Troy Anthony Davis was convicted of the August 19, 1989 death of a Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark MacPhail. Having been on Georgia’s death row since 1991, he has now been giving a date for his execution.
Troy Davis
Troy Davis is 42 years of age, born October 9, 1968. His conviction of murder with an aggravating factor received the death penalty and he is currently incarcerated at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison on death row.
Not Just a Policeman Murderer
A grand jury in November of 1989 also indicted Troy Davis for assaulting Larry Young and shooting Michael Cooper. He pled “not guilty” in April of 1990 to these charges. Forensic evidence in these cases was barred by the judge stating that his mother “did not freely and voluntarily grant the police the right to search her home”. In May of 1991 this evidence exclusion was upheld.
Appeals
Troy Davis has been through many appeals, claiming wrongful conviction by false identification. He has been one of the cases that Amnesty International has taken interest in, even though they are officially neutral on whether Troy Davis is guilty or innocent. While he claims false identification, there was a witness that stated he boasted of the murder at a party and there was a witness that made an in-court identification of him. Despite the numerous appeals and delays in execution, this final death penalty date is thought to be the last one scheduled.
New Evidence
There was an opportunity for Troy Davis to give any new evidence on the murder in a federal court hearing June 2010. However, he did not take the stand.
The U.S. Supreme Court Appeal
In January 2011 there was a final appeal alleging a hostility to the August 2010 appeal and asking for a new trial for Troy Davis. This January appeal was rejected without statement in March of 2011 by the United States Supreme Court. This final verdict set in motion the new execution date.
Troy Davis Execution Date
While this is his fourth date of execution since 2007, he is now scheduled to die between September 21, 2011 and September 28, 2011. The judge signed this order and defense attorney Brian Kammer has publicized it.
Barring any unforeseen reason, this will be the final date of execution with no more appeals or reprieves.
Source: Fox 5 Atlanta
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Georgia-Sets-Death-Date-for-Troy-Davis-20110906
Tina Samuels - Tina Samuels specializes in health, animal, and gardening articles. She authored "A Georgia Native Plant Guide".
