Couple things in the news lately. Creative Loafing and the New York Times have picked up on the fact that last summer Georgia purchased their supply of sodium thiopental from Dream Pharma, “a shady, unlicensed company that operates out of the back room of a driving school in London, England.” In addition, Troy Davis filed a new appeal with the US Supreme Court and SCOTUSblog has an excellent overview of his entire case, not to mention, parses through the most recent filing which offers “the Court four ways it could use to review his claim that he did not commit a murder in 1989.”
Georgia Capital Punishment Watch
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7 responses to “Georgia Capital Punishment Watch”
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The issue with the evidentiary hearing in the Davis case is that the judge refused to admit any evidence linking Sylvester Coles to the crime because he was not being called to testify. However, there is some question whether evidence that someone else is the real killer should generally be admitted in an actual innocence evidentiary hearing. That is one issue for the SCOTUS to decide on appeal (although I doubt they will.)
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There is no doubt the Troy Davis was present when Mark MacPhail was shot. The only question is who pulled the trigger.
I have posted on this case several times at chamblee54 . I read the Judge’s opinion, after the last hearing, until my brain turned to jello. ( Non legal people read legal opinions at their peril.) I used to be convinced of the innocence of Mr.Davis. Now I am not sure.
There were a few articles at the fishwrapper this week about Emmanuel Hammond. A few facts were different in these reports, when compared to the police report. The posts at chamblee54 were largely copied from the official story. -
A Ga. murder back in 1980’s carried a life sentence and parole eligibility at 7 years although 99.9% of them did at least 15 years. After 1994, parole eligibility for murder (1st strike) was extended to 14 years and no one has gotten out yet from those. In 2009 all life sentences for “serious violent felony” cases had their parole eligibility moved out to 30 years. Ouch.
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Honestly, it’s been so widely reported in the media so it doesn’t surprise me. In fact, that HuffPo article doesn’t even mention that there were two other people involved.
Also, people have no idea that Georgia actually permits life without parole. Even life with parole carries a minimum of thirty years, but oh no.. the media wants people to think life carries about five years.
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Yep, sorry about that. My point of the cite there rather than here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/26/emmanuel-hammond-executed_n_814076.html
JMP -
Small quibble. Hammond was never convicted, nor charged, with her rape. That was his codefendant. In fact, the press release you cited confirms that fact.
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Emmanuel Hammond was executed last night in Jackson by Ga. for the 1988 brutal rape & murder of Julie Love, an Atlanta preschool teacher.
http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/NewsRoom/PressReleases/110121a.htmlLest we forget there’s also a long line of USSC rulings that permit many different methods of execution as being wholly ‘un-troublesome’ in their considered opinion. (I’m thinking of Scalia here mainly, but it was a majority). And I’m uncertain if the chair ‘Sparky’ has ever been removed from the premises. JMP
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