who was troy davis's lawyer

by Isom Wilderman 4 min read

Jason Ewart

Why was Troy Davis charged with murder?

Nov 22, 2019 · Attorney Jay Ewart, former defense counsel to Troy Davis, discusses death penalty, the role of doubt. On Sept. 21, 2011, Troy Davis was executed for the 1989 murder of Officer Mark MacPhail of the Savannah Police Department. Davis, a black man, maintained his innocence throughout the 20 years in prison and multiple appeals that ensued, and his highly …

What did Troy Davis do?

Nov 26, 2019 · Jason Ewart, of Arnold & Jones, Washington DC, spoke at Notre Dame Law School on November 21, 2019. Ewart was the lead defense attorney for Troy Davis, a man executed in 2011 following a criminal justice process that many, in the US and around the globe, found deeply flawed. Speaking first of Mark MacPhail, the off-duty police officer killed on August 19, 1989, in …

Who is I am Troy Davis?

Sep 22, 2011 · By James Crugnale Sep 22nd, 2011, 9:46 am Following the controversial execution of Troy Davis, his lawyers spoke out passionately about what they perceived as a grave injustice and characterized...

What was the case of Troy Anthony Davis v Georgia?

Oct 02, 2009 · On Wednesday, September 16, the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice hosted an event to recognize the extraordinary death penalty case of Troy Anthony Davis. Charles Ogletree ’78, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, moderated a panel which brought to together Davis’ sister, Martina Correia, his amicus counsel Kathleen Behan, and Jason Ewart, …

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What were Troy Davis last words?

Troy Davis's Final Words: 'I Am Innocent'Sept. “I did not personally kill your son, father, and brother. I am innocent.” For those executing him, Davis said, "May God have mercy on your souls, may God bless your souls.” Davis then turned down an offer of a prayer. Fourteen minutes later he was dead.Apr 9, 2022

Was Troy Anthony Davis innocent?

Troy Anthony Davis always maintained his innocence for the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. No physical evidence linked him to the crime. He was convicted solely on the basis of shaky eyewitness testimony.

Where is Troy Davis buried?

Davis maintained his innocence and some witnesses changed their testimony....Troy Anthony Davis.Birth9 Oct 1968 Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, USABurialMagnolia Memorial Gardens Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, USAPlotUknown2 more rows•Sep 21, 2011

Did Troy Davis get executed?

Troy Anthony Davis (October 9, 1968 – September 21, 2011) was a man convicted of and executed for the August 19, 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia....Troy DavisCause of deathExecution by lethal injectionCriminal statusExecuted at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison7 more rows

When was Troy Davis killed?

September 21, 2011Troy Anthony Davis / Date of deathOn Sept. 21, 2011, the state of Georgia ended Troy Anthony Davis' life with a lethal injection. Davis was executed for the murder of a police officer, a crime he always maintained he did not commit.Sep 21, 2020

Who killed Troy Davis?

Officer Mark MacPhailThe eyes of the world are on Georgia in the wake of the execution of Troy Davis. The tragedy of the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail has been compounded by the drawn-out process of the march to death, yet 22 years later, questions still remain about whether Troy Davis is guilty of the crime for which he may die.Sep 21, 2021

How many innocent people have been executed?

Justice Denied magazine includes stories of supposedly innocent people who have been executed. Database of convicted people said to be innocent includes 150 allegedly wrongfully executed.

Who is Pervis Payne?

Payne, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1987 for the murders of 28-year-old Charisse Christopher and her 2-year-old daughter Lacie, who were White.Feb 2, 2022

Who was Troy Davis?

Troy Anthony Davis (October 9, 1968 – September 21, 2011) was a man convicted of and executed for the August 19, 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King restaurant when he intervened ...

When did the Davis case get a new trial?

In January 2011, Davis's legal team filed a new petition with the United States Supreme Court, alleging that District Judge Moore had "evinced a clear hostility" against Davis during the August 2010 hearing, and again asking for a new trial. The petition was rejected without comment by the Supreme Court in March 2011, allowing a new execution date.

What was found in the Davis home?

