Second verse, same as the first.
The federal appeals court in Atlanta will hear arguments Dec. 9 on whether death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis can continue to challenge his conviction in the killing of a Savannah police officer, a state official said Wednesday.
Why not? Let’s just keep appealing the same thing over and over.
Davis’ lawyers say new evidence proves their client was a victim of mistaken identity.
Prosecutors have said the case is closed. In court hearings, they said some of the affidavits repeat what a jury trial already has heard, while others are irrelevant because they came from witnesses who never testified.
District Attorney Spencer Lawton also said he doubts the new testimony meets the legal standards for a new trial. And while the recantations may seem persuasive to some, Lawton said, “to others of us it invites a suggestion of manipulation, making it very difficult to believe.”
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It’s so much more convenient, not to mention much cheaper, to execute an innocent person every now and then than to fool around with these appeals. Let’s just let the district attorney decide whether or not the conviction is valid.
Why should we be extremely cautious in sanctioning the killing of a citizen!
Why should we be extremely cautious in sanctioning the killing of a citizen!
How many times should we let him appeal the SAME ARGUMENT?
This SAME issue has already gone all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States. Now, with NOTHING new, we’re starting it all over again!
Again, there is no new argument. So, again, how many times should be be allowed to appeal to courts which have already denied him?
The same jury that found Davis guilty and recommended that his sentence be death heard some of these conflicting stories from the witnesses. What they didn’t hear is not admissible in court as these “recantations” are not sworn statements and the makers of the purported statements are not willing to testify to verify their stories. Many of these documents were either created after all the appeals were done or presented to previous appellate courts for them to review.
The interesting thing is that if the conviction is overturned, the new DA will have to decide if this case should be prosecuted again…a decision that could easily destroy some fragile alliances and relationships in Savannah.
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