The Death Penalty: Troy Anthony Davis

I have avoided posting about the most recent death penalty saga because it becomes such a tedious day by day point by point exercise to follow it closely enough to post at least some what intelligently. But this case has, in my mind, become a case study in the absurdity of not only the death penalty itself but the appeals process following a death sentence as well.

The case is that of Troy Anthony Davis of Georgia. Davis was convicted of murdering an off-duty police officer years ago. Recently, 7 of the 9 original trial witnesses have recanted their testimony and have said they were coerced into lying. There also apparently is little, if any, physical evidence of Davis' guilt. Davis has gone through a number of stays, and has had his death scheduled a handful of times only to see them postponed. Most recently the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the scheduled execution this past Friday. The Supreme Court rejected his appeal a couple of weeks ago. At this point is becoming an absurd round and round exercise.

It almost doesn't even matter any more whether Davis is guilty or innocent. The process is faulty because the penalty is faulty. Government sanctioned killing has no place in 2008 or 1978 for that matter.