Davis should not have been executed

Bradley D. Chapline, Las Vegas

Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011 | 2:02 a.m.

Before retiring, I guarded inmates for three decades. I am a proponent in most cases of the death penalty — when the inmate through all his appeals has been clearly shown to be guilty beyond “any shadow” of a doubt. I’m not talking about “beyond a reasonable doubt,” as is the case in reaching a conviction. The doubt factor has to be extremely intensified to justify execution. This was not the case with Georgia inmate Troy Davis.

In executing Davis, the American justice system has committed a fatal mistake. I’m certainly not saying that Davis was innocent. However, there existed sufficient doubt to this conviction. Therefore, this makes the American justice system guilty of executing a man who may have been innocent of his conviction.

I’ve seen witnesses tampered with and convictions brought forth from tribunals, juries and judges that were so unjust it made me ill to be an American. I’m a loyal and dedicated American who has served his country faithfully as a Marine and a Nevada state peace officer. However, with this execution of Davis, America should hang its head in complete shame.