Oakland, CA — After a Chatham County, GA judge issued a death warrant late yesterday, members of the Black online activist group ColorOfChange.org renewed their call for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole to grant clemency to Troy Davis. Davis was convicted for the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail, although troubling questions continue to be raised about his guilt.

“There is simply too much doubt about Troy’s guilt to execute him,” said ColorOfChange.org Executive Director Rashad Robinson. “Seven of the original 9 non-police witnesses have recanted since offering their original testimony, and not a shred of physical evidence connects Troy to the crime scene. All our hearts go out to the MacPhail family, but it would be irresponsible and immoral for Georgia to use such a final punishment in this case.

Since 2007, tens of thousands of ColorOfChange members have supported clemency for Davis, who faces his fourth execution date in as many years. Most recently, more than 88,000 ColorOfChange members signed a petition calling on the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole to commute Troy’s death sentence to life in prison. The petition reads in part:

“This case has generated widespread attention because so many people in Georgia and throughout the world are disturbed by the very real possibility that Georgia could execute an innocent man. In this situation, more than just Troy Davis’ life is at stake — public trust in the criminal justice system, and indeed its very integrity, are undermined when such serious doubts persist unresolved. Georgia cannot afford to make such a mistake.

“The executive branch of government has the power of clemency as a check on the judicial system — because the judiciary can serve the law as written and still fail to serve the interests of justice. I urge you now to use that power to commute Troy Davis’ sentence from death to life in prison.”

Said Robinson, “When the state of Texas put Cameron Todd Willingham to death in 2009, prosecutors were certain of his guilt. Since then, a reexamination of the evidence has indicated that Willingham was killed for a crime he did not commit. If Georgia kills Troy Davis, the state risks having its own Cameron Willingham. It’s a risk the Board of Pardons and Parole must not allow.”

ColorOfChange intends to intensify its campaign to save Davis’ life in the coming weeks. Davis’ execution is set to take place between September 21, 2011 and September 28, 2011.

###

With more than 750,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest African-American online political organization.