Off-Topic

Who was the poster on the previous board who was really into this case? We had a number of threads on it back in the day. Anyway, today's update:

----------------

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/03/28/us.scotus.davis/index.html?hpt=T1

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a condemned Georgia inmate's request that his execution be delayed as he attempts to prove his "actual innocence."

The justices without comment on Monday turned aside two separate appeals from Troy Davis, likely setting the stage for the state to set another execution date.

Davis has gained international support for his long-standing claim he did not murder an off-duty Savannah police officer more than two decades ago. Monday's ruling is the latest in a case that is procedurally complex but, legally, a simple claim of innocence.

Davis was granted a stay of execution by the U.S. Supreme Court two hours before he was to be put to death in 2008, and the court in 2009 ordered the federal District Court to take another look at the case.

That court, after holding a hearing to review evidence, ruled in August that Davis "failed to show actual innocence" in the case. The District Court suggested that, for procedural reasons, Davis should take his appeal of its ruling directly to the Supreme Court.

Davis ended up filing with both the 11th Circuit and the Supreme Court. The 11th Circuit deflected the appeal in November, saying it agreed with the district court that the Supreme Court was the correct place for the filing. Davis then took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court in January, filing two pleas. One sought review of the Georgia federal judge's rejection of the innocence claim, and the other asked for a test of the 11th Circuit's refusal to review the case. The justices on Monday turned down both pleas without comment.

Davis' sister said Monday that she is "very disappointed" by the Supreme Court's rejection. Martina Correia-Davis said Davis' attorney told her they would continue to pursue all possible legal options, including a possible re-petition of the Georgia State Board of Parole. She said she had not spoken to Davis about Monday's decision but expected his attorney to call him soon.

Correia-Davis said she doesn't want the case to be moved back to Savannah, where Davis was tried and convicted for the 1989 murder, because she doesn't think he will "get a fair chance" there.

Witnesses said Davis, then 19, and two others were harassing a homeless man in a Burger King parking lot when off-duty officer Mark MacPhail came to the man's assistance. They testified that Davis shot MacPhail twice and fled.

Since Davis' conviction in 1991, seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted their testimony. No physical evidence was presented linking Davis to the killing of the policeman.