Dear Friend:
I am writing on behalf of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) and an innocent man on death row in Georgia named Troy Anthony Davis.
In 1991, Troy Anthony Davis was convicted of murdering a police officer in Savannah – despite the lack of physical evidence connecting him to the crime. The only evidence used to convict Mr. Davis was the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, of which, all but three have recanted their sworn statements since trial. Despite this newly emerged evidence proving his innocence, a federal law passed in 1996 prevents Troy from using these new eyewitness affidavits toward his defense.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Troy’s cert petition, thus paving the way for a death warrant to be issued. Our coalition, which also includes Amnesty International and the NAACP are engaged in a letter writing campaign of global proportions, in an effort to appeal to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, who are the only entity remaining which can grant Troy clemency.
So far, we have generated thousands of letters from all across the country, London, Australia, Norway, Cuba, Canada, Portugal, and more. In addition, notable activists like Professor Charles Olgetree, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Sister Helen Prejean have written letters in support of Troy to the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Now the Board needs to hear from you and your network.
So, here’s how it works:
1) Go to this site: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ncadp/content.jsp?content_KEY=2776
2) Copy and paste the letter into a Word document• Print it out on your personal/school/company letterhead if possible.
3) Sign at the bottom of the page, and print your name and mailing address under the signature to give your letter more weight.
4) Send your letter to:
Amnesty International
730 Peachtree St.
Suite 1060
Atlanta, GA 30308
Attn: L. Moye
Or, fax it to 404-876-2276
Amnesty International will be collecting all the letters and delivering them to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. So that’s all you need to do! If you have time, feel free to handwrite the letter or to write one in your own words.
And the most critical thing to increase the impact: tell your network about this campaign, and ask them to write too!
In addition, two social network websites have been created at Facebook and My Space in support of Troy. Please join these networks so you can stay informed about Troy’s case. In addition, there are new blog posts about Troy’s case which you may link from your website.
Thank you for all you do,
Gregory
Gregory A. Joseph
State Policy Director
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
202-331-4090 - office
202-331-4099 - fax
646-346-4289 - mobile
www.ncadp.org
gjoseph@ncadp.org