Update: The clemency hearing has been set for Friday, Sept. 12th.
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The recantations of seven of the nine witnesses against him and support from Amnesty International, Hollywood celebrities, civil rights activists, the European Parliament, and Pope Benedict XVI have not stopped the Georgia Department of Corrections from ordering the execution to take place on September 23, 2008, at 7 p.m. EST.
Mr. Davis is charged with killing a police officer, based entirely on eyewitness evidence. There is no physical evidence in the case, and the murder weapon was never recovered. Seven of the nine eyewitnesses have recanted their testimony, with many claiming coercion and threats by the police who conducted the original investigation. One of the remaining witnesses has been accused of being the actual killer, and allegedly confessed to the crime. Mr. Davis has maintained his innocence from the outset, but has remained on death row for 17 years. In July, the European Parliament issued a resolution calling on Georgia to commute Troy Davis’s death sentence. More information at Troy Davis’s site and at Amnesty International USA.
Anyone concerned is urged to contact the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and urge them to commute Mr. Davis’s death sentence. Amnesty International has created a web form, and traditional letters are encouraged as well, to the following address:
Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334You can also fax a message to (404) 651-8502.
The date was set despite an appeal pending with US Supreme Court. The Georgia Parole Board has the power to commute the sentence to life without parole. A spokesman says no time has been scheduled for Davis’ attorneys to make pleas to the board.