Yesterday, Troy Davis’ nephew, Antone’ De’Juan Davis-Correia, was featured in a segment on a couple of local Savannah TV stations (WJCL and Fox 28).
At age 15, he has been traveling around the country, and indeed around the world, speaking out on behalf of his uncle and against the death penalty. At his young age, he has become a powerful voice both in support of his family and for the cause of human rights.
Also yesterday, the Savannah Morning News features a story about the latest developments in the preparations for Troy Davis’ evidentiary hearing. According to this report, Davis’ attorneys are seeking information from Savannah police files, never before released despite previous Open Records Act requests, which they argue support his innocence claims. The state has until February 12 to respond at which point the judge overseeing the hearing will decide whether or not those files should be turned over.
No date has been set for the actual hearing.
On a more somber note, there are disturbing reports from Georgia’s death row that authorities have instituted unusually harsh measures that affect both the inmates and their visiting families and clergy, following two recent (non-execution) deaths. Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (GFADP) has more information, and an action you can take to address these misguided and counterproductive policies.
I still can't believe that the family of Mark Allen MacPhail is speaking out against having Troy Davis get a new trial. It's just that they are still ignoring the facts that Sylvester Coles was Officer MacPhail's real killer and they STILL want Troy Davis dead for murder. I couldn't believe the MacPhail family is STILL acting racist towards the Davis family, and my heart breaks for both families. 🙁
I still can’t believe that the family of Mark Allen MacPhail is speaking out against having Troy Davis get a new trial. It’s just that they are still ignoring the facts that Sylvester Coles was Officer MacPhail’s real killer and they STILL want Troy Davis dead for murder. I couldn’t believe the MacPhail family is STILL acting racist towards the Davis family, and my heart breaks for both families. 🙁
Why is it so difficult to free an innocent man and bring the one guilty to be accountable? In the Troy Davis case, I'm afraid the "justice" system is itself accountable for letting such a travesty go on and on. What? Are the "peace" officers, those who badgered "witnesses" to accuse the wrong man, embarrassed, as well as those who believed them? They should be embarrassed, AND they should also be held accountable for keeping an innocent man found guilty imprisoned even though there was NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE — Hello??!!?? Anybody home??? — Please release him — he deserves freedom.
Why is it so difficult to free an innocent man and bring the one guilty to be accountable? In the Troy Davis case, I’m afraid the “justice” system is itself accountable for letting such a travesty go on and on. What? Are the “peace” officers, those who badgered “witnesses” to accuse the wrong man, embarrassed, as well as those who believed them? They should be embarrassed, AND they should also be held accountable for keeping an innocent man found guilty imprisoned even though there was NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE — Hello??!!?? Anybody home??? — Please release him — he deserves freedom.
Hats off to a very impressive 15 year-old! He is an amazing young man.
Hats off to a very impressive 15 year-old! He is an amazing young man.
Troy Davis: Both sides need to be told
Dudley Sharp, contact info below
Anyone interested in justice will demand a fair, thorough look at both sides of this or any case. Here is the side that the pro Troy Davis faction is, intentionally, not presenting.
(1) Davis v Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court, 3/17/08
Full ruling http://www.gasupreme.us/pdf/s07a1758.pdf
Summary http://www.gasupreme.us/op_summaries/mar_17.pdf
" . . . the majority finds that 'most of the witnesses to the crime who have allegedly recanted have merely stated that they now do not feel able to identify the shooter.' "One of the affidavits 'might actually be read so as to confirm trial testimony that Davis was the shooter.' "
The murder occurred in 1989.
(2) "THE PAROLE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION OF THE TROY ANTHONY DAVIS CASE" , 9/22/08, http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/opencms/
"After an exhaustive review of all available information regarding the Troy Davis case and after considering all possible reasons for granting clemency, the Board has determined that clemency is not warranted."
"The Board has now spent more than a year studying and considering this case. As a part of its proceedings, the Board gave Davisâ?? attorneys an opportunity to present every witness they desired to support their allegation that there is doubt as to Davisâ?? guilt. The Board heard each of these witnesses and questioned them closely. In addition, the Board has studied the voluminous trial transcript, the police investigation report and the initial statements of all witnesses. The Board has also had certain physical evidence retested and Davis interviewed."
(3) A detailed review of the extraordinary consideration that Davis was given for all of his claims,
by Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton http://tinyurl.com/46c73l
Troy Davis' claims are undermined, revealing the dishonesty of the Davis advocates . Look, particularly, at pages 4-7, which show the reasoned, thoughtful and generous reviews of Davis' claims, as well a how despicable the one sided cynical pro Troy Davis effort is.
(4) Officer Mark Allen MacPhail: The family of murdered Officer MacPhail fully believes that Troy Davis murdered their loved one and that the evidence is supportive of that opinion. http://www.fop9.net/markmacphail/debunkingthemyth…
Not simply an emotional and understandable plea for justice, but a detailed factual review of the case.
