The death penalty is in theory used to create justice. By reading these two cases, hopefully they will make you question the amount of justice that this type of punishment actually creates.
Troy Davis (October 9, 1968 – September 21, 2011) was convicted August 19, 1989, for the murder of an off duty police officer named Mark MacPhail in Georgia (Turow). Davis was executed for this crime on September 21, 2011 (Turow). The case of Troy Davis is an interesting one because of the large amount of reasonable doubt that exists (for a more detailed summary of the case click here).
Their was no physical evidence that existed in this case, so witness testimonials were huge. Several witnesses identified Davis as the shooter, and told the court how they saw Davis pull the trigger on the gun (Douthat). During the appeal process for this case, seven out of the nine witnesses admitted that they had been, "coerced by the police to say what they said," and they recanted their statements made in court (Douthat). These witness testimonies were the main argument for the prosecution and they were what his conviction hinged upon. Yet seven out of the nine statements were recanted by the people who made them. The other element of the prosecution's argument was the ballistic evidence (Jonsson). This was really the only bit of physical evidence that even existed, but this apparent evidence was deemed "highly questionable" by the court process (Jonsson). Yet this evidence too was what the prosecution used to convict Davis.
When looking at the complete lack of evidence, it becomes obvious that reasonable doubt existed. Brenda Forrest, one of the jurors that originally convicted Davis, said, "If I had have known what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row (Lethal Injustice)." This juror was one of the people who assisted in putting Troy Davis on death row. Yet she now recognizes that reasonable doubt more than existed. She recognizes that she made a huge. She was one of many people to speak with members of the pardon board two days before Davis was executed (Lethal Injustice). Forrest was just one of many who saw the large amount of reasonable doubt, as a large grassroots movement was created in order to exonerate Troy Davis. This movement consisted of petition signing and letter writing. Former President Jimmy Carter played a key role in gathering support, as even foreign countries such as England and France offered their support (Sayare). Unfortuantly, her along with many others attempts were in vain. Davis was executed on September 21, 2011.
Davis stayed on death row for twenty one years, as the courts debated his innocence, and he maintained his innocence until the second he was executed (Douthat). His final words before his execution show us this.
"Well, first of all I'd like to address the MacPhail family. I'd like to let you all know that despite the situation -- I know all of you still are convinced that I'm the person that killed your father, your son and your brother, but I am innocent. The incidents that happened that night was not my fault. I did not have a gun that night. I did not shoot your family member. But I am so sorry for your loss. I really am -- sincerely. All that I can ask is that each of you look deeper into this case, so that you really will finally see the truth.
I ask to my family and friends that you all continue to pray, that you all continue to forgive. Continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on all of your souls. God bless you all (Troy Davis Last Words)."
How is this justice? Mr. MacPhail's family through over twenty years of litigation just to achieve justice for their murdered family member. Each and every day, they had to go through the struggle of not knowing whether or not they were going to finally gain their justice. Now that the execution has happened, do they really have justice? Troy Davis maintained his innocence even as he took his last breath of air. Did the court system execute the right person? Can the MacPhail family be at peace now just because Troy Davis is dead now? With the entire national spotlight, Troy Davis came out looking like the victim, and everybody forgot about Mr. Macphail. He was the original victim, but the death penalty made the case more about Troy Davis, and not about the MacPhail family.
Hopefully we will all learn from the Troy Davis case. Hopefully we will see how we all could be in Troy Davis's position, and how we need to abolish the death penalty. Let's not let Troy Davis die in vain.
Their was no physical evidence that existed in this case, so witness testimonials were huge. Several witnesses identified Davis as the shooter, and told the court how they saw Davis pull the trigger on the gun (Douthat). During the appeal process for this case, seven out of the nine witnesses admitted that they had been, "coerced by the police to say what they said," and they recanted their statements made in court (Douthat). These witness testimonies were the main argument for the prosecution and they were what his conviction hinged upon. Yet seven out of the nine statements were recanted by the people who made them. The other element of the prosecution's argument was the ballistic evidence (Jonsson). This was really the only bit of physical evidence that even existed, but this apparent evidence was deemed "highly questionable" by the court process (Jonsson). Yet this evidence too was what the prosecution used to convict Davis.
When looking at the complete lack of evidence, it becomes obvious that reasonable doubt existed. Brenda Forrest, one of the jurors that originally convicted Davis, said, "If I had have known what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row (Lethal Injustice)." This juror was one of the people who assisted in putting Troy Davis on death row. Yet she now recognizes that reasonable doubt more than existed. She recognizes that she made a huge. She was one of many people to speak with members of the pardon board two days before Davis was executed (Lethal Injustice). Forrest was just one of many who saw the large amount of reasonable doubt, as a large grassroots movement was created in order to exonerate Troy Davis. This movement consisted of petition signing and letter writing. Former President Jimmy Carter played a key role in gathering support, as even foreign countries such as England and France offered their support (Sayare). Unfortuantly, her along with many others attempts were in vain. Davis was executed on September 21, 2011.
Davis stayed on death row for twenty one years, as the courts debated his innocence, and he maintained his innocence until the second he was executed (Douthat). His final words before his execution show us this.
"Well, first of all I'd like to address the MacPhail family. I'd like to let you all know that despite the situation -- I know all of you still are convinced that I'm the person that killed your father, your son and your brother, but I am innocent. The incidents that happened that night was not my fault. I did not have a gun that night. I did not shoot your family member. But I am so sorry for your loss. I really am -- sincerely. All that I can ask is that each of you look deeper into this case, so that you really will finally see the truth.
I ask to my family and friends that you all continue to pray, that you all continue to forgive. Continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on all of your souls. God bless you all (Troy Davis Last Words)."
How is this justice? Mr. MacPhail's family through over twenty years of litigation just to achieve justice for their murdered family member. Each and every day, they had to go through the struggle of not knowing whether or not they were going to finally gain their justice. Now that the execution has happened, do they really have justice? Troy Davis maintained his innocence even as he took his last breath of air. Did the court system execute the right person? Can the MacPhail family be at peace now just because Troy Davis is dead now? With the entire national spotlight, Troy Davis came out looking like the victim, and everybody forgot about Mr. Macphail. He was the original victim, but the death penalty made the case more about Troy Davis, and not about the MacPhail family.
Hopefully we will all learn from the Troy Davis case. Hopefully we will see how we all could be in Troy Davis's position, and how we need to abolish the death penalty. Let's not let Troy Davis die in vain.
Ron Williamson
This shows how close an innocent man came to being executed. Williamson was robbed of a large portion of his life. Reasonable doubt more than existed, yet our court system ignored that. Had Ron Williamson been executed, it would not have been justice, it would have been murder. This shows how our court systems are flawed, and how easily an innocent man can be convicted of a crime he or she did not commit. If our court systems have the potential to punish an innocent human, than there is no way that we should use execution as a means as punishment. There is no reversing an execution. Once it is done, it is done. No matter how innocent they may appear to be in a few years. Luckily Ron Williamson was saved; otherwise Debbie would not have been the only murder in this case.