High court turns down Ga. death row inmate

They need to reopen the case.  Better to be safe than sorry. 

If he was white he would of been released already from jail, and the real killer who confessed to the murder would be in jail right now. This is why the death penalty is flawed, the people who execute him even though they are just doing their jobs are guilty of murder. The prosecutor should be the one to kill him, so he is the only one who will need to answerto God, and explain why he killed an Innocent man.

"If he was white..." What a bunch of bologna. Whether it's a mad dog or a mad human, they need to be put down before they cause anymore harm, regardless of color. Cop killers suck! I'll pull the switch myself. God will thank me for protecting sane people.

Too much wrong with this one, I believe a new hearing is in order. I may be wrong, but many, many folks get the shaft simply because they cannot afford a decent lawyer. If guilty, though he should "Pay the Piper".

did his crime now time to die

Mumia Jamal will be executed soon.....along with this POS cop killer. 

Justice Finally!

He is guilty - plain and simple.  No alibi, too many eye-witnesses.  Don't you know that everyone is innocent that is behind bars (that is what they will tell you).  If you can't do the time/punishment, then don't do the crime.  What he needs to do is be honest with himself and ask forgiveness from the surviving family members.

The truth is, "Red" does not look like Troy.  Let's hypothesize and say that Red did it, we got a confession from him.  Then I would say, let Troy go.  But the oldest trick in the book is to play the blame game on someone else, in hopes that it will put doubt in people's minds as to who shot "John".

Anyone too naive not to see that one coming, well, all I can say is I got some desert land to sell you.

Witnesses are the scariest evidence in the judicial system.  They are terrible at recollecting faces and facts.  "No alibi"--wow, Wade, since when do citizens need an alibi for every moment of their existence?

Look, I haven't read the background on this particular case (just this story), but it makes me sick to think an innocent person may be robbed of his life because our judicial system was too lazy to look at the evidence again.  That is repulsive.

It is not worth one life, but I'll tell you, if they do find him innocent after execution, it may be the end of the death penalty.  I would rather see those truly guilty live out their days in a cell.

A Black man is running for president.  Racist and Bigets with power won't be passing up on any chances to send one to the chair.      God Bless them and may he have mercy on their souls.

Another potentially innocent man being put to death. Horrible. And the killer didn't kill a 'police officer.' He killed a security officer. If I, a teacher, choose to work the night shift as a security guard and get killed -- the headline will read security guard shot. Why is it that police can work any other second employ and still be called cops? Let's be honest here, people react differently to security officers than they do police officers. And in this case the police officier was employed as security -- not a cop so the supposed 'kill a cop and you get killed' penalty shouldn't apply. And what is the penalty for killing a teacher, trucker, accountant? Less than that for a moonlighting cop? Why?

At day's end, an innocent man was killed several years ago and an innocent man may potentially be killed now. Awful. Just awful. Commute to life if need be but don't execute this man without incontrovertible evidence!

Neither that cop nor his family got any damned reprieve! And furthermore, seven out of nine prosecution witnesses recanting after THIS LONG smells to me of WITNESS TAMPERING!

In the year 1977 there was a man named David Berkowitz, better known as the "Son of Sam" who terrorized the people of NYC, and killed many young ladies. I remember it well, having lived in NYC during that time. David Berkowitz, a former US Postal worker was eventually arrested, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to several LIFE sentences in prison. Many years later the Lord Jesus Christ gloriously SAVED that man in his prison cell in upstate New York. I have heard his testimony, and I know that he was radically changed.

If David Berkowitz had committed those crimes in Texas, there is a very good chance that he would have never come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. He probably would have been executed early on. Fast forward to the year 1998, where Karla Faye Tucker was the first woman executed in the state of Texas in over 100 years, after spending 14 years on death row. Karla Faye was another woman who came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. Her countenance spoke for itself, and she glowed like an angel. Both Karla Faye Tucker and David Berkowitz were used of the Lord to minister to others in prison. Karla Faye is DEAD (though very ALIVE and with the Lord) but David is still ALIVE. It boggles my mind why anybody would want to KILL a person who has been filled with the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.

I speak to you readers today as a born again believer in Jesus Christ, and I tell you that it is an absolute disgrace that we still execute people in the USA today. If God is able to deliver people like David Berkowitz and Karla Faye Tucker at that point in their lives, then why should we hold back mercy from people such as Troy Davis? David Berkowitz will never see the light of day outside his prison cell, and yet God is still able to use his life for HIS own glory.

The bottom line is this. We are all on death row in the sight of God, and we all need His mercy as much as this man Troy Davis needs it. I would have died in my sins, and gone to Hell, if I did not come to know Jesus Christ before I left planet earth and that is why I absolutely ABHOR the death penalty.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8-9)

I remember listening to the people outside the prison calling for the death of Karla Faye Tucker back in 1998, and I was amazed at their hatred and venom, but most of all, at their lack of mercy. Folks, please remember this. The Lord will only show mercy to those who show mercy to others. The Lord Jesus Christ loves that man Troy Davis as much as any other human being on planet earth, and that is the only thing that ultimately matters. Karla Faye Tucker was in chains behind a prison wall, but she was FREE as a butterfly in the Spirit where it really counted. I hope and pray that a miracle takes place in the heart of those in authority, and that they rethink their position. Who knows what God is able to do with this mans life?

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Silencing our Joy

by Martina Correia

Troy Anthony Davis is Prayerfully closer to his walk to Freedom!

