On the Radar: Executions in Georgia and Texas, Obama at U.N.
Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed Wednesday evening in Georgia.
September 21st, 2011
06:00 AM ET

On the Radar: Executions in Georgia and Texas, Obama at U.N.

Three things you need to know today.

Georgia execution: Supporters of death-row inmate Troy Davis have vowed to continue fighting to stave off Wednesday's scheduled execution, despite a decision by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny clemency.

"We're calling on anyone who has any power to stop this grave injustice from occurring." Laura Moye, campaign director for Amnesty International USA, said at a news conference.

Davis is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Jackson, Georgia, for the 1989 shooting death of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail.

The parole board declined to grant Davis clemency Tuesday following a hearing Monday in which it heard testimony calling into question physical evidence and witness statements that a Chatham County jury relied on in convicting Davis in 1991. In Georgia, only the board - not the governor - has the right to grant clemency.

Since Davis' conviction, seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted or contradicted their testimony. Davis' supporters say the original witnesses were fearful of police and spoke under duress.

One of three men convicted for his involvement in the infamous dragging death of a black man 13 years ago is scheduled to be executed Wednesday.

Texas execution: Lawrence Russell Brewer, 44, is scheduled to die by lethal injection in the killing of James Byrd.

Brewer and two other white men chained the 49-year-old black man to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him to death on a country road near Jasper, Texas.

Accomplice John William King also was sentenced to death and is awaiting an appeal. A third man, Shawn Berry, received life in prison.

Obama at U.N.: President Barack Obama will lay out the U.S. view of the "seismic change" seen around the world in the past year, particularly in the Arab world, when he speaks to the United Nations on Wednesday, aides said.

National Security Council strategic communications director Ben Rhodes said the sweeping changes across the region will take up much of Obama's address to the General Assembly on Wednesday morning and "speak to the momentum of democratic change in the world."

"There's been a seismic change in the past year, and I think the discussions today underscore that," he said.

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Filed under: Barack Obama • Death Penalty • Georgia • Justice • On the Radar • Texas • United Nations
soundoff (73 Responses)
  1. Brian

    No problem paul.It just makes me mad

    September 21, 2011 at 7:29 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Brian

    As you see its delayed....

    September 21, 2011 at 7:40 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Duh

    Look at his glasses.

    September 21, 2011 at 8:56 pm | Report abuse |
    • Janice

      Do u remember what yr that was? R.I.P Troy Davis and ur tryin to b funny,but ur not!!

      September 22, 2011 at 12:38 am | Report abuse |
  4. Melinda Beindorf

    I don't understand what takes so long when the person on the row is 100 percent guilty with no doubt.....the TX execution that just took place for example. He was guilty 100 percent his walk from the gallows should have taken 5 minutes not 13 freaking years getting three squares a day on the taxpaters dollar!

    September 21, 2011 at 9:00 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Pual

    i agree

    September 21, 2011 at 10:00 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Pual

    they should do to him as he did victim but worce to show others not to this or this will happen to only worse...

    September 21, 2011 at 10:02 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Sean

    Putting aside the moral debate on the death penalty.. the facts are clear in this case; this man is guilty and here are some important facts that Canadians need to know, since they are not being reported in this article.

    1) there were 34 witnesses for the prosecution ( as mentioned by a previous poster) not 9.

    2. Of the 7 who recanted their testimony, 3 were his friends.

    3. 2 of the 7 who recanted didn't even get the chance to recant before a court, because Davis' own lawyers would not let them, even though at least one of them was in the courthouse waiting to testify. Reason? Usually that means that their new testimony would not hold up in court when being cross examined.

    4. The other two recantations were not full recantations and would not have challenged the core of the prosecutions' case.

    5. The witnesses were black, 7 of the 12 jurors were black and one of the men shot that night was black. This is not a race based case.

    6. Even if you don't agree with the death penalty, it does not help your cause to misinform the public about the level of guilt of the accused. It is not fair to the victim's family. Argue your case on morals.