(5) "Death and Dying", by Cliff Green, LIKE THE DEW, 7/22/09, http://likethedew.com/2009/07/22/death-and-dying/
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail [email protected] 713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS, VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O'Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.
Troy Davis: Both sides need to be told
Dudley Sharp, contact info below
Anyone interested in justice will demand a fair, thorough look at both sides of this or any case. Here is the side that the pro Troy Davis faction is, intentionally, not presenting.
(1) Davis v Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court, 3/17/08
Full ruling http://www.gasupreme.us/pdf/s07a1758.pdf
Summary http://www.gasupreme.us/op_summaries/mar_17.pdf
" . . . the majority finds that 'most of the witnesses to the crime who have allegedly recanted have merely stated that they now do not feel able to identify the shooter.' "One of the affidavits 'might actually be read so as to confirm trial testimony that Davis was the shooter.' "
The murder occurred in 1989.
(2) "THE PAROLE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION OF THE TROY ANTHONY DAVIS CASE" , 9/22/08, http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/opencms/
"After an exhaustive review of all available information regarding the Troy Davis case and after considering all possible reasons for granting clemency, the Board has determined that clemency is not warranted."
"The Board has now spent more than a year studying and considering this case. As a part of its proceedings, the Board gave Davisâ?? attorneys an opportunity to present every witness they desired to support their allegation that there is doubt as to Davisâ?? guilt. The Board heard each of these witnesses and questioned them closely. In addition, the Board has studied the voluminous trial transcript, the police investigation report and the initial statements of all witnesses. The Board has also had certain physical evidence retested and Davis interviewed."
(3) A detailed review of the extraordinary consideration that Davis was given for all of his claims,
by Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton http://tinyurl.com/46c73l
Troy Davis' claims are undermined, revealing the dishonesty of the Davis advocates . Look, particularly, at pages 4-7, which show the reasoned, thoughtful and generous reviews of Davis' claims, as well a how despicable the one sided cynical pro Troy Davis effort is.
(4) Officer Mark Allen MacPhail: The family of murdered Officer MacPhail fully believes that Troy Davis murdered their loved one and that the evidence is supportive of that opinion. http://www.fop9.net/markmacphail/debunkingthemyth…
Not simply an emotional and understandable plea for justice, but a detailed factual review of the case.
(5) "Death and Dying", by Cliff Green, LIKE THE DEW, 7/22/09, http://likethedew.com/2009/07/22/death-and-dying/
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail [email protected] 713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS, VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O'Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.
Troy Davis: Both sides need to be told
Dudley Sharp, contact info below
Anyone interested in justice will demand a fair, thorough look at both sides of this or any case. Here is the side that the pro Troy Davis faction is, intentionally, not presenting.
(1) Davis v Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court, 3/17/08
Full ruling http://www.gasupreme.us/pdf/s07a1758.pdf
Summary http://www.gasupreme.us/op_summaries/mar_17.pdf
" . . . the majority finds that 'most of the witnesses to the crime who have allegedly recanted have merely stated that they now do not feel able to identify the shooter.' "One of the affidavits 'might actually be read so as to confirm trial testimony that Davis was the shooter.' "
The murder occurred in 1989.
(2) "THE PAROLE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION OF THE TROY ANTHONY DAVIS CASE" , 9/22/08, http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/opencms/
"After an exhaustive review of all available information regarding the Troy Davis case and after considering all possible reasons for granting clemency, the Board has determined that clemency is not warranted."
"The Board has now spent more than a year studying and considering this case. As a part of its proceedings, the Board gave Davisâ?? attorneys an opportunity to present every witness they desired to support their allegation that there is doubt as to Davisâ?? guilt. The Board heard each of these witnesses and questioned them closely. In addition, the Board has studied the voluminous trial transcript, the police investigation report and the initial statements of all witnesses. The Board has also had certain physical evidence retested and Davis interviewed."
(3) A detailed review of the extraordinary consideration that Davis was given for all of his claims,
by Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton http://tinyurl.com/46c73l
Troy Davis' claims are undermined, revealing the dishonesty of the Davis advocates . Look, particularly, at pages 4-7, which show the reasoned, thoughtful and generous reviews of Davis' claims, as well a how despicable the one sided cynical pro Troy Davis effort is.
(4) Officer Mark Allen MacPhail: The family of murdered Officer MacPhail fully believes that Troy Davis murdered their loved one and that the evidence is supportive of that opinion. http://www.fop9.net/markmacphail/debunkingthemyth…
Not simply an emotional and understandable plea for justice, but a detailed factual review of the case.
(5) "Death and Dying", by Cliff Green, LIKE THE DEW, 7/22/09, http://likethedew.com/2009/07/22/death-and-dying/
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail [email protected] 713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS, VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O'Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.
Troy Davis: Both sides need to be told
Dudley Sharp, contact info below
Anyone interested in justice will demand a fair, thorough look at both sides of this or any case. Here is the side that the pro Troy Davis faction is, intentionally, not presenting.
