Supreme Court expected to rule this week on Troy Davis case

by Matt Kelley · 2008-10-07 05:34:00 UTC
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Troy Davis has been on Georgia's death row for nearly two decades for a murder he says he didn't commit. The evidence of his innocence keeps piling up, but his appeals have met dead ends. Just two weeks ago, he came within two hours of execution before the U.S. Supreme Court granted him a stay so it could consider his appeal for a new hearing of the evidence developed since his trial. It was the third time he had come within hours of execution. He had already said goodbye to his mother and sister and recorded a final statement.

After the jump - find out how you can help Davis get his day in court.

(Photo - Scott Langley)

Davis was convicted in 1989 of shooting a police officer in Georgia. Nine non-police eyewitnesses testified against Davis at trial, and seven of them have since recanted, saying their testimony was coerced by police or prosecutors. One of the holdouts is the man who may have actually committed the crime.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision on whether to hear the case soon - perhaps Friday. If the Court hears the case, it could help establish a precedent for inmates with evidence of innocence to get a new hearing (gasp!). If it refuses to hear the case, Georgia is likely to set another execution date right away.

Sign a pledge to support Davis here.

Write to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole urging them to pardon Troy.

View Scott Langley's beautiful photos from the protest outside Davis' scheduled execution on Sept. 23.

Matt Kelley is the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project and a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter @mattjkelley.
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