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Georgia May Execute an Innocent Man

State should commute sentence of Troy Davis: Ex-FBI chief William Sessions

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 15, 2011 12:32 PM CDT

(Newser) – Former FBI chief William Sessions joins those pleading with Georgia to call off next week's execution of Troy Davis, a death row inmate convicted of killing a police officer in 1989. "Serious questions about Mr. Davis' guilt, highlighted by witness recantations, allegations of police coercion, and a lack of relevant physical evidence, continue to plague his conviction," writes Sessions in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He wants the state parole board to commute Davis' sentence to life in prison.

"There will always be cases, including capital cases, in which doubts about guilt cannot be erased to an acceptable level of certainty," writes Sessions, who served under presidents Reagan, Bush (HW), and Clinton. "The Davis case is one of these, and it is for cases like this that executive clemency exists." Others calling for the sentence to be commuted are Pope Benedict, Amnesty International, and Jimmy Carter, notes the Huffington Post, which has background on the case here. Davis' sister has an online petition here.

This undated file photo provided by the Georgia Department of Corrections shows death row inmate Troy Davis. He is scheduled to die on Sept. 21.
This undated file photo provided by the Georgia Department of Corrections shows death row inmate Troy Davis. He is scheduled to die on Sept. 21.   (AP Photo/Georgia Department of Corrections, File)
Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail, who was killed in 1989.
Savannah Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail, who was killed in 1989.   (AP Photo/Savannah Police Dept)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 110 comments
DontLikeYou
Sep 16, 2011 9:38 AM CDT
I am against the death penalty.  However, saying this man is innocent is a load of shit.  How do you know?  When this trial took place, there seemed little doubt he was guilty.  When the police were looking for him in Savannah where the crime took place, he skipped town and fled to Atlanta.  When the Atlanta police caught up with him, he was hiding out.  Does that sound like the actions of an innocent man?  
midget_farmers
Sep 15, 2011 11:32 PM CDT
he is guilty.... cuz he is black
Chitrix
Sep 15, 2011 7:44 PM CDT
Ah heck folks, he is probably a Democrat so its a done deal Whats one more Dem driven over and crushed by a GOP???? /sarcasm

 
death penalty • execution • Georgia • death row • Troy Davis

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