(1) Davis v Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court, 3/17/08
Full ruling http://www.gasupreme.us/pdf/s07a1758.pdf
Summary http://www.gasupreme.us/op_summaries/mar_17.pdf
” . . . the majority finds that ‘most of the witnesses to the crime who have allegedly recanted have merely stated that they now do not feel able to identify the shooter.’ “One of the affidavits ‘might actually be read so as to confirm trial testimony that Davis was the shooter.’ ”
The murder occurred in 1989.
(2) “THE PAROLE BOARD’S CONSIDERATION OF THE TROY ANTHONY DAVIS CASE” , 9/22/08, http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/opencms/
“After an exhaustive review of all available information regarding the Troy Davis case and after considering all possible reasons for granting clemency, the Board has determined that clemency is not warranted.”
“The Board has now spent more than a year studying and considering this case. As a part of its proceedings, the Board gave Davisâ?? attorneys an opportunity to present every witness they desired to support their allegation that there is doubt as to Davisâ?? guilt. The Board heard each of these witnesses and questioned them closely. In addition, the Board has studied the voluminous trial transcript, the police investigation report and the initial statements of all witnesses. The Board has also had certain physical evidence retested and Davis interviewed.”
(3) A detailed review of the extraordinary consideration that Davis was given for all of his claims,
by Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton http://tinyurl.com/46c73l
Troy Davis’ claims are undermined, revealing the dishonesty of the Davis advocates . Look, particularly, at pages 4-7, which show the reasoned, thoughtful and generous reviews of Davis’ claims, as well a how despicable the one sided cynical pro Troy Davis effort is.
(4) Officer Mark Allen MacPhail: The family of murdered Officer MacPhail fully believes that Troy Davis murdered their loved one and that the evidence is supportive of that opinion. http://www.fop9.net/markmacphail/debunkingthemyths.cfm
Not simply an emotional and understandable plea for justice, but a detailed factual review of the case.
(5) “Death and Dying”, by Cliff Green, LIKE THE DEW, 7/22/09,
http://likethedew.com/2009/07/22/death-and-dying/
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail [email protected] 713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS, VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O’Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.
Mr. Sharp's comments point to the facts that Mr. Davis was convicted of killing a police officer, that appeals courts have turned down his appeals, and that the family of the slain policeman want this to be the end of the story. The prosecutor in the case does not want his case overturned. None of this is a story untold, or one that is being covered up.
Dissatisfied with the results of previous appeals in the Davis case, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that there should be an evidentiary hearing to assess evidence in this case that has emerged since the trial. Although the previous appeals courts examined written recantations in the case, the individuals who recanted were not questioned or cross-examined in court. in addition, testimony of other, new witnesses has never yet been considered in court. The Georgia Supreme Court and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals largely considered procedural issues and legal barriers when denying Davis a hearing on the new evidence. Notably, both courts issued strong dissents to the rulings based on the unresolved issues related to possibly exculpatory new evidence. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that this case warrants re-examination. Why argue with that? We are fortunate to have a legal system that allows for reconsideration of verdicts in cases where doubts emerge.
Laura Kagel, a State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator for Amnesty International, has never appeared on television, but she has a legal education and common sense and has studied both capital punishment and the Troy Davis case extensively, including the documents cited by Mr. Sharp above.
Mr. Sharp’s comments point to the facts that Mr. Davis was convicted of killing a police officer, that appeals courts have turned down his appeals, and that the family of the slain policeman want this to be the end of the story. The prosecutor in the case does not want his case overturned. None of this is a story untold, or one that is being covered up.
Dissatisfied with the results of previous appeals in the Davis case, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that there should be an evidentiary hearing to assess evidence in this case that has emerged since the trial. Although the previous appeals courts examined written recantations in the case, the individuals who recanted were not questioned or cross-examined in court. in addition, testimony of other, new witnesses has never yet been considered in court. The Georgia Supreme Court and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals largely considered procedural issues and legal barriers when denying Davis a hearing on the new evidence. Notably, both courts issued strong dissents to the rulings based on the unresolved issues related to possibly exculpatory new evidence. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that this case warrants re-examination. Why argue with that? We are fortunate to have a legal system that allows for reconsideration of verdicts in cases where doubts emerge.
Laura Kagel, a State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator for Amnesty International, has never appeared on television, but she has a legal education and common sense and has studied both capital punishment and the Troy Davis case extensively, including the documents cited by Mr. Sharp above.
Thank you Laura. I also feel "fortunate to have a legal system that allows for reconsideration of verdicts in cases where doubt emerges", and very thankful for voices like that of Antone’ De’Juan Davis-Correia.
Thank you Laura. I also feel “fortunate to have a legal system that allows for reconsideration of verdicts in cases where doubt emerges”, and very thankful for voices like that of Antone’ De’Juan Davis-Correia.