The White House said Wednesday that President Obama will not intervene in a scheduled execution of Troy Davis, who was convicted of killing a Georgia police officer and is scheduled to be put to death late Wednesday.
“Dating back to his time in the Illinois State Senate, President Obama has worked to ensure accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system, especially in capital punishment cases,” Press Secretary Jay Carney said ahead of the planned execution.
“However, it is not appropriate for the president of the United States to weigh in on specific cases like this one, which is a state prosecution.”
The case, which has sparked protests around the country, has led state and federal officials to examine whether the execution of Mr. Davis should proceed. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering whether to halt the execution. The case of Mr. Davis has attracted international attention and an online protest that has accumulated nearly a million signatures because of doubts expressed in some quarters over whether he killed police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989.
Mr. Davis, convicted of killing Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark MacPhail 11 years ago, has consistently maintained his innocence. Although several witnesses at the time said they saw him shoot MacPhail, his defenders claim no physical evidence has ever connected him to the crime. Many of those who testified against him have since recanted their testimony. Mr. Davis was sentenced to death in 1991 and, after several stays, he faces execution on Wednesday, September 21, by lethal injection.
Though Mr. Davis’ attorneys say seven of nine key witnesses against him have disputed all or parts of their testimony, state and federal judges have repeatedly ruled against granting him a new trial. The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to issue its decision in the coming hours and state officials have halted the execution until they hear from the high court.
Supporters had said earlier in the week that they would appeal to Mr. Obama, conceding that chances of intervention from the executive office were slim.
