Miscarriage of Justice

The story of Troy Davis is one that has rallied anti-death penalty activists for many years. He is accused of murdering an off-duty police officer in Georgia in 1989. Since his sentence was handed down, many key witnesses have recanted their testimony and another man has admitted that he, not Troy Davis, was the one who committed the murder. After three stays in execution and an appeal that was eventually turned down by the United States Supreme Court, the State of Georgia has once again set an execution date for Troy Davis.

This time it is September 21, 2011, merely 10 days after the 10th anniversary of the violent terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The story of Troy Davis has garnered widespread international attention from prominent figures such as former US President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Pope Benedict XVI all calling for a pardon.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the practice of execution is very difficult to justify given alternatives such as life imprisonment without parole. Society must focus on restorative, not retributive, justice. Restorative justice is not rooted in vengeance, rather, it is rooted in the idea that conflict resolution involves the victims (and/or their families) as well as the community as a whole in mending relations with the offender while at the same time the offender comes to realise her/his wrongdoing and takes responsibility. On the other hand, retributive justice not only violates human dignity, but it also violates the inalienable right to life. No actions done by any of us humans abrogate our individual right to life nor justify stripping away our dignity as children of God.

When talking about the barbarism of state-sponsored homicide, it is always important to keep in mind that opposition to this practice in no way justifies the alleged crime committed. The opposition to capital punishment merely reiterates the truth that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick so eloquently expressed, "We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. We cannot defend life by taking life." In fact, it is this very belief that motivated Catholic activists to convince the decision-makers in New Mexico and Illinois to abolish the death penalty recently. While the majority of nations in the world have abolished the death penalty or put moratoria on the death penalty, the United States is left in an ever-shrinking group of nations that include Saudi Arabia, Iran, northern Korea, and Mainland China.

The most important part of the situation of Troy Davis is that the state may very well be executing an innocent man. The case against Troy has gotten weaker with each round of appeals, despite the end result in each one upholding his sentence. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has agreed to hear his appeal one final time on September 19. This board is the final gate before his execution in two weeks.

Every time someone is about to be executed (especially a possibly innocent man), Matthew 27:24-25 comes to mind.

When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Look to it yourselves." And the whole people said in reply, "His blood be upon us and upon our children."

Are we the ones who have done what we can to move towards abolition or are we the ones pushing for crucifixion?

Update: At 23:08 EDT, September 21, 2011, Troy Davis was pronounced dead after the State of Georgia murdered him on behalf of the Georgian taxpayers.