September 25, 2008

This is a letter of thank you to all the activists, clergy, lawmakers, lay people and those who believe in human rights and human dignity. On behalf of my family, myself and most importantly my brother Troy we say thank you, but we know the fight is not over and we pray the United States Supreme Court votes to take Troy's case, which will surely have national ramifications in protecting the Innocent in respect to the appellate process. My heart is filled with so many emotions as I see human kindness flourish on behalf of Troy and because of Troy. I cannot express the blessing you all have become to my family and to my brother Troy, who receives so many letters he is overwhelmed, yet elated.

People congratulate me on being a wonderful sister and champion for my brother and they sometimes question why, and my answer is simply, "If you really knew Troy and could sit down with him for 30 minutes, you would know. Troy is the type of brother that makes your life so much richer, so much fuller, so much easier and because he is on death row, awaiting execution, it also makes my life so much sadder." That is why I say, "My name is Martina Correia and I am on death row, because that is where, my brother lives, I am not convicted of murder, my only crime is loving my brother Troy."

Last year as many of you know, Troy came within 23 hours of execution, this past week he came within 90 minutes, it has been such a rollercoaster ride for my family, my siblings, my mother, my son and especially Troy. A ride I pray none of you ever experience, the last 48 hour visits, the saying goodbye, the charge you give the family for the future and the tears and fears of the pending state murder. The knowledge that my brother has been on death watch, isolated from his peers for weeks with a small television that has two hard to see stations, a small radio and a occasional phone call to family and friends. It seems the more celebrity Troy case garners the more he is punished by the prison, constantly changing the rules to discourage his spirits, yet he remains prayerful and in good spirits as if he were in a secret place.

For example prisoners under death watch can call their friends and family as often as they would like. For Troy a special phone that is monitored and instead of usually costing $5.50 per 15 minute call, the charge to our family and friends is almost $9.00 a minute with no explanation from the prison. For Troy most of his numbers to family and friends are being restricted or blocked. Then the rules change again the last 48 hours they told Troy he could only use the phone twice a day for 15 minutes and that included attorney calls. The last 24 hours they took his witnesses to execution off his list saying they can be taken off at the discretion of the Department of Corrections, including the Clergy of his choice. Then the threat to me his sister, if I let the media or anyone other than family talk to Troy on the phone he will have no phone privileges at all. It is like physiological torture and they are angry because it has not penetrated his spirit, no his faith. All of this and Troy remains unwavered, with no anger, still prayerful, still hopeful, still thankful.

I guess you are all wondering why I am telling you this in a thank you letter, well the fight we face is still so very real and your work is therefore needed even more, your voices to tell Troy's story, your passion to fight for his liberation, your determination to understand that the case of Troy Anthony Davis is not an anti-death penalty movement. The case of Troy Anthony Davis is about Innocence, Justice and challenging a government system in Georgia that is hateful, spiteful and defiant. When they cannot defeat us they attack Troy, and he is willing to face the attacks if we are willing to continue the fight!

As I sit here on my bed, exhausted yet full of joy and uncertainty, feeling the affects of 7 ½ years of constant chemotherapy, I am reflecting on the day of September 23, 2008, as we entered the grounds of the Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, where I wanted to cry but I could not, I wanted to yell but I could not, I wanted to leave but I could not. Then I watched the expression on my son's face, that for the first time in his 14 years of visiting death row, he witnessed, more than 100 SWAT, Tactical Squad officers, corrections officers with dozens of dogs, shot guns in hand, all because the state of Georgia wants to kill his Uncle Troy. I have only seen such force on television from the civil rights era.

My first thought was be polite, follow directions and we will be safe, my second thought was how powerful this case has become and why they fear Troy being kept alive will shake the judicial system and expose the truth and my final thought, how they must be treating my brother inside those prison walls. As we enter the prison where the handicap elevator has not worked for almost a year, we have to practically carry two relatives up two flights of stairs. In visitation they allowed 5 people in at a time, we are all mindful of the clock. I am standing conducting the visits, praying no one asks me, "How are you doing, can I get you anything," then scanning the room looking away from any friend or relative that maybe about to cry.

Well visitation is over we are rushed out at 3pm on the dot. Taking my mom and family to the New Hope a place where death row family members are embraced. I get into my car to head back to the prison to meet Rev. Al Sharpton and we enter the prison grounds and the show of police force and the media waiting to pounce. Guards coming over to slip in a shout out to Rev. Sharp ton and then entering a roped off area for supporters for Troy, then a complete stranger so I thought, a small Caucasian women from Texas that has heard about Troy's case, who said "Are you Martina," I replied, "Yes." Then I realized it was a lady that sent me an email, that no matter what she has to do, she just wanted to be there for Troy. Well the press is running to capture our voices as a bus load of supporters are also entering the area, we learn of the Stay from one of the attorneys. We are so happy, excited, prayerful and now hopeful. Troy's last prayer began with pray for the MacPhail Family and then our family and the people who have lied against him, after which he asked God to spare his life.

The state is so ready to kill Troy they have already set up the time for his final visits 6 to 9 on Monday and requested a new list for his final visitors.

Martina Correia

I pray for this man to have peace as well as the family of the deceased.  I have the utmost compassion for a human being who had his life taken but the higher penalty for those in law enforcement is wrong.  I really don't care if an oath was sworn --- that doesn't make their lives any more valuable.