    September 21, 2011 at 10:09 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Pual

    this guy is A MUDERER becuase im sure the bullets fell from the sky into the guys gun and went of muliple time
    huh a freck accident if you belive it your going think what you want

    September 21, 2011 at 10:11 pm | Report abuse |
  9. crystalsparkler

    As long as their is a spec of doubt the execution should not go on.... those screaming for Davis to be executed are no different from murderers themselves. The family will not get their son back after Davis is dead. If you think he is guilty, let him rot in jail. TWO WRONGS NEVER MAKE A RIGHT!

    September 21, 2011 at 10:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • Isabella

      Well, lets let him come live with you and you keep him up ... cause Ga Tax payers are tired of it!!!

      September 21, 2011 at 10:39 pm | Report abuse |
    • Terra

      crystalsparkler, I COMPLETELY agree..there is doubt in this case so it needs to re-examined.

      September 21, 2011 at 11:10 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Opinion

    I have no feelings about whether the accused is white, black, hispanic, Asian, or any other race or ethnicity in a criminal case. History makes it clear that people of all races and ethnicities have been guilty of committing horrible crimes. It has been found that the accused individual in this case crossed the line of acceptable behavior on the night that an innocent man was murdered while trying to help a homeless victim being brutally assaulted by the accused and his accomplices. Evidence showed the accused in this case was a willing participant of multiple violent crimes committed that evening and by the laws of our state and nation was found deserving of the punishment of execution which has been agreed upon multiple times by people of different races and ethnicities who have diligently weighed all of the evidence in the case. Sadly forgotten in all of the attention brought to this situation is that the innocent man who was murdered that evening would have laid down his life to help anyone regardless of their race or ethnicity. Carrying out the sentence in this case is long, long overdue. It is wrong for anyone who tries to make race an issue in this case. It is not about race. It is about assault, murder, fleeing the scene, lying, and covering up a brutal crime. I pray for the soul of the accused and the victim and their families.

    September 21, 2011 at 10:46 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Tiffany

    First, lets just get it straight this is a life here. Yes, one has been lost and im very sorry to hear that but, if there is ANY DOUBT in the case, then he should have not be put to death. Why didnt they allow him to take a polygraph?? Why not just retry him since there was not enough evidence?? This system is sooo messed up and there are so many innocent people who have been put to death or been in prison for many years and that is not right an not fair!!!!

    Point blank period....If there was doubt then he should have not been put to death......this system and world is soooo messed up! God Bless us ALL

    September 21, 2011 at 11:32 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Confused and Disheartened

    I am so confused and disheartened. Confused because it seems like there are still racist individuals in this country. Disheartened because I thought we, as Americans, were better than that. I am sickened at the comments that have been made about this story. Regardless of whether he is guilty or innocent, there are two families that have suffered as a result of someone making the wrong decisions. So instead of using all of this negative energy to make hateful comments, use that energy to encourage our youths to make better decisions in life so that they won't become a statistic. The ones that are being hateful, what kind of example are you setting for your kids? God help them and everybody if they adopt your hatred and negativity. We are not in the 1960's anymore people. Stop with the racism and the ignorance. There are bad apples in EVERY race. We, as white people, have done our fair share of dirt so we can't point the finger at anyone. History has proven that! Please, please stop this evil banter. It is childish and ridiculous.

    September 21, 2011 at 11:52 pm | Report abuse |
  13. chrissy

    So if the judicial system is so dang perfect how were they allowed 2 fail Caylee Anthony? I have zero faith in them. Troy Davis was denied a lie detector test that alone convinced me. &i live in a community filled with crooked cops so not much faith there

    September 21, 2011 at 11:56 pm | Report abuse |
  14. ElderLS

    It's obvious that justice doesn't always mean that the guilty go to jail it just means that somebody pays for the crime. Liberty and Justice for all is mere hypocrisy...

    September 22, 2011 at 1:00 am | Report abuse |
  15. ElderLS

    How can you get justice out of a system that actually run by criminals??? Cover-ups, scape goating, railroading, burying evidence, witness tampering, jury tampering, tampering with evidence, etc...you name they do it. What a travesty in American Jurisprudence!

    September 22, 2011 at 1:03 am | Report abuse |
    • tayona

      i was just saying the same thing ElderLS about your last post it all points back to the #Gov.legal systems, cops ad all the others who are tampering with evidence and are fraud against the nation.... but hey they don't care tho... they never did

      September 22, 2011 at 1:55 am | Report abuse |
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