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Amnesty International Press Release Re: Troy Davis<br>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<br>
Thursday, April 16, 2009<br><br>
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS 11TH CIRCUIT COURT<br>
DECISION TO DENY TROY DAVIS APPEAL<br>
—-<br><br>
`Legal technicalities have become a dangerous excuse to undermine
<br>
justice’<br><br>
(Atlanta) Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) condemned in the
<br>
strongest terms today’s 11th Circuit Court decision to deny Troy
Davis <br>
a second petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the district
court. <br>
The human rights organization considers the decision a contrived
<br>
barrier to justice that could ultimately lead to the execution of a
<br>
man with a strong claim of innocence.<br><br>
“Today’s decision is an affront to basic human rights and
demonstrates <br>
that legal technicalities have become a dangerous excuse to
undermine <br>
justice,” said Larry Cox, executive director for AIUSA. “Yet again
the <br>
courts are placing procedural obstacles over the critical issue of
<br>
innocence, and, by extension, the value of human life. The bar for
<br>
admitting evidence has been raised to such a level that no one
arguing <br>
his innocence would be able jump that hurdle.”<br><br>
Davis’ attorneys filed a November 10 brief in support of the second
<br>
petition on the grounds that it was the first time Davis was <br>
presenting a free-standing innocence claim and that no court has
yet <br>
held an evidentiary hearing on the new evidence of recanted
testimony. <br>
On December 9th, the Court heard oral arguments in the case.
However <br>
the 11th Circuit Court today denied the petition, with the majority
<br>
noting several times that they were “constrained” by procedural
rules. <br>
The Court did mandate a 30-day continuation of Davis’ stay of <br>
execution so that he has the opportunity to file a habeas corpus
<br>
petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.<br><br>
Davis was convicted in 1991 of killing Savannah police officer Mark
<br>
Allen MacPhail. Authorities failed to produce a murder weapon or
<br>
physical evidence tying Davis to the crime. Seven of the nine
original <br>
state witnesses have recanted or changed their initial testimonies
in <br>
sworn affidavits. One of the remaining witnesses is alleged to be
the <br>
actual perpetrator. Since the launch of its February 2007 report,
<br>
Where Is the Justice for Me?, Amnesty International has campaigned
<br>
intensively for a new evidentiary hearing or trial, as well as
<br>
clemency for Davis, collecting hundreds of thousands of clemency
<br>
petition signatures and letters from prominent individuals around
the <br>
world.<br><br>
“It is time for lawmakers in Georgia and across the United States
to <br>
confront our morally bankrupt and perilously broken death penalty
<br>
system,” said Jared Feuer, southern regional director for AIUSA.
“Troy <br>
Davis’ case shows us everything that is wrong with the death
penalty <br>
system, including its inability to correct its mistakes.”<br><br>
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots
<br>
organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and
<br>
volunteers in more than 150 countries who campaign for human rights
<br>
worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses,
educates <br>
and mobilizes the public and works to protect people wherever
justice, <br>
freedom, truth and dignity are denied.<br>
# # #<br><br>
For more information about the Troy Davis case, please visit: <br>
<a href="http://www.amnestyusa/" eudora="autourl">www.amnestyusa</a>.
org/troydavis<br><br>
<br>
NOTE: There is also video of Sis. Martina following the decision
<br>
here:
<a href="http://www.wtoc.com/global/category.asp?c=153752&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15094&topVideoCatNoB=153746&topVideoCatNoC=133146&topVideoCatNoD=135069&topVideoCatNoE=153742&clipId=3225256&topVideoCatNo=15094&autoStart=true&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3663408" eudora="autourl">
http://www.wtoc.com/global/category.asp?c=153752&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15094&topVideoCatNoB=153746&topVideoCatNoC=133146&topVideoCatNoD=135069&topVideoCatNoE=153742&clipId=3225256&topVideoCatNo=15094&autoStart=true&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3663408<br>
<br>
<br><br>
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