT IS NOT OVER.
While awaiting the a decision from SCOTUS, you can help by
We will not rest until we succeed in persuading those with the power to correct this injustice that we live in a country where
INNOCENCE MATTERS!
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