URGENT Action Needed!!! Clemency For Troy Anthony Davis

by Thomas Ruffin
September 11, 2008

Dear Friends:

A Georgia state judge signed a new death warrant for the execution of Troy Anthony Davis on or after September 23, 2008, but by no later than September 30, 2008. In other words, this death warrant gives Troy Anthony Davis no more than nineteen to twenty-six days to live. As some of you may remember, Troy Davis came within twenty-four hours of being executed on Georgia's death row last year on July 17, 2007. At that time, after Troy Davis exhausted all of his appeals, and after the Georgia government signed the first death warrant against Troy Davis, a massive grassroots campaign to save Troy's life convinced the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole to stay Troy's scheduled execution while the board reviewed the case. In other words, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole stopped the execution from going forward, but that happened on July 16, 2007, less than twenty-four hours before the state would have executed Troy. In this instance, the campaign to save Troy Anthony Davis will once again mobilize itself to work on an emergency basis to save Troy's life.

At present, Troy Davis has a petition for review before the U.S. Supreme Court. He filed that petition before the U.S. Supreme Court in July 2008. However, the Supreme Court will be on vacation until the first week in October and, at least for the time being, will not consider that petition. In the meantime, no government official can stop the September 2008 execution of Troy Anthony Davis except Justice Clarence Thomas (who serves for the time being as the U.S. Supreme Court justice who hears emergency petitions while the U.S. Supreme Court remains on vacation) and the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole. Troy Davis' appellate lawyers plan to file an emergency petition asking Clarence Thomas to stay the execution until the entire U.S. Supreme Court returns from vacation in October. If Justice Thomas grants a temporary stay as shall be requested, then the U.S. Supreme Court would be able to decide whether to grant or to deny Troy Davis' main petition which he filed in July 2008. In the meantime, the grassroots effort to save Troy Davis plans to hold a national rally in Atlanta, Georgia to save Troy's life. That national grassroots rally will take place on September 18, 2008 and will likely be staged at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta. Also, the movement to save Troy will also work with Troy's lawyers to file a petition asking the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole to grant Troy Davis a full pardon in this case. That petition would be based on Troy Davis' claim of actual innocence.

For information, please research Troy Davis' case on the Amnesty International website and on the website of Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Also, information about the case can be found on Troy Davis' website at www.troyanthonydavis.org or www.amnestyusa.org/index.html.

If you can take the time, email the five members of the Georgia Board of Pardons & Paroles at the email addresses listed below. Also, since Georgia has been grossly unfair and racist in this case, please, if you can, print the attached letter, sign it, and fax it to the Georgia Board of Pardons & Paroles through one of the fax numbers listed below.

FAX NUMBERS FOR THE GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF PARDONS & PAROLES:

(404) 651-8502
(404) 651-5282
(404) 463-6627

EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF PARDONS & PAROLES:

Chairperson L.Gale Buckner-- gale_buckner@pap.state.ga.us
Garland Hunt-- garland_hunt@pap.state.ga.us
Robert Keller-- robert_keller@pap.state.ga.us
Milton Nix-- milton_nix@pap.state.ga.us
Garfield Hammonds-- garfield_hammonds@pap.state.ga.us

The people who fight for liberation and for human rights saved Troy Davis' life last year. Let's work hard this week and save Troy Davis' life and restore his liberty this year. Your letters, when emailed and faxed to the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles, will support a massive national rally against this planned execution. That rally will be in Atlanta on Thursday. The protests will carry over to the board's hearing on Friday, September 12, 2008. Please join us with your letters and other expressions of support.

Please continue the struggle!

Thomas Ruffin.
The Nat Turner Rebellion.

See Also:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/03/free-troy-anthony-davisan-innocent-man.html