Woman Beats Pastor With Bible!

Pastor Marvin Winans Carjacked and Robbed

Detroit pastor and renowned gospel singer Marvin Winans was mugged, robbed and carjacked Wednesday afternoon while pumping gas at a Citgo station on the city’s west side. As of Thursday morning, his pricey SUV has not been recovered. The 54-year-old pastor is also founder of Detroit’s Perfecting Church, which now has about 4,500 members. Recently, Pastor Winans gave the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral. At about 3:20 PM yesterday afternoon, the pastor stopped for gas at a Citgo station near the intersection of Linwood and Davison. When he went inside to pre-pay for the gas, he noticed perhaps a dozen young men in the station not buying anything. Winans was suspicious but went about his business. But about four young people followed him out of the station and to pump one where his vehicle waited. Winans was on alert as he pumped gas. Suddenly, one of the four men approached and sucker-punched Winans in the head, knocking him down. Then all four were on him, punching and kicking him as he lay on the ground. They ripped away his pants looking for money. Then the men were gone. But when Winans got up, his SUV was also gone.

News Update: What's next for George Zimmerman?

Trayvon Martin parents elated by Zimmerman arrest

By SONYA ROSS, Associated Press – 2 hours ago  

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trayvon Martin's parents expressed relief Wednesday over a special prosecutor's decision to charge the man responsible for the 17-year-old's death. Martin's mother said if she could speak directly to George Zimmerman, she would allow him a chance to say he is sorry for what happened.

"I would probably give him an opportunity to apologize," Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, told The Associated Press in an interview. "I would probably ask him if there were another way that he could have settled the confrontation that he had with Trayvon, other than the way it ended, with Trayvon being shot."

Her voice trailed off, and tears welled in her eyes. She remained stoic, and expressed faith that the justice system would work as it should.

Martin's father, Tracy Martin, offered several questions that he would like to ask Zimmerman about the sequence of events that led up to Trayvon's death, but in the end he would want to know, "Was it really worth it?"

"The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon's eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?" Tracy Martin said.

The parents spoke in Washington shortly before special prosecutor Angela Corey announced in Florida that Zimmerman, 28, had been arrested on a second-degree murder charge in their son's Feb. 26 death. The parents and Trayvon's brother, Jahvaris Fulton, were attending a national conference convened by Al Sharpton's National Action Network.

They watched Corey's announcement on television in a room at the Washington Convention Center. As soon as Corey uttered the words "second-degree murder," Martin and Fulton grasped hands, and their attorney, Benjamin Crump, placed his hands over theirs. Fulton smiled slightly at the news.

"We wanted an arrest and we got it," Fulton said later during a brief appearance before reporters. "Thank you, Lord, thank you, Jesus."

Before the arrest, Fulton said: "That won't bring Trayvon back but at least that would give us reassurance that the justice system is working."

Zimmerman's shooting of the black teenager brought demands from black leaders for his arrest and set off a furious nationwide debate over race and self-defense that reached all the way to the White House. Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother is Hispanic, said the teenager attacked him, and he shot in self-defense. Martin's family argued Zimmerman was the aggressor.

They appealed for their supporters, as well as Zimmerman's supporters, to remain calm in response to the prosecutor's decision.

"We've always said that we want peaceful resolution, no matter what side you're on," Martin said.

"We don't want them to stop the protest and the rallies, we just want to make sure that they remain peaceful," Fulton said. "We're going through the process the right way, the proper way. We just ask that everybody that supports us do the same thing. Even the ones who don't support us, we want to make sure that they protest in a peaceful manner."

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Would You Fight another Student for Bullying Your Child???

UPDATED: Police Filing Charges in Long Reach Fight

The video showing a man being knocked out by a student has since gone viral.

• By Andrew Metcalf

The video is 27 seconds long. In a quick shot at the beginning, a young man wearing khakis and a collared shirt punches a man wearing a ski mask in the face and knocks him to the ground.

Students scramble and scream as the man falls and lies motionless.

The video was filmed at Long Reach High School, according to school officials.

It was posted on March 21 to worldstarhiphop.com with the description: “Girl send’s [sic] father to fight a boy for throwing a French fry… But gets knocked out by a 17-year-old!” 

As of 1:50 p.m. on March 22, it has been viewed more than 540,000 times. “Long Reach” was trending on Twitter in the Baltimore region last night.

Patti Caplan, spokesperson for the Howard County Public School System, said an adult who was a non-student came on campus at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday wearing a ski mask. She said the man confronted one of the Long Reach students, threw a punch at him and missed. The student, a junior who is on the football team, then swung back and landed a knockout blow.

“The individual that was hit was unconscious,” said Caplan. “[He] did gain consciousness but refused help and walked off campus.”

Caplan said the man wasn’t arrested and the student wasn’t disciplined because it was determined he acted in self-defense. She said the incident is under investigation by the school resource officer and officials haven’t determined if the man was, in fact, a student’s father.

Howard County Police Department spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn said two people are being investigated in relation to the incident.

"At this point, the school resource officer has charged the female juvenile with assault," said Llewellyn. "She's 15 and from Columbia. We anticipate filing charges with the male adult who was involved. He will likely be charged with assault as well as disorderly conduct."

Llewellyn did not elaborate on how the female was involved with the assault. She said the man was from Baltimore, but did not release his name or relation to the female.

Police placed additional officers on duty for dismissal time at the school and at the village center on Thursday afternoon, according to Llewellyn.

Principal David P. Burton sent out an email notifying parents and the community about the incident on Thursday afternoon.

“We are aware that the incident was taped and that the video has gone viral on the Internet," he wrote. "As always, precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”

Stefani Rodriguez, a parent of a Long Reach student, said fights and bullying are common at Long Reach.

“My daughter said this kind of thing happens all the time at the school,” said Rodriguez. “It’s unfortunate that it has escalated to this. Someone is going to get hurt at this school.”

Rodriguez said her daughter has been bullied frequently by students at Long Reach and that the school has pushed problems like fights and bullying “under the rug.”

“It’s just relentless,” said Rodriguez. “When I have a child that begs me not to go to school because it’s upsetting her and she doesn’t feel safe, then there’s a real problem.”

Caplan said that bullying and fights are problems at all Howard County schools, but that there are programs and policies in place to address them.

“I have no evidence that [fights and bullying] are any more prevalent at Long Reach High,” said Caplan. 

Caplan said there was an incident involving French fries being thrown in the cafeteria either earlier that day or earlier in the week that may have been related to the fight. She said there was some antagonism between the football player and the girl before the incident occurred.

This article was updated at 3:28 p.m. on March 22.

Related Topics: Long Reach, Long Reach fight, Long Reach video, police schools, and police schools Howard County


source: http://elkridge.patch.com/articles/school-says-intruder-in-long-reach-viral-fight-video

White Neighborhood Watch Captian Kills Black Teenager

Students want watch leader who shot Trayvon Martin arrested

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — The case of a white neighborhood watch captain who shot an unarmed black teen last month has prompted student protests in Florida on Monday, and is garnering national attention as civil rights leaders, politicians and even the White Houseweigh in.

But authorities may be hamstrung by a state law that allows people to defend themselves with deadly force.

• BLOG: Report: Shooter in racially charged death often called cops

Students held rallies on the campus of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee and outside the courthouse in nearby Sanford, where prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine if charges should be filed. The students demanded the arrest of 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who authorities say shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month during a confrontation in a nearby gated community.

Gun control advocates say it is emblematic of permissive gun laws in Florida, which was among the first states to allow residents to carry concealed weapons.

Florida was the first state to pass a "Stand Your Ground" law, which has been dubbed a "Shoot First" law by gun control advocates. About half of all U.S. states have similar laws, said Brian Malte, legislative director of the Brady Campaign, which describes itself as the nation's largest organization dedicated to the prevention of gun violence.

The Florida shooting happened when Zimmerman spotted Martin as he was patrolling his neighborhood on a rainy evening last month and called police to report a suspicious person. Against the advice of the dispatcher, Zimmerman then followed Martin, who was walking home from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles in his pocket.

Zimmerman's father has said his son is Hispanic and is not racist. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense.

"I don't think a man who exited his vehicle after the 911 dispatcher told him to stay inside the car can claim self-defense," Carl McPhail, a 28-year-old Barry University law school student, said at the rally in Sanford.

The 70 protesters at the Sanford rally chanted "What if it was your son?" and held posters saying, "This is not a race issue." Many carried Skittles.

Martin's parents and other advocates have said the shooter would have been arrested had he been black.

"You would think that Sanford is still in the 1800s claiming that this man can call self-defense for shooting an unarmed boy," said restaurant owner Linda Tillman, who also was at the Sanford rally.

Florida congresswoman Corrine Brown has asked that the U.S. Department of Justice to review the case, and White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday during a briefing that officials there were aware of what happened.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Trayvon Martin's family," Carney said. "But obviously we're not going to wade into a local law enforcement matter."

But prosecutors may not be able to charge Zimmerman because of changes made to state law in 2005. Under the old law, people could use deadly force in self-defense only if they had tried to run away or otherwise avoid the danger. The changes removed that duty to retreat and gave Floridians, as the law is written, the right "to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force," if they felt threatened. The changes also meant people could not be prosecuted in such instances.

Prosecutors can have a hard time making a case if there is no one else around to contradict a person who claims self-defense, said David Hill, a criminal defense attorney in Orlando. Thus far, Sanford police have said there is no evidence to contradict Zimmerman's claims.

"If there is nobody around and you pull a gun, you just say, 'Hey, I reasonably believed I was under imminent attack. Hey, sorry. Too bad. But you can't prosecute me,'" Hill said.

Did Friends and Family ignore warning Signs before teen Killed Father?

Friends, Family Defend Teen Accused Of Killing His Father

February 20, 2012 11:25 PM

BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) — A Harford County teenager killed his father, leaving friends and neighbors with more questions than answers.

Vic Carter investigates the stunning crime and why so many are rushing to the teen’s defense.

Inside one Bel Air Home, something terrible happened. Sixteen-year-old Robert Richardson told police he grabbed a gun and killed his father and it was no accident.

“He didn’t wake up that morning and say `I’m gonna blow my father’s brains out.’ That’s been coming for a long time,” said cousin Mary Jane Richardson. “He was terrorized. He was terrified of his father.”

Robert Richardson’s friends say he wore dirty, worn-out clothes that didn’t fit and was often black and blue.

“He had bruises a couple times,” said Robert’s friend, Hannah Siple. “Sometimes on his face. Most of the time on his arms, like chest, collarbone…just everywhere.”

“I just wish I could have done something for him before,” said Robert’s friend, Josh Eisner.

Vic Carter met with family, friends and neighbors who have started a Free Robert Richardson Facebook page to raise money for his defense.

“There’s a child that needs somebody’s help and we may be late but we’re here now,” said parent Eileen Siple.

“We know what he did was wrong,” said Crystal Testerman. “We just want him to have a shot at a future. That’s why we’re all here.”

Few knew Richardson’s father better than his cousin Mary Jane, who grew up with him and still lives just a few miles away.

“My first thought was `What the hell did he do to that child to make him like that?’” Mary Jane Richardson said. “‘Cause he was never like that.”

There’s no doubt that Robert Richardson killed his father, but what many in this Bel Air neighborhood are asking is whether there were warning signs that were missed and could authorities have acted before it was too late?

“I know that there were so many signs that something was wrong in that house and too many people looked the other way,” Eileen Siple said.

WJZ obtained documents which show Harford County Sheriff deputies responded to the Richardson’s home 16 times, but never for domestic violence. While people now say the teen was in danger, the Sheriff’s Department never suspected abuse.

Social Services refused to tell WJZ whether they were involved.

“I felt the boy has been so let down and no love and no nurturing since his mother died,” Mary Jane Richardson said.

While rare, children killing parents does happen, including cases in Cockeysville and Towson. Each time, people asked whether something could have been done to prevent it.

“We are all responsible for the children. We all are, every one of us. Every single person who looks the other way is guilty,” Eileen Siple said.

All the Free Richardson supporters can focus on now is seeing that the courts treat Robert as a troubled teen who was pushed into pulling the trigger.

“Justifiable homicide. You’re darn right I believe it,” Mary Jane Richardson said.

Richardson is charged as an adult with murder and is being held without bail. So far, the Free Robert Richardson Facebook page has raised $4,500 for his defense.Di

Emails, Texts, and Calendar...How Safe/ Secure is Your SmartPhone?

Take a look at the clip below. Learn how easy it is for someone to gain access to your phone through a simple download of a virus. They can turn on your speaker phone and listen into your conversations. They can turn on your phones camera and see everything in the room. And the worst part is:
1. You don't have to even be on the phone when this happens.
2. You don't have to even be in the same room or state as the hackers acessing your personal information.
3. You don't even know it's happening.

CHRISTMAS FOOLERY!!! Race for New Air Jordans Turns Ugly

Only Ex-Convicts Need Apply: Detroit Hosts Special Jobs Fair

DETROIT - In a city where over a quarter of its residents are unemployed, and almost 30,000 of them are either on probation or out on parole, Detroit is looking to put ex-convicts back to work. On Wednesday, the city held an "Offenders Only" Job Fair at the East Lake Church.

Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh organized the job fair, along with Wayne County Community College and Kelly Services. Pugh, a former television and radio personality in his first term on the council, has been advocating for job opportunities for convicted felons since he took office in 2010.
The city council has even gone as far as trying to get the question 'Have you ever been convicted of a felony?' removed from job applications in Detroit.

"That group (ex-convicts) has difficulties finding jobs," Pugh said in an interview with Detroit Public Radio on Thursday. "A lot of times, folks who come out (of jail) and get roadblock after roadblock and door closed, they give up and some of them re-commit crimes because they feel that's their only option."

The job fair featured up to 200 potential job openings from employers, and the only people allowed a shot at the jobs had to have a felony on their record. Pugh feels that the lack of job opportunities for felons, including violent felons, leads to recidivism.
"In this tough job market, we know that it is difficult, regardless of whether you have a felony or not, to find a job," Pugh said. "But we feel that population needs just a boost of confidence and some hope that there are employers out there who will give them second chances."

A Pew Center survey on recidivism found that it actually declined in Michigan by 18 percent between 1999 and 2004 because of a dramatic drop in the return of technical violators. However, returns to prison for new crimes jumped by almost 21 percent during the period.
Since 2007, the Michigan Department of Corrections' numbers show that parolees are returning to prison 33 percent less frequently. One of the organizations that offered assistance at the job fair was the Detroit-based non-profit organization Focus: HOPE.
Founded in 1968 as a way to ease the racial tension in the aftermath of the Detroit riots, Focus: HOPE provides educational and vocational training options for people with low incomes as well as assistance with food for those who are struggling.

"Our primary courses of study would be advanced manufacturing, which helps individuals to train to become computer numerical control machinists and the other is information technology," said Julian Pate, the Director of Education at Focus: HOPE since 2002. "These paths can ultimately end up with a Bachelor's Degree."

Focus: HOPE also has machinist training and medical assistant programs that are open to anyone, regardless of their criminal history or education. They have recently launched a program in conjunction with the "Earn & Learn" programs that is centered on black males ages 18-24 who have recently been incarcerated or chronically unemployed.

"What we're doing is trying to prepare people for the workplace," Pate said. "It might be janitorial services, or individuals who are trying to put themselves on a sustainable footing and be trained along the way.

"It's what we call 'work readiness training.' For four weeks we will be exposing them to the broad range of what it means to be a customer service worker, as well as to help them identify the course of study they may be interested in."

What do you think? In today’s tough job market, is it fair to have a jobs fair for convicted felons only?

The program will work with potential employers to supply subsidized employment for the former offenders that will allow them to keep training and make money at the same time. The hope is that the offender is able to get hired on at the business after the training period ends.
Detroit is not the first city to hold job fairs for ex-convicts. In Cleveland, similar job fairs have been held, led by an organization named Breaking The Cycle.
"It is disheartening because this community is in need of jobs, and there are plenty of people who want to work," said Michael Jones, the head of Breaking the Cycle. "But then no one wants to give a shot to someone with a past."

The group has held yearly "Offenders Only" job fairs since 2009. Breaking the Cycle even sends attendees' resumes to businesses that did not attend the events.

In Detroit, Focus: HOPE's partnership with Earn & Learn will be a two-year program that will help up to 1,100 young black men in southeast Michigan. Any companies associated with the program would be bonded so any liability that could come from bringing a former felon in to their business would be minimized.

"Individuals that have been involved in violent crimes (including sex offenses), crimes against children, and homicides will not be considered for entry," Pate said. "Only one of our programs (IT) has a requirement of having no felony convictions on your record. That's primarily because of the IT industry's rules on security."

There were over 1,200 people in attendance, with 500 being pre-registered and interviewed. Pugh said that there were 200 jobs given out at Wednesday's job fair, a startling number considering that many job fairs in Detroit geared toward non-offenders and college graduates often do not hire or offer any employment.

"It was a huge success because over 200 people got jobs," Pugh said. "There were people from transportation companies, cleaning services, the City of Detroit was there with job opportunities. It was an opportunities to give people who have had difficulties a second chance."

These job fairs have not been universally well received. The city has insisted that it is trying to lure and keep college graduates in Detroit, yet has not made any efforts as aggressive as these to host job fairs for students and recent grads who make up a large percentage of the new unemployed in the city and in the state.

"Simply put, if the city can do this for convicts -- which, I think, they shouldn't have done in the first place - then they can certainly do this for recent grads," said Ann Harris, a Detroit native who holds a Bachelor's Degree from Wayne State University."I've had to struggle for every job I've ever had, and yes, I've been passed up over someone who's less educated than me."
Michigan has seen a mass exodus from the state of college graduates in the last decade with two of the state's largest schools, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, pumping out largest numbers. Chicago is home to the largest concentration of MSU Alumni in the country, while 53 percent of Michigan grads leave the state after graduation due to the lack of opportunities here.

"Just because someone says they have reformed doesn't mean that they have," said Harris, who works as a department specialist for the city of Dearborn's Public Libraries and is currently pursuing her Master's degree. "They need to go through the same job seeking process as the rest of us--if someone doesn't hire them because they've spent time in jail, oh well."

"Back in 2002, it wasn't hard for me to find a job," said Courtney Smith, 31, a 2002 graduate from Wilberforce University, who is currently finishing her Master's Degree in social work at Wayne State. "What was difficult for me was finding a job in the field of communications. I could not find one at all."

"It was difficult or me to find the part time job that I have now, but I think it will be easier for me to find employment once I get my Master's. But this is Michigan and jobs are scarce so it will be very competitive."

Focus: HOPE picked up 60 applicants to their programs at the job fair. They will be given the same testing processed that anyone would receive, with their criminal history being irrelevant to their entering.

"Our programs are open to anyone," Pate said. "Even though we're located in Detroit, we're not geocentric. We have had applicants in the past from out of state. Because we're in a highly African-American community doesn't mean we're restricted there either."

"We are open to providing opportunities to anyone that is looking for them. We really say that fundamentally, the only restrictions that we have is that you have a highs school diploma or GED, and that you are drug-free. That's where the conversation starts."

Pugh says that the city is organizing a second Offender's Only Job Fair that is tentatively set to take place in January. There has been no word yet on whether there will be any similar job fairs for college graduates -- who city officials have made a point of saying they are trying to lure back to Detroit -- and non-offenders looking for work in Detroit.

"In the meantime, there will be job readiness fairs that will help people to be employed," Pugh said. "I have heard employers, and ex-offenders say this is a second chance and they don't want to mess that up. Compared to people who don't have felonies, they realize that the job market is slim for them...even slimmer."

"There are tax breaks and incentives to hire people with felonies. I hope that employers will become educated about the benefits to their business for hiring somebody who used to be in prison or has a felony on their record. It could help your bottom line."

FYI - Is The iPhone 4s Using An African “Blood Mineral?”

The recent announcement of the release of Apple’s iPhone 4s has caused a great deal of attention in the media. One thing the media has overlooked it the use of coltan, one of the key minerals used in the iPhone’s circuit board.

Coltan, which is mined in the war ravaged country of the Congo, is considered my many to be a “blood mineral,” similar to the blood diamonds that cause thousands of deaths in Africa.

OkayAfrica reports:

It is also what Adam Hochschild has described as one of four main reasons for ongoing deadly violence in the Congo. So much violence in fact, that it has been coined the ‘blood mineral’ – joining the ranks of the ‘blood diamond.’ In addition to the violence, working conditions in the mines can be also be deadly. We’re not here to preach, but it’s always good to be reminded of the price others pay for our technologies.

“May God Have Mercy On Your Souls”: Troy Davis Executed

JACKSON, Ga. (AP) — Georgia executed Troy Davis on Wednesday night for the murder of an off-duty police officer, a crime he denied committing right to the end as supporters around the world mourned and declared that an innocent man was put to death.

Defiant to the end, he told relatives of Mark MacPhail that his 1989 slaying was not his fault. “I did not have a gun,” he insisted.
“For those about to take my life,” he told prison officials, “may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.”
Davis was declared dead at 11:08. The lethal injection began about 15 minutes earlier, after the Supreme Court rejected an 11th-hour request for a stay.
The court did not comment on its order, which came about four hours after it received the request and more than three hours after the planned execution time.
Though Davis’ attorneys said seven of nine key witnesses against him disputed all or parts of their testimony, state and federal judges repeatedly ruled against granting him a new trial. As the court losses piled up Wednesday, his offer to take a polygraph test was rejected and the pardons board refused to give him one more hearing.
Davis’ supporters staged vigils in the U.S. and Europe, declaring “I am Troy Davis” on signs, T-shirts and the Internet. Some tried increasingly frenzied measures, urging prison workers to stay home and even posting a judge’s phone number online, hoping people will press him to put a stop to the lethal injection. President Barack Obama deflected calls for him to get involved.
“They say death row; we say hell no!” protesters shouted outside the Jackson prison where Davis was to be executed. In Washington, a crowd outside the Supreme Court yelled the same chant.
As many as 700 demonstrators gathered outside the prison as a few dozen riot police stood watch, but the crowd thinned as the night wore on and the outcome became clear. The scene turned eerily quiet as word of the high court’s decision spread, with demonstrators hugging, crying, praying, holding candles and gathering around Davis’ family.
Laura Moye of Amnesty International said the execution would be “the best argument for abolishing the death penalty.”
“The state of Georgia is about to demonstrate why government can’t be trusted with the power over life and death,” she said.
About 10 counterdemonstrators also were outside the prison, showing support for the death penalty and the family of Mark MacPhail, the man Davis was convicted of killing in 1989. MacPhail’s son and brother attended the execution.
“He had all the chances in the world,” his mother, Anneliese MacPhail, said of Davis in a telephone interview. “It has got to come to an end.”
At a Paris rally, many of the roughly 150 demonstrators carried signs emblazoned with Davis’ face. “Everyone who looks a little bit at the case knows that there is too much doubt to execute him,” Nicolas Krameyer of Amnesty International said at the protest.
Davis’ execution has been stopped three times since 2007, but on Wednesday the 42-year-old ran out of legal options.
As his last hours ticked away, an upbeat and prayerful Davis turned down an offer for a special last meal as he met with friends, family and supporters.
“Troy Davis has impacted the world,” his sister Martina Correia said at a news conference. “They say, `I am Troy Davis,’ in languages he can’t speak.”
His attorney Stephen Marsh said Davis would have spent part of Wednesday taking a polygraph test if pardons officials had taken his offer seriously.
“He doesn’t want to spend three hours away from his family on what could be the last day of his life if it won’t make any difference,” Marsh said.
Amnesty International says nearly 1 million people have signed a petition on Davis’ behalf. His supporters include former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, a former FBI director, the NAACP, several conservative figures and many celebrities, including hip-hop star Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.
“I’m trying to bring the word to the young people: There is too much doubt,” rapper Big Boi, of the Atlanta-based group Outkast, said at a church near the prison.
The U.S. Supreme Court gave Davis an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence in a lower court last year, though the high court itself did not hear the merits of the case.
He was convicted in 1991 of killing MacPhail, who was working as a security guard at the time. MacPhail rushed to the aid of a homeless man who prosecutors said Davis was bashing with a handgun after asking him for a beer. Prosecutors said Davis had a smirk on his face as he shot the officer to death in a Burger King parking lot in Savannah.
No gun was ever found, but prosecutors say shell casings were linked to an earlier shooting for which Davis was convicted.
Witnesses placed Davis at the crime scene and identified him as the shooter, but several of them have recanted their accounts and some jurors have said they’ve changed their minds about his guilt. Others have claimed a man who was with Davis that night has told people he actually shot the officer.
“Such incredibly flawed eyewitness testimony should never be the basis for an execution,” Marsh said. “To execute someone under these circumstances would be unconscionable.”
State and federal courts, however, have repeatedly upheld Davis’ conviction. One federal judge dismissed the evidence advanced by Davis’ lawyers as “largely smoke and mirrors.”
“He has had ample time to prove his innocence,” said MacPhail’s widow, Joan MacPhail-Harris. “And he is not innocent.”
The last motion filed by Davis’ attorneys in Butts County Court challenged testimony from two witnesses and disputed testimony from the expert who linked the shell casings to the earlier shooting involving Davis. Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson and the Georgia Supreme Court rejected the appeal, and prosecutors said the filing was just a delay tactic.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which helped lead the charge to stop the execution, said it considered asking Obama to intervene, even though he cannot grant Davis clemency for a state conviction.
Press secretary Jay Carney issued a statement saying that although Obama “has worked to ensure accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system,” it was not appropriate for him “to weigh in on specific cases like this one, which is a state prosecution.”
Dozens of protesters outside the White House called on the president to step in, and about 12 were arrested for disobeying police orders.
Davis was not the only U.S. inmate put to death Wednesday evening. In Texas, white supremacist gang member Lawrence Russell Brewer was put to death for the 1998 dragging death of a black man, James Byrd Jr., one of the most notorious hate crime murders in recent U.S. history.
Davis’ best chance may have come last year, in a hearing ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court. It was the first time in 50 years that justices had considered a request to grant a new trial for a death row inmate.
The high court set a tough standard for Davis to exonerate himself, ruling that his attorneys must “clearly establish” Davis’ innocence – a higher bar to meet than prosecutors having to prove guilt. After the hearing judge ruled in prosecutors’ favor, the justices didn’t take up the case.
The execution drew widespread criticism in Europe, where politicians and activists made last-minute pleas for a stay.
Spencer Lawton, the district attorney who secured Davis’ conviction in 1991, said he was embarrassed for the judicial system – not because of the execution, but because it took so long to carry out.
“What we have had is a manufactured appearance of doubt which has taken on the quality of legitimate doubt itself. And all of it is exquisitely unfair,” said Lawton, who retired as Chatham County’s head prosecutor in 2008. “The good news is we live in a civilized society where questions like this are decided based on fact in open and transparent courts of law, and not on street corners.”
—
Associated Press reporters Russ Bynum in Savannah, Kate Brumback and Marina Hutchinson in Jackson, Eric Tucker and Erica Werner in Washington and Sohrab Monemi in Paris contributed to this report.