Troy Davis Death Penalty Essay

More than 20 years ago, Troy Davis, an African-American man from Georgia, was convicted of shooting and killing an off-duty police officer and sentenced to death. Several years later, seven out of nine eyewitnesses altered or completely recanted their stories (Troy). There was an obvious lack of evidence linking Davis to the crime. His legal team argued that he was just in the “wrong place at the wrong time” (Troy). The U.S. Supreme Court repeatedly ruled against Davis’ appeals for a new trial. Davis was ultimately executed based on the original jury verdict. Troy Davis maintained his innocence until his death by lethal injection on September 21, 2011. His last words to the family of the murdered officer were, “All I can ask is that you look deep into this case so you can really find the truth” (Troy). There are a countless number of convicts like Troy Davis that are sentenced to death, but insist they are innocent. How do we know if they are truly guilty or not? Just because a jury finds a person guilty, does not mean they are. From 1976-2005, 119 people were released from death row with
First, the death penalty gives closure to the families of slain victims (Should). They feel like justice has been served. Secondly, it contributes to the problem of overpopulation in the prison system (Should). It is true all U.S. and state federal prisons are overpopulated, some as much as 33% (U.S.). Another reason people are pro-capital punishment, is because DNA testing is now available and can now effectively eliminate almost all uncertainty as to a person 's guilt or innocence (Should). Many people who opposed the death penalty are now for it, all because of the availability of DNA testing. They think if DNA proves a person is guilty, then they are guilty. However, what if there is not any DNA evidence, but other evidence linking a person to a crime such as, an