Up until a couple of days ago, I knew nothing of this Troy Davis case in Georgia. Tonight, in my hotel room in Colorado, I am watching MSNBC holding their own vigil on the vigil in Georgia protesting Davis'pending execution. It is clear that the mad hatter talking heads at MSNBC are hoping for a stay of execution from the US Supreme Court.
Far be it from me to judge Davis' guilt or innocence. My research consists of reading the Wikipedia entry this evening. What I will comment on is this.
The murder of the Savanna cop occurred in 1989, and the trial was in 1991. Davis was tried by a jury of his peers including seven blacks. (Davis is African-American.)The judicial process has gone on 20 years. The Georgia Supreme Court has heard his appeal. The federal courts of appeal have heard his appeal. It was in 1995 that seven of the nine eyewitnesses became to come forward and recant their identification of Davis. I don't know the answer to this question, but I do wonder if any of them or all of them were subjected to pressure to recant. It wouldn't be the first time.
Of course, we have the usual voices calling for a stay. Jimmy Carter; the Pope, Desmund Tutu, the NAACP, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Meanwhile, last night Texas, without much fanfare, executed one of the killers in the James Byrd case. I applaud that execution.
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5 comments:
"It was in 1995 that seven of the nine eyewitnesses became to come forward and recant their identification of Davis. I don't know the answer to this question, but I do wonder if any of them or all of them were subjected to pressure to recant. It wouldn't be the first time."
You might have a point if it were one or two or even three of the witnesses, but seven out of nine??? That seems highly implausible that so many would falsely recant their testimony. And under pressure from who? And what could they possibly gain by recanting?
In any case, capital punishment is a barbaric practice that the vast majority of the civilized world has abandoned, for good reason. We're in pretty poor company when it comes to other states that still practice it: North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, etc.
A reasonably restrained commentary Gary. I have received some emails from a group working to prevent Davis's execution. I've also read a few recent news articles. I think it would have been prudent to refrain from executing anyone on what appears to be relatively slim evidence. On the other hand, it seems pretty well established that David DID commit a vicious assault earlier in the day the murder was committed. He's not a "nice guy," or at least he wasn't some twenty-plus years ago. But, given the paucity of evidence, he could be a man who is guilty of a vicious assault who was erroneously identified as the killer in a separate incident. Race is definitely not the issue here. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable, especially from people who do not personally know the persons involved. Who knows what they did or didn't see, and when or why they changed their minds? That, I think, counsels prudence in refraining from execution.
As for the execution in Texas, I won't shed any tears, but some Aryan types who hadn't gotten around to actually killing anyone have become the best apostles of mutual respect. If the guy they killed had that in him (I have no idea if he did), he's a bit of a loss to the world.
Anonymous,
What,s implausible if they were all in the same. community?
From whom? Friends and family Of the accused, perhaps.
What would they gain? Perhaps their safety or money.
ThIs is purely speculation. if you think capital punishment is barbaric, I respect your point of view. Yet, we have a Bad problem with mzurder in this country, and while it lasts, public opinion will favor the death penalty.
Soar ya,
No race is not an issue. Seven of the jurors were black. It people like sharp ton and the NAACP who made it a race issue.
As for the Byrd case in Texas, they gave his family justice without hate crime legislation and without sharp ton and Jackson. It was a just execution.
There's David going off topic again.
I have updated myself on the execution in Texas. The dude said he has no regrets and would do it again. So, good riddance to him. But I wouldn't mind keeping him alive in a maximum security prison as the price of not executing an occasional innocent.
This is an issue on which Gary and Ahmadinejad appear to be in some agreement, not to mention the Saudi royal family.
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