VOD ED: THERE IS A PAROLE BOARD HEARING ON CLEMENCY FOR TROY DAVIS SEPT. 19; BELOW LETTER FROM INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ARE LINKS TO SIGN PETITIONS TO THE PAROLE BOARD: PLEASE SIGN!!!
From: The International Council for Urban Peace, Justice and
Empowerment in conjunction with Peace in the Hood
________________________________________
Mr. James E. Donald
Chairman
Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., SE
Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4909
September 17, 2011
Re: Troy Davis
On behalf of The International Council for Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment, we are asking you to have the courage to stop the execution of an innocent man, Troy Davis. The International Council for Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment is the largest National Network of grassroots, faith and community based organizations dedicated to Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment in the United States. The Council serves as an umbrella organization with over 35 affiliates throughout the United States and globally. For over 17 years, the Council has sponsored several National Urban Peace (Street Organization) and Justice Summits. The Council has initiated prevention, intervention and transformation work all over the U.S. and globally to affect change in the lives of youth impacted by racism, poverty, inequality and injustice.
Rally for Troy Davis in Atlanta Sept. 16; Reuters reported 2,000 people turned out
Rarely has a case attracted the international attention and support as this case. The facts are undeniable: 1) seven of the original nine witnesses recanted their testimony stating they were coerced by strong arm tactics of the police who were investigating the murder of one of their own; 2) one of the remaining two witnesses, Redd Coles was himself a suspect at one time; 3) three witness stated that the same Redd Coles confessed to them that he murdered the off duty officer; and 4) there was no physical evidence connecting Mr. Davis to the crime.
Consider the words of U. S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun:
“Twenty years have passed since this Court declared that the death penalty must be imposed fairly, and with reasonable consistency, or not at all, and, despite the effort of the states and courts to devise legal formulas and procedural rules to meet this daunting challenge, the death penalty remains fraught with arbitrariness, discrimination, caprice, and mistake.”– U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, February 22, 1994
Now consider these facts on the death penalty from the Death Penalty Fact Sheet on the Death Penalty in the United States:
• Studies by such organizations as the United States General Accounting Office, the American Bar Association, and The Yale University School of Law have all concluded that the most reliable indicator of whether or not the death penalty will be sought is the race of the victim. Prosecutors are more likely to seek the death penalty if the victim is white and the perpetrator if African American or a person of color.
• The death penalty is not enforced on any geographically consistent basis. Almost 80% of the executions are in the south, yet the South had the highest murder rate in the United States according to the F.B.I. Uniform Crime Statistics in 2008. The Northeast, which had the lowest rate of executions (less than 1%), had the lowest murder rate. (Death Penalty Fact Sheet)
• Of the death row inmates, 42% are Black. In death penalty states, 98% of the chief prosecutors are white.
• In death penalty cases, 75% of murder victims were white. Nationally, only 59% of murder victims were white.
• Execution is more expensive than lifelong incarceration and in some cases, can cost tax payers as much as $250 million dollars per case (California).
The standard for convictions and death penalty cases is clean and convincing evidence. This was clearly not met in the case. Clear and convincing evidence is not the word of two people (one of whom was a suspect). In appeals, the state has argued procedural issues-not the guilt or innocence.
The standard for a civilized society is not what someone has a right to do, but having the moral courage to do the right thing. In this case, we stand as a united organization and say that the right thing to do is to commute the death sentence of an innocent man. Killing people to teach people that killing people is wrong does not make moral sense. The evidence is not there, but the racism and the notorious police blue line of protecting their own and revenging their own is there. We ask you to look within your own conscious and have the courage to do what is right. Do not execute an innocent man. Do not participate in a legal homicide.
Respectfully,
Spokesmen
Amir Khalid Samad, T. Rashad Byrdsong, Jitu Sadiki, Minister Kuratibish Rashid
SIGN ONLINE PETITION AT
http://www.iacenter.org/troydavis
/troydavissept16listlocalactionandjusticefortroy.org
In ATLANTA, at 6pm on September 16th there will be a March assembling at Woodruff Park, Peachtree and Edgewood and concluding at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 407 Auburn Ave with a service featuring national civil rights, community and religious leaders, Martina Correia and other family members of Troy Davis, and exonerated prisoners.
For more information on the campaign, go to http://www.aiusa.org or http://wwwgfadp.org
On March 28, 2011, the US Supreme Court failed to take up the appeal of Troy Davis. AND NOW HIS EXECUTION HAS BEEN SET FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21.
TELL THE GEORGIA GOV., LEGISLATURE, PARDONS AND PAROLE BOARD, PRESIDENT OBAMA, ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER, CONGRESS AND THE MEDIA:
STOP THE EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS!
Tell Gov. Deal and the Georgia Pardons and Parole Board:
STOP THE EXECUTION! FREE TROY DAVIS!
On March 28, 2011, the US Supreme Court failed to take up the appeal of Troy Anthony Davis, the Savannah, Ga. man whose scheduled execution has been halted three times in the past because of the growing evidence and public belief in his innocence. AND NOW HIS EXECUTION HAS BEEN SET FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21.
Troy Davis is an African American on death row in Georgia. Davis was convicted in the 1989 killing of a police officer despite what Amnesty International calls “overwhelming doubts about his guilt.” No physical forensic evidence was presented at Davis’ trial, and 7 of the 9 non-police witnesses have recanted their testimony, with at least two saying they were pressured by police to finger Davis as the killer.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION NOW to let the Georgia Parole Board, Governor, Legislature, and congressional delegation as well as President Obama, U.N. Secretary-General Ban, Congressional leaders and members of the media know you demand No Execution of Troy Davis!
Your messages will go to hundreds of public officials, including the Governor of Georgia, the entire Georgia legislature, each member of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the full Georgia Congressional delegation, as well as President Obama, Attorney General Holder, Congressional leaders, U.N. Secretary-General Ban, and national and local media representatives.
SIGN ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.iacenter.org/troydavis
The text of the message reads as follows (you will have the opportunity to edit it if you wish):
To: Governor Deal, Georgia Pardons and Parole Board, Georgia Legislature, Georgia Congressional Delegation, President Obama, Attorney General Holder, Congressional Leaders, U.N. Secretary General Ban
cc: members of the media
STOP THE EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS, NOW SET FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21!
On March 28, 2011, the US Supreme Court failed to take up the appeal of Troy Anthony Davis, the Savannah, Ga. man whose scheduled execution has been halted three times in the past because of the growing evidence and public belief in his innocence. He was convicted solely on eye witness testimony, and 7 of the 9 non-police witnesses have since recanted, several alleging that police coerced them into making false statements.
I join with millions in the US and around the world in demanding that you stop the execution of Troy Davis. Serious doubt remains. I call on all those with authority and influence in this decision to grant clemency to Troy Anthony Davis and overturn the death sentence.
Innocence matters to me. Justice matters to everyone.
I urge you to act now.
Sincerely,
SIGN ONLINE PETITION AT iacenter.org/troydavis
International Action Center
c/o Solidarity Center
55 W 17th St Suite 5C
New York, NY 10011
212-633-6646
iacenter@iacenter.org
www.iacenter.org
