The following was circulated as email petition by the ACLU. There was a specific request to ask others to sign the petition. To reprint this should be okay, is at least what I would think. If you disagree, I would appreciate a clear understanding for the objection. Thank you with sincerity for all that you do. --Kathryn Smith
http://action.aclu.org/savetroy
Dear ACLU Supporter,
On Friday, the Georgia Department of Pardons and Paroles is going to meet and decide if Troy Anthony Davis should be executed.
They will either take into account compelling evidence challenging Mr. Davis' guilt or choose to ignore that evidence and allow his sentence to stand. They have the power to stop this indefensible execution, and we must implore them to make the right decision.
An African-American, Davis was convicted of the murder of off-duty Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail in 1991. No physical evidence links him to the crime, and he has steadfastly maintained his innocence. His conviction was based solely on the testimony of witnesses. There was no other evidence against him. And, since his trial, seven of those witnesses have recanted -- changing the story they told in court.
Some witnesses say they were coerced by police. Others have even signed affidavits implicating one of the remaining two witnesses as the actual killer. But due to an increasingly restrictive appeals process, none of this new evidence has ever been heard in court.
Act now to demand justice and stop the execution of Troy Anthony Davis.
The ACLU believes the death penalty is the ultimate denial of civil liberties. Our work to abolish the death penalty includes supporting moratorium and repeal movements through public education and advocacy, engaging in systemic reform of the death penalty process, and case-specific litigation highlighting some of the death penalty's fundamental flaws.
The case of Troy Davis highlights all that the ACLU finds problematic with the death penalty such as the risk of innocent people being executed, inadequate counsel and racial and geographic disparities. It is an example of our criminal justice system's inability to ensure that only the guilty are convicted at trial and sentenced to death.
The Troy Davis case also is an example of a less obvious problem with our criminal justice system -- that the ever-increasing number of procedural hurdles erected by courts and legislators to deny death-row inmates relief and expedite their executions has seriously eroded the system's ability to correct its mistakes.
That's why I'm calling on ACLU supporters across the nation to add our voices to those of people who have grave concerns about this case -- including former judge, FBI Director and death penalty proponent William Sessions.
Act now to demand justice and stop the execution of Troy Anthony Davis.
The Georgia Department of Pardons and Paroles will meet just three days from now. So, we need you to act right away.
Thank you for standing with us and standing up for justice.
Sincerely,
Anthony D. Romero
Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
ACLU
© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004