In the early morning of August 20, 1989, Savannah Police searched the Davis home but all they found was a pair of Davis' shorts in a clothes dryer. Davis's family began negotiating with police, motivated by concerns about his safety.

How many witnesses were there in the Davis case?

There were 34 witnesses who testified for the prosecution, and six others for the defense, including Davis. Although the murder weapon was not recovered, ballistic evidence presented at trial linked bullets recovered at or near the scene to those at another shooting in which Davis was also charged.

When was Davis's second bid for clemency?

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles set a hearing for Davis's second bid for clemency for September 19.

When was the execution date for Anthony Davis?

However, an execution date was scheduled for September 23, 2008, before the United States Supreme Court decided whether to take up Davis's case. The Georgia Supreme Court refused to grant a stay of execution and the Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency.

Where did the Davis and Collins go?

Davis and Collins then went to a pool hall on Oglethorpe Avenue in the Yamacraw Village section of Savannah. Later that evening, Davis and Collins proceeded to the parking lot of a Burger King restaurant on Oglethorpe Avenue, not far from the pool hall.

Who was the murderer in the Ewart address?

With Davis nearby, Officer MacPhail attempted to intervene and was shot. Davis, rather than Red, was identified as the murderer. How Troy Davis was implicated in the murder was the central narrative in Ewart’s address.

Who was the police officer who died in 1989?

Speaking first of Mark MacPhail, the off-duty police officer killed on August 19, 1989, in Savannah, Georgia, Ewart said, “He left behind a young wife and a child, a boy who grew up without a father. 22 years after that, another tragedy occurred that made matters worse. Troy Davis, my former client and my former friend, ...

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Overview

Troy Anthony Davis (October 9, 1968 – September 21, 2011) was a man convicted of and executed for the August 19, 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger Kingrestaurant and was intervening to defend a man being assaulted by Davis in a nearby parking lot when he was murdered. During Davis's 1991 trial, …

Events of August 18–23, 1989

The charges against Troy Davis arose from the shooting of Michael Cooper, the beating of Larry Young and the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail on August 18–19, 1989.
On the evening of August 18, 1989, Davis attended a pool party in the Cloverdale neighborhood of Savannah, Georgia. As he left the party with his friend Daryl Collins, the occupants of a passing car yelled obscenities and began shooting at a gathering of neighborhood teenagers. One of the …

Trial and conviction

On November 15, 1989, a grand jury indicted Davis for murder, assaulting Larry Young with a pistol, shooting Michael Cooper, obstructing MacPhail in performance of his duty and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Davis pleaded not guilty in April 1990.
In November 1990, the presiding judge excluded forensic evidencefrom the pair of shorts seized at the Davis home. The judge ruled that Davis's mother did "not freely and voluntarily grant the polic…

Appeals and challenges to conviction and sentence

Since the death penalty was imposed, both the conviction and sentence were automatically appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court. Davis and his lawyers requested a new trial, citing problems with the trial site and selection of the jury. The request was denied in March 1992. In March 1993, the Georgia Supreme Court also upheld Davis's conviction and sentence, ruling that the judge had co…

Execution

On September 7, 2011, Georgia set Davis's execution date for two weeks later, September 21. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles set a hearing for Davis's second bid for clemency for September 19. This Board had not granted him clemency in September 2008, but the five-member Board now included three new members who had not previously heard the case. On September 20, the Board denied him clemency.

In popular culture

• The second episode of the second season of The Newsroom included substantial discussion of the Troy Davis case, with the character Don Keefer (Thomas Sadoski) wanting to use their network's platform to advocate for Davis' clemency.
• On the second anniversary of Davis's execution, Haymarket Books released I Am Troy Davis, a book co-authored by human rights activist Jen Marlowe, and Davis's sister, Martina Davis-Correia, with the participation of Troy Davis himse…

See also

• List of people executed in the United States in 2011
• List of people executed in Georgia (U.S. state)

External links

• Troy Davis collected news and commentary at The Guardian
• Amnesty International.USA: 'Where is the justice for me?' : The case of Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia
U.S. Supreme Court
• Troy Anthony Davis v. Georgia, No. 08-66 (petition for writ of certiorari), docket