In a few hours, a man is going to be executed. This is someone who had lived a troubled life but who was, as he tells it, fixing his past transgressions when he was falsely accused of committing murder. Based on shoddy police work and an evil district attorney, he tells us he was unjustly convicted. Now, in his final hours before being put to death, with an affidavit in his hands from someone confessing to the crime for which he was convicted, an uncaring state government looks away. An allegedly innocent man will pay the price.
Oh, you thought I was talking about Troy Anthony Davis? Nope.
Tonight, the thug and miscreant William Mark Mize of Madison County is set to be put to death at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. He’s the P.O.S. who killed Eddie Tucker in 1994 after Tucker failed to destroy an alleged crack house in Athens. He is a real piece of work who, through his actions, took the life of another.
You see, like the Davis case, Mize says that he has sworn affidavits concerning his innocence. Even better than Davis, he also has an affidavit from the real killer admitting to perpetuating the crime for which Mize was convicted! Also, like Davis, several witnesses have recanted their testimony:
I obtained an affidavit from the man that really did the murder and his attorney. The guy who did it admits he killed the victim, no orders, he was drunk and got into an argument and shot the man to death. His lawyer admits that he told her that he murdered the man. I had no part; I’ve murdered no one. I’ve never murdered one person, and I never will. The key witness now admits that she lied about me, and I have a statement from her admitting it. She lied to get me convicted because she wanted to be with her baby. The district attorney threatened to keep her in prison for life, and they were going to accuse me of committing murder so that I would have the death penalty. She would be on death row if she didn’t lie against me. Finally, her conscience got the best of her. She told the truth. The district attorney kept her in prison for a year because she wouldn’t lie about me. She then said she couldn’t take it any longer. She lied to get out of prison, just as so many other people do.
In the sworn statement that I have, she admits to perjury [to lying under oath]. An affidavit from the fire marshal found no arson attempt at the house where the prosecutor said arson had taken place. The prosecutor lied. Also, the maintenance company that performed work on the house for ten years swears no electrical work was done, as the D.A. claimed. But more enlightening was the fact the house they claim we knew how to access via the basement DOES NOT HAVE A BASEMENT. They need to find another house or dig a basement.
Now, finally, people are starting to protest this scheduled killing. The Vatican’s nuncio to the U.S., Monsignor Martin Krebs, sent a letter on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI to Sonny Perdue urging him to spare Mize. Several Congressmen also spoke out on behalf of Mize, requesting the courts grant him a new trial. U.S. Congressman John Lewis spoke to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, suggesting that another person was the real killer. In addition, U.S Representatives Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Sheila Jackson Lee, actor Mike Farrell, former Texas District Attorney Sam D. Millsap, Jr., and the organization Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation are leading a worldwide call for clemency to Mize.
Incredibly, Harry Belafonte implored the Board to use their power to grant clemency. Another supporter of clemency was Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, who issued a similarly-worded plea to halt the execution and grant Mize a new trial.
In addition, former Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Bob Barr wrote the Georgia Board saying that he is “a strong believer in the death penalty as an appropriate and just punishment,” but that the proper level of fairness and accuracy required for the ultimate punishment has not been met in Mize’s case. Subsequently, Reverend Al Sharpton also called for clemency after he met and prayed with Mize on death row.
Crap. My bad. Those are actually all things that were done and said for Troy Anthony Davis. Oops.
Curiously, no one seems to be clamoring for Mize the same way they do for Davis. The local news isn’t blanketing us with stories about his innocence. There are no massive prayer vigils. World leaders are not issuing press releases and the EU Parliament isn’t engaging in debates to determine if Georgia is “evil” or “really evil.”
What is the difference between the cases of Mize and Davis? Why the outrage for the latter and not the former? Why the complete silence over notarized affidavits stating Mize’s innocence…something that we are evidently supposed to wet our pants over in Davis’ case? Shouldn’t the protesters of Davis’ scheduled execution also be equally outraged with the scheduled execution of Mize?
Or, perhaps, just perhaps, people just have no problem with a white supremacist being killed. Because, you know, he deserves it.
We have a system of laws that govern our criminal justice system. In Mize’s case, as well as Davis’ case, a jury of their peers heard the evidence presented against them, which was legally and lawfully laid out, and came to a just verdict. Both men were convicted and sentenced to death and both deserve the punishment that will be meted out to them within the next three months.
When people remain mute about the killing of one man but for another are frothing over with rage (even though there have been an endless series of appeals and reviews) as some periodicals name the latter a Man Of The Year, they serve only to reveal their own desire for different levels of punishment to be handed down based upon extraneous factors such as race.
The evidence has been heard. The jury years ago came to a verdict in both matters. Both Maze and Davis are equally responsible for the crimes they committed and both should be put to death. Unlike many, I do not see the need to raise one convicted killer on our shoulders to celebrate while another is left to hear no deafening roar of protesters.
Enjoy your final meal of steak, fried chicken breast, baked potato, salad, garlic bread, a pint of butter pecan ice cream, half a pecan pie and soda, Mr. Mize. It’s time to pay for your crimes.
And in June or July when Davis has his final meal, I hope his final thoughts are to ask for forgiveness when he took the life of Savannah Police Department Officer Mark MacPhail.
{ 18 comments }
I strongly encourage everyone to follow the second link to the source of these alledged recantations.
We have a system of laws that govern our criminal justice system
Yes, but they were all set-up by white men…
Wow, grift. Just wow. If ever I doubted the amazing apparatus that was Rogue’s thinkbox, all doubt is now removed.
If it makes you feel any better, I’m outraged.
The death penalty is barbaric and should be abolished.
I’m against the death penalty regardless of who it is to be used upon.
If you want to read the facts of the Mize case, you can start here. Despite the best efforts above to make the 2 cases sound equivalent, the facts are actually quite dissimilar. For starters, it is undisputed that Mize was present for and directed the murder of the victim, even if we accept that he did not fire the deadly shot. That alone is enough for Mize to be convicted of murder under Georgia law. Mize and Hattrup merely argue that it was Hattrup who actually fired the deadly shots, which Hattrup is presently serving 20 years for after pleading guilty. But even if this were true it would not establish actual innocence for Mize.
In contrast, Troy Davis’ argument all along has been that he is actually innocent of the crime of murder. He has consistently argued that he was not even present when the victim was shot, that he was turned in by Sylvester Coles to throw suspicion off Coles’ trail, and then the police pressured witnesses to incorrectly identify Davis as the shooter.
“The death penalty is barbaric and should be abolished.”
So should murder.
Why do I get the feeling Rogue, or Pete, doesn’t really give a damn about anything so long as he gets to say “THEY ARE RACISTS! THEY ARE RACISTS! I’M NOT RACIST!”
Obviously legal executions [of humans] has failed as a useful population control method.
Since 1976 only 1,156 [entire US] and 44 in Georgia [making GA 7th] have occurred.
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/usexecute.htm
If we are going to improve efficiency to that of vehicle deaths [~ 40,000 annually] or even flu deaths [34,000 annually], suicide or adverse reactions to drugs, we must work alot harder.
Executions have no hope of meeting the 1,000,000 ANNUAL population effects of Tobacco [435,000], Poot Diet and Physical Inactivity [365,000] and Alc0hol [100,000].
What method do the enlighten suggest to reduce our Georgia population cost effectively…………..Open season [with free ammunition] on who?
I am also against capital punishment.
Not because it is barbaric…I could care less about that.
Let us ask ourselves some questions regarding human nature.
Why do we punish criminals? Part of the idea of punishment is to make prisoners pay their debt to society. Since this has not applied in reality since the 50′s (back when the product of inmate labor exceeded the cost of incarceration), we must move on to the second of two reasons we punish criminals: deterrence.
On this category, we can conclude that there should be changes to a number of laws. To prevent a drawn out discussion, let us keep to the topic of capital punishment and deterrence. There, essentially, is none. Capital punishment does not deter a murderer from murdering. Human ethics and religious moral codes do a good job at this, less so in Christianity than other religions, but that is not what is one trial. Numerous studies have been conducted around the world, including the US, and none of them have shown a correlation of any sorts that can draw conclusions that capital punishment deters homocide. Currently, a number of states do not use the death penalty…and, for those that have forgotten, capital punishment was deemed unconstitutional for a few years back in the 70′s. During these periods the rate of homocide remained steady. Technically, all we are doing is spending more money for the same results. We do need a long term study to determine whether or not life in prison w/o parole will prove to be a deterrent (I suspect it will not), but it will cost less.
Things do need to change in the American prison system. Obviously, decriminalizing drugs will help. On top of that, lowering the standard of living amongst inmates needs to be a priority. As of today, April 28, 2009, around 25% of Americans live below the standard of living enjoyed by inmates in our prisons. Do not draw any inferences from this…most inmates do not want to be in prison, but that does not change the fact that much of todays lower class would be living a better life in jail…the homeless in particular.
Now, my favorite last paragraph phrase:
In the end, when all is said and done, capital punishment provides the same level of deterrence as life in prison w/o parole…but at a higher cost. Severely lowering the standard of living in the prison system, in the middle to long run (afterall, it takes a little while for the whole public to learn of these changes), may help increase the rate of deterrence from many crimes. It is not the opinion of this individual that anything constitutional will deter homocide in America. There are no silver bullets in real life. No one thing will fix everything…the prison system is no different.
Congratulations; this is the most passive-aggressive post I’ve ever read here.
What was your point, again? Thy are innocent? They are guilty? Quit whining about th black guy if you can’t whine about the white one?
Rick, this is GA.
GW
“Capital punishment does not deter a murderer from murdering”
That’s because they don’t die soon enough. Murderers sit on death row for 20/30/40 years. It’s crazy. They should get one appeal then take them out. That would deter a lot and it would save us plenty of money. It cost the state a fortune to keep people on death row for so long.
And yes GW, I’m from GA.
“Congratulations; this is the most passive-aggressive post I’ve ever read here.”
Well, at least we’re striving for something.
Well, Kellie, this is America. Not the USSR.
Furthermore, my observations (which are more of a literature review from the early 2000′s…other scholars are to be attributed seeing as how I have never published a paper on this subject) are not just about the US. Other countries, eastern European countries and some North African ones (those that have not done away with capital punishment) have seen no change either. These are judicial systems that allowed the government to take a convicted murderer behind the court house after the trial, execute him and send a bill for the bullet to the convicted’s family. There has been, albeit, a slight decline since the 80′s in some of these countries, this has been attributed to fewer wrongful convictions.
Time to catch up to the 20th century in this regard. It doesn’t work. I, personally, do not believe anything will deter homocide. Most homocides are crimes of passion. Not much can deter that behavior.
@kellie The cost of prosecuting a capital case execeeds the cost of keeping a peson in prison for the average time to execution (about ten years).
Look at the infamous Courthouse killer. The defense used a method that gauranteed success: Make the Prosecution spend huge dough or risk getting an appeal for not answering all defense points.
That case set precendence, now every capital case will use that method.
If the Death sentence were expeditious and infallable, and the sentence were broadcast to ‘at-risk’ kids, would it be an effective deterrent? Doubt it, and the sentence will never be infallable.
The penal solution is not working, the issue is societal. The breakdown of societal values and the fabric of community cannot be resolved through the judiciary.
Neither the Dems or he GOP can resolve this issue, it must be resolved at the kitchen table or the woodshed.
“If the Death sentence were expeditious and infallable, and the sentence were broadcast to ‘at-risk’ kids, would it be an effective deterrent? Doubt it, and the sentence will never be infallable.”
This is proven to not work as it is broadcast, people KNOW what will happen when they kill someone and they do it.
My point exactly.
Very true.
Comments on this entry are closed.