Tonight at seven o'clock, the very moment that I'm writing this, the State of Georgia was going to electrocute Troy Davis until he was dead.  In a gut-wrenching, last minute decision, the US Supreme Court handed down a stay of execution:  two hours before he was supposed to be shocked to death.

His case has attracted such luminaries as the Pope and President Carter.  It's a case that Amnesty International is involved in, as well as The Innocence Project.  Neither the people, nor the organizations have the time, man-power or money to give to a worthless cause.  Hopeless, well, maybe.  But the fact that such powers are behind Mr. Davis' continued claims of innocence?  That speaks volumes.

His sister Martina has been one of his greatest allies, battling for his life, even as she fights her own cancer.  You have to hand it to her; the woman has fierce grace.  Also massive respect to Representative John Lewis, who's been a long time champion of civil rights and a persistent vocal advocate for Troy Davis.

Mr. Davis, an African-American, stands convicted of the shooting death of a young Caucasian police officer, which has had him on Death Row for seventeen years.   There were nine witnesses, seven of whom have recanted their statements, citing everything from signing sworn statements that they, being illiterate, couldn't read, to succumbing to police pressure.  It's noteworthy that one of the two witnesses that sticks by his statement, is the one who is now believed to be the actual perpetrator.

I cannot imagine how Mr. Davis remains less than barking mad, at this point.  He's spent almost two decades on Death Row, for a crime that he's continually claimed his own innocence.  He recently believed that he would be electrocuted to death tonight.  In fact, right up until two hours before the appointed time.  He must have said his good-byes, chosen and maybe eaten his last meal, taken the long walk to the cell that those about to die are held in.

Brutal.