We Owe Troy Davis Nothing Less...

Barring a 180 degree legal turn, Troy Davis will be executed by lethal injection at 7 p.m. Eastern Time today.

Troy Davis, 42, convicted of and sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of Savannah, Georgia Police Officer, Mark MacPhail, has maintained his innocence for over 20 years.  Seven of the nine eyewitnesses who testified against Davis have since recanted their trial testimonies.   The murder weapon was never recovered and no other physical evidence links Davis to the murder.  Furthermore, new witnesses linking Sylvester "Redd" Coles to the murder have stepped forward.  And, of the two eyewitnesses who have not retracted their original testimonies, one is Redd Coles himself.

Regardless of your views on capital punishment, the fact the of matter is this:  there is simply not enough information to justify the execution of  Troy Davis.  At the very least, this execution will go through based on evidence that is entirely too shaky, and, for the most part, non-existent.  The worst, and most probable outcome is that the state of Georgia will condone and proceed with the murder of an innocent man.

In the words of Dave Zirin:

For those unfamiliar with the case, let’s be clear: Davis’s execution is little more than a legal lynching. As the New York Times wrote this morning in a featured editorial, "the Georgia pardon and parole board's refusal to grant him clemency is appalling in light of developments after his conviction."

As people of faith, or even just people with a reasonably intact moral compass, it is clear that the execution of Troy Davis is not justified.  Despite the fact that clemency has not been granted, and even as early as this morning, Davis's request for a polygraph was denied, there is still time to have the execution stayed.  Call Judge Penny Freeseman, who still has the power to withdraw the death warrant (912.652.7252), or sign this petition. 

Again, Dave Zirin:

I know that Judge Penny Freesemann still has the power to withdraw its death warrant. These are slim options, but I also know that this isn’t over until they send the poison into Troy’s veins. Troy himself has refused a “last meal,” choosing to fight until his last breath. We owe him nothing less.