Troy Davis Update: Polygraph Denied

Update, 11:17 a.m.: AJC is reporting that prison officials turned away Davis' lawyers this morning as they attempted to have a polygraph test administered.

Earlier:

Bill Rankin of AJC.com is reporting that Troy Davis is willing to take a polygraph test to prove his innocence. Rankin reports that Stephen Marsh, one of Davis' lawyers, said, "Mr. Davis believes he is innocent and he wants to show it." Marsh added, "We hope he'll be allowed this opportunity."

Davis, who has maintained his innocence since being convicted in 1989 of killing Savannah, Ga., police officer Mark Allen MacPhail, is scheduled to die by lethal injection tonight at 7 p.m. Before taking the test, Davis wants to know that the parole board will consider the results and possibly grant a stay of execution.

"He's not going to spend three hours away from his family on what could be the last day of his life if this does not make any difference," said Marsh.

Troy Davis is doing everything he can to prove his innocence. It would be a shame to spend three hours of his last day on earth to take a test that would change nothing for him. We still do not understand why, with so many witness recantations, that this execution is moving forward.

If the state of Georgia and MacPhail's family are hell-bent on executing someone for the crime, shouldn't they be absolutely sure that it's the right person? This last-ditch effort probably won't work because it is clear that those in power are more interested in being able to say that someone was put to death for killing a cop than admitting that they may have arrested and convicted the wrong person.

Read more at AJC.com.

In other news: Georgia Board Denies Clemency for Troy Davis.

Read more about Troy Davis on The Root.

Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.  

 

Tweet