Troy Davis - A Questionable Execution

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:16 am

Did a search. Found nothing. I thought this topic would be best suited for the debate section. (Mods feel free to move it if you like.)

First, read this, and watch this.

Second, I'm not even going to touch on the races involved simply because I thought the media was adding that to it to make it a "better" story. This action of "justice" by itself is enough to make anyone question what was done. Whether you're black, white, Catholic, Jewish, or Christian. So I ask you guys to leave race out of your replies please.

So if you can't tell already, I truly believe Troy Davis was innocent. From my gathering, there was outstanding evidence that he was innocent, witnesses who admitted to lying under oath, and even jury members stating that they didn't think this was the right thing to do. I was baffled that all of these things could come about and STILL get ignored/pushed to the side. Troy Davis was almost executed three times before this fourth and final one. Each time before, the Supreme Court stepping in and delaying it. I just think it's absolutely awful.

Because of his coming execution, protests started all over the world and were strengthened even more so after the execution. People are STILL protesting over this because it happened not even 48 hours ago. It seemed like no one agreed with the actions being taken. Former president Jimmy Carter tried to reason that the outcome could be wrong. A former FBI Director did the same. Hell, Pope Benedict XVI even tried to plea for this man's innocence. And from my knowledge, the widow of murdered police officer stood there and basically just kept pushing for the execution. Essentially saying things like, Troy Davis had already been found guilty and sentenced to death; so stop delaying the inevitable. I think the widow had convinced herself that Troy had done it and she was relentless to see revenge. It's so ridiculous.

My question to this community is... Do you think this is ok?

What I mean is, do you agree or disagree with the verdict and actions leading to Troy Davis' execution?

EDIT: I changed the subject to a more fitting title I believe.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:25 am

If there is the slightest doubt about a conviction then execution should not be the sentence, the evidence was provided by nine "eye witnesses"-seven of those witnesses later withdrew their statements leaving two "eye witnesses" claiming they saw Davis commit the crime. No other evidence was found, no DNA, nothing ....... I don't know if he was guilty or not but, the death penalty should not have been carried out.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:30 am

Because of the withdrawal of witness and the lack of physical evidence the death sentence should have been commuted at the very least. Like Rob, I don't know if he was guilty or not, but if there is any doubt than it is a grave injustice to carry out the sentence.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:32 am

as rob said. if the slightest bit doubt is there then the death penalty should not be given.

i do believe that the death penalty should be used more often than it is.
for rape, child molestation and things like that, but the slightest bit doubt should stop the penalty.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:37 am

robmead wrote:

I don't know if he was guilty or not but, the death penalty should not have been carried out.

The reason why I believe he was innocent was because of the lack of evidence and the witnesses withdrawing their statements. In agreement, I think the execution should not have taken place. The Supreme Court should have at least taken the case amongst themselves due to the circumstances of the case. I would like to think that if they had, the events would not have played like so.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:40 am

Yeah that's pretty messed up. This is the first i've heard about this but from what I just watched it appears typical of the judicial system and a massive injustice. No this is not okay.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:47 am

lee1035 wrote:

as rob said. if the slightest bit doubt is there then the death penalty should not be given.

i do believe that the death penalty should be used more often than it is.
for rape, child molestation and things like that, but the slightest bit doubt should stop the penalty.

I agree. It should happen more often than it does. There should be things deemed as "intolerable" in my opinion. People are spending 20+ years on death row and all the while, it's getting paid for by taxpayers' dollars.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:56 am

i didn't see the evidence as presented and never heard the testimony at trial.so really i have no idea if he shot the people he was convicted for or not.

Quote:

As he left with his friend Darrell Collins, the occupants of a passing car yelled obscenities at them. A bullet was fired into the car and Michael Cooper, a passenger in the other car, was shot in the face, allegedly by Davis (cooper lived)

Quote:

Davis and Collins continued on, and later met Sylvester "Redd" Coles, who was arguing with a homeless man, Larry Young, over a beer near a Burger King restaurant in the nearby Yamacraw neighborhood. Off-duty policeman Mark MacPhail was working as a security guard there and was shot when he attempted to intervene in the pistol whipping of Mr. Young.

he was in both areas where someone was shot.if he didn't shoot the two people that were shot he should have said who did.he should have said yeah i was with collins but it was him who shot cooper.coles turned him in (a couple are now saying coles is the murderer),if coles was the actual shooter he should have said coles shot killed macphail with a shot to the face and another to the heart.

he testified on his own behalf during the trial and didn't offer either as the shooter and was found guilty.all this leads me to think they got the right guy.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:25 am

My view is murder is murder, the us tax dollars paid to murder that man. Though i am from Canada where we dont kill criminals.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:41 am

heres a shocker...the most unreliable form of evidence is eyewitness account, if JXY gets in on this im sure he could tell us about false memory or modification of memories by a phallaciuos interview technique, combined with an authority effect. memories can be altered by a group consensus, an average of what everybody saw that is agreed upon by discussion of the "facts"
and most people are not in photographic memory mode from day to day. even when told something is about to happen

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:41 am

I don't know whether he actually committed the crime, but without DNA evidence, possibly flawed ballistic evidence and no actual murder weapon as evidence, he should never have been executed.

Like I say, whether he did it or not it is irrelevant, we must be 100% sure of someone's guilt before executing them. It will do Troy Davis no good if two weeks from now someone finds the gun used and it contains DNA evidence linking Sylvester Coles to the murder.

I do agree with the death penalty, but it MUST be used carefully.

Personally I think this is a miscarriage of justice.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:37 pm

If he is found to be innocent at a later date then the impact will only benefit those that should be put down.

For those in favour of the death penalty it is of crucial importance that there be no mistakes in sentencing as mistakes will only make the arguments against ever stronger.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:08 pm

I'm in general against death penalty-don't know if it's an actual punishment in some cases...
To put to death a man even when the slightest doubt exists about h?s guilt equals murder.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:11 pm

johnno23 wrote:

If he is found to be innocent at a later date then the impact will only benefit those that should be put down.

For those in favour of the death penalty it is of crucial importance that there be no mistakes in sentencing as mistakes will only make the arguments against ever stronger.

I just dont see any valid argument for the death penalty, its basic bloodlust revenge, nothing more.

[edit] removed last comment, think i was veering off topic

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:29 am

LORD! GARTH! wrote:

heres a shocker...the most unreliable form of evidence is eyewitness account, if JXY gets in on this im sure he could tell us about false memory or modification of memories by a phallaciuos interview technique, combined with an authority effect. memories can be altered by a group consensus, an average of what everybody saw that is agreed upon by discussion of the "facts"
and most people are not in photographic memory mode from day to day. even when told something is about to happen

Absolutely true... eye witness testimony is very unreliable and needs to be put through a series of tests including how far away they were, how many obstacles were in the way, how long it's been between incident and reporting the eye witness testimony etc. All of these things can leave gaps in the actual account which then, by no fault of their own, can be filled in by false "facts"... it's only human nature to try to fill in the cognitive blanks.

As for the death penalty, I believe in an eye for an eye. BUT only if there is absolutely no element of doubt that they did it. Any doubt, then the death penalty is not given. It does have issues, there are no "do-overs". The last person to be given the death penalty in the UK turned out to be innocent... surely that should cause a few reconsiderations!