Ga. man gets stay of execution
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a last-minute reprieve tonight for a Georgia man who was just two hours away from receiving the death penalty, according to an Associated Press report.
Troy Davis, who was convicted of killing a police officer in Savannah, Ga. in 1991, had requested a stay of execution from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, but was denied on Sept. 12.
According to the AP report, Davis' lawyers have cited a lack of physical evidence in the case, as well as several witnesses changing their testimonies, as justification for a new trial. In addition, several witnesses have submitted affidavits after the conviction which name another gunman in the murder.
Prosecutors have contended, however, that some of the affidavits might be irrelevant because those witnesses did not testify.
The court will consider a retrial for Davis, and will discuss the case on Monday.
Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said in a release that the Georgia court was trying to carry out the execution "before justice could fully run its course."
“We are grateful that the U.S. Supreme Court has shown the foresight to stay the execution," Cox said. "We hope that it takes up the case and looks at it with fresh eyes, marking the first time that evidence pointing to Davis’ innocence will have been heard in a court of law.”