Death Penalty
Innocence Claim Delays Execution
Posted Jul 17, 2007, 08:45 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Georgia’s parole board has granted a 90-day stay of execution for Troy Anthony Davis, who says he is innocent.
Davis’ scheduled execution for shooting a policeman was less than 24 hours away when the board granted the reprieve, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. A press release says the board will evaluate evidence that Davis did not commit the crime while the stay is in effect.
Several key witnesses recanted their testimony against Davis during a nine-hour clemency hearing Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports. A 1996 law limiting appeals has barred courts from considering the recantation.
Davis’ case has attracted support from celebrities and death-penalty opponents. (For more information see this post at ABAJournal.com.)