Death Penalty and Troy Davis

Air: Frankly, I think this guy was put to death after 20 years without enough evidenciary support and with witnesses recanting. I think the jury, the supreme court and everyone who was against him just wanted someone to blame. They put an innocent man to death. If someone was kept alive after 22 years, then there was a reasonable doubt as to whether he should have died. I'm aware there is no 'Law' topic as this site is Canadian, but I wonder what everyone's thoughts were. Whether you care or not, to know that a government would put to death an innocent man in a country that is 'known' for freedom and 'rights', I think this was given so much attention because this man was desperate in saving his life against a federal lynching. Yet Casey Anthony goes free.

What are your thoughts?

lavendar_star: Well I do not the full facts of this case so I cant comment if he is innocent or guilty, but obviously Americas' judicial system has many flaws in relation to race, class and gender. The state seems to be stubborn in reviewing cases they may have got wrong, I think this case proves how the death penalty is wrong as theres no coming back from death. The American legal system as we others in the world is regulated by cash i.e public defenders who are poorly paid and has numerous clients and limited recourses compared to the middle class or the rich who can afford lawyers that have numerous recourses and can afford to go through the appeals processes. I do think America is a country full of irony and this case as well as other cases have proven through the ages. In the U.K we done away with the death penalty for this exact reason and I have posted on another post.(about introducing back the death penalty in Britain.

Furthermore, despite DNA evidence which in itself can be tainted or planted (as I have seen on a documentary on this exact subject)as well as unreliable witness statements and not all cases can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. According to the news reports 7 out of the 9 witnesses to the Troy Davis case withdrawn their previous statement concerning this crime. But they still killed him anyway was because he was black male and poor and it was in the south? maybe so, either way it just shows the world that America is not the great land of equality and freedom and until that is resolved : America has no moral high ground on the world stage when it comes to democracy, truth and justice. (But its still better than some countries in the world) its just the hypocrisy of the America's manta on being the land for freedom and rights.

Air: I can agree on many points regarding the United States Judicial system, and I appreciate your opinions on the 'irony. I also would have to point out that two cases recently that of Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony reflect a kind of fascination with 'hot villains'. Know was released from Italy, and Anthony from Florida. I think looks, not race had to do with their acquittals. In Troy Davi's case, he was 'guilty' and never proven innocent according to the courts. In this system, its assumed you are 'innocent' until proven guilty. They never found the murder weapon, point in case, and there was no DNA. There was even someone who admitted to committing the crime but no one looked into that. Frankly the same thing happened to both Casey Anthony and Amanda Knox, hence those were acquitted. IN the Knox case evidence that was found had to be cast aside. You could have a knife, or a gun, and it still didnt prove her guilty. They never had anything on Troy Davis, but they killed him. There was a reasonable doubt for 20 years and they never let him go because someone had to pay. It's sad how the the prosecution in his case states that he took his issue up with the media. That prosecutor is exactly that and based on his 'belief' that Troy Davis was guilty, he performed his duty and now Troy Davis is dead. In the judicial system its all about 'WINNING'....its awful. And I have to come to believe that there is no truth on earth, as truth is relative to how the governing system decides to warp the 'facts' into what it wants it to be to convince the majority of its certainty.

Art0fliving: Ok...speaking as an American...and after reading about all the "woe to poor america...their legal system is sooooo Screwed up"....I believe you are looking at this thru a narrow window and are not seeing the larger picture here.....First of all..
1)..there are many, many steps in the appeals process for the death penalty...Davis was put to death after this long, drawn out appeals process...at so many points in this case, the death penalty could have been overturned...it was NOT...his conviction could have been overturned....it was NOT....
2) I believe the death penalty is useless....it is not an "Absolute" as to it's use.....I believe either, Use it....or get rid of it and turn all of these people out into the general population...
3) Our legal system is not perfect...it is a system run by people...there will be wrong decisions, wrong convictions, and wrong punishment....but dont BLOW your own horn and act as if your country has the perfect legal system...no country does....
4)..as for money winning cases and poor people losing....It has been that way for as long as we have had legal systems...and before that....We have a system that in it's purest form, prevents some of that...but rich people get rich lawyers....

Air: Davis should never have been put to death, not with this much doubt. They just did not have the real killer. Whoever that was, got away. Sadly he had to fight for his own life for 22 years. If there was that much doubt, 10 years ago he should have been let go. They just refused to let him go because they didnt not have anyone else to blame. The same would go for the Knox and Anthony cases, except in their case...they were hot. They are letting them go much faster in this age, then they are in the past because the government cannot admit that they made a mistake.

lavendar_star: No country is perfect but as i said previous we abolished the death penalty because of some previous unsafe conviction which resulted in death and you can not rectified death and since then people coming out of life sentences in their old age due to them being innocent or faulty evidence if we had death penalty that would of not happened. As you said yourself people in the legal system can make mistake which affects peoples lives and some police offices have tunnel vision and go after the easiest track in some instances due to political, public and media pressure. As with the West Memphis 3 (poor,uneducated and different) likely they weren't put to death. As for the appeal process doesn't that depend on the effectiveness of your counsel.

As Air said innocent until proven guilty but on some occasions in America and in my country sometimes is the reverse which prejudices the legal system especially if you do not have the right face or the right amount of money in your bank account.

Art0fliving: "They just refused to let him go because they didnt have anyone else to blame"....you really believe that??...with our system of appeal after appeal, if he was innocent, they would have released him...it wouldnt have mattered if they had anyone else or not...remember, it takes clear and real evidence to change a conviction...you just cant let em go because they SAY they are innocent....

as for Knox and Anthony....did you sit in on the whole trial and hear all the evidence??....if you didnt, then you cant speak as to their real guilt or innocence....you can only base the story on what you read in the media...(and gee, like they are unbyast in any way...(yeah, right).....

Evelyn99: I’m generally against death penalty don’t do anything good for anyone