Criminal Justice

Dear Governor Perdue

I am writing to urge you to exercise leadership, as Governor of the state of Georgia, to see to it that the death sentence of Troy Davis is commuted, in order to ensure that Georgia does not put to death a man who may well be innocent.  I believe you have the power to do so, and I believe you must use it in this case.

In this extraordinary case, where a man with a strong claim to innocence may well be executed without a court ever holding a hearing on his claims, I urge you to act in the interests of justice and support clemency for Troy Davis.  An execution in this case, without a proper hearing on significant evidence of innocence, would severely compromise the integrity of Georgia's justice system.

As you may know, Mr. Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail, a conviction based solely on witness testimony, and seven of the nine non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted their trial testimony.  The courts, citing procedural rules and time limits, have so far refused to hold an evidentiary hearing to examine these witnesses.  Executive clemency exists, and executive action is required, to preserve justice when the protections afforded by our appeals process fail to do so.

I strongly urge you to take such action now and ensure that the death sentence of Troy Davis is commuted.  Thank you for your attention to this extremely serious matter.

Sincerely,

[Your name here]