Page 39 - Execution Chamber News Today

Going to arraignment, i didnt even know i had a death penalty is when the judge told me the sentences that i faced, i didnt think he was telling the truth. from that point on, yeah, i knew ways coming to death row. i knew ways going to death row. >> at this point, look back into the execution chamber, theres an intercom system that allows the warden to communicate with the commissioner for any last minute stays. once he is given the tock proceed, then the warden can perform the execution by leth...

Maximum security facility. until its torn down, statevilles death chamber remains fully operational as an emergency backup system. with such a high concentration of violent criminals in the prison population, it was only natural that the violence would continue within the walls of stateville. over the years, a number of incidents occurred that still reverberate among the old-timers today. >> in the old days we had quite a bit of violence here. you got up in the morning, youd take a couple of mag...

Here? >> they were found just a little further down where it tails into a ditch. >> the local sheriff said stinney confessed to the crime, although there is no written account of that or of any physical evidence. the trial records have disappeared. his brother, charles, a retired new york bishop and his sister say george was with his family the day of the murders. that family, run out of town right after the arrest. >> we had to leave that same night. >> on the day of the trial, this courthouse ...

Smaller cells. [ bleep ], id rather go home. >> richie recalled the last time he watched a fellow inmate leave death row for the execution chamber. >> his time came for them to kill him, right? and he was standing in front of my cell, you know, handcuffed, police around him. what do you say? what do you say to somebody that theyre getting ready to kill? that you care for and is your friend? you cant say -- i couldnt say nothing. good luck? ill see you around? you know? ive been through eight exe...

Department of corrections cordoned off protesters. right inside is the family of troy davis. i saw a couple of his sisters and also his nephew. and speaking to them throughout, in the days leading up to this execution, theyve been saying, look, this is not just justice for troy davis but they believe because theres another man, they believe another man committed this crime. they believe that in seeking justice for troy davis they believe that they would be giving justice to the family of officer...

From the latest from news correspondent, joining us outside the prison in jackson, georgia. what is it like out there tonight? >> we just spoke -- well, the atmosphere is very thick with tension. a lot of anticipation that this execution has gone through. i just spoke with a spokeswoman from the department of corrections here in georgia and she says that they are more than mid way through the ex coexecutn at this point. she believes that within 10 minutes she will get words of the details of thi...

They have said that they will be witnessing this execution. from there, the execution will take place, and she says after its taken place, theyll come over here, which is an area of the diagnostic prison here in jackