At 11:08 PM on Wednesday, Troy Davis was executed by lethal injection in a Georgia prison. Davis, who was convicted of murdering an off-duty police officer in 1989, maintained his innocence until the end. His case drew international attention after questions arose about his conviction, including 7 of 9 eyewitnesses recanting or changing their testimony. Prominent groups and leaders from across the political spectrum called upon the courts to review his case. The Supreme Court reviewed by denied a petition to stay his execution. Jeffrey Rosen, law professor at George Washington University, legal affairs editor for The New Republic, and author of “The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America,” gives his legal analysis of the case.
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