"The struggle for justice doesn't end with me . . ."

These were the words of Troy Davis yesterday prior to his execution by the State of Georgia:
"The struggle for justice doesn't end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I'm in good spirits and I'm prayerful and at peace."

After a delay of more than four hours, the State of Georgia killed Troy Davis for a crime he may not have committed. Yes, there was doubt and they might have executed the wrong man. However, let's use Troy's words to redouble our efforts to abolish the death penalty so that no state can choose to execute any man.

Amnesty International is asking for signers to the "Not in my Name" pledge. Amnesty will also host a call at 7 pm this Friday to discuss Troy Davis and what our work means for the death penaly abolition movement, and what we can do next.

Troy Davis Clemency Denied

It would have been appropriate to post some important information about the International Day of Peace, but today's news is not very peace-filled. On Tuesday, the Georgia Board of Pardons denied clemency to Troy Davis. This means that there is a possibility that Georgia will execute a potentially innocent man on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 pm. Click here to call on the Board to do the right thing today.

Troy Davis Execution Date Set

As long-time followers of this blog know, Troy Davis has been on death row in Georgia since 1991.

A message from Death Penalty Focus:
Mr. Davis is most likely an innocent man. Despite weak and inconsistent witness testimony and a lack of physical evidence against him at trial, Mr. Davis was convicted and sentenced to death. Since his conviction, seven of the nine witnesses who testified against him have either changed or recanted their testimony.

The case against Mr. Davis is cloaked in serious doubt. The same judge that rejected Mr. Davis' claim of innocence even stated that the case is "not ironclad". The state of Georgia, however, continues to turn a blind eye. An execution date is now set for Mr. Davis for Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 7pm (EDT).

Mr. Davis has come within two hours of execution before. Without a public outcry, we may not be able to stop the clock on his execution again.

The situation is dire. Mr. Davis has exhausted all his appeals, and his life is in the hands of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. They are due to hear his plea for clemency on Monday, September 19, 2011.

PLEASE ACT NOW and tell the Georgia Parole Board that it must protect the innocent from execution and stop the execution of Troy Davis. On Friday, September 16, there will be a Global Day of Solidarity for Troy Davis. Organize your own event, hold vigils, retweet #toomuchdoubt messages, or fax in additional letters to the Parole Board at 1-404-651-8502. In Georgia, a march will begin in downtown Atlanta at Woodruff Park at 6pm, ending at the Ebenezer Baptist Church for an interfaith service at 7pm.

(You can also click here to sign the Amnesty International petition that will be delivered to the Georgia Parole Board next week.)

May 19 - Global Day of Action for Troy Davis

We haven't had a Troy Davis update in a while. Unfortunately, it doesn't look good for him. His stay of execution is set to expire on May 15, which could lead to a late May execution date. Amnesty International is calling for a Global Day of Action for Troy Davis on May 19. Click here for more information.