Pardons board rejects clemency for Troy Davis

So now it’s down to Gov. Deal.

In the VDT via AP today:

Georgia’s pardons board rejected a last-ditch clemency plea from death row inmate Troy Davis on Tuesday despite high-profile support from figures including the pope and a former FBI director for the claim that he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.

Davis is scheduled to die Wednesday by injection for the killing of off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, who was slain while rushing to help a homeless man being attacked. It is the fourth time in four years that Davis’ execution has been scheduled by Georgia officials.

Steve Hayes, spokesman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles, said

the panel decided to rejected Davis’ request for clemency after hearing hours of testimony from his supporters and prosecutors. The board did not elaborate on the decision in its written official response to the clemency application.

The decision appeared to leave Davis with little chance of avoiding the execution date. Defense attorney Jason Ewart has said that the pardons board was likely Davis’ last option.

The story doesn’t mention the governor. You know, the governor who was here the other day, protested by students about Troy Davis; the governor who didn’t seem inclined to do something about it.

-jsq

PS: The “former FBI director” is William S. Sessions, who held that post under Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, and who wrote in the AJC 15 September 2011,

…when it comes to the sentence of death, there should be no room for doubt. I believe there is no more serious crime than the murder of a law enforcement officer who was putting his or her life on the line to protect innocent bystanders. However, justice is not done for Officer Mark Allen MacPhail Sr. if the wrong man is punished.
Sounds like reasonable doubt to me. -jsq

One thought on “Pardons board rejects clemency for Troy Davis”

  1. Farrah D. Reed

    What a waste Troy Davis could be free labor at some Georgia poultry plant (I kid I kid, I’m a vegetarian I don’t support the poultry industry and I also agree having prisoners work at a poultry plant is a BAD idea) and no one wold have to feel bad if it turns out he is innocent.
    We are a society driven by our motives and incentives what incentive do we have to put Troy Davis to death, will that really make the family of the deceased feel better if we might put the wrong guy down? Also he’s locked up, so he can’t hurt anyone else if he is guilty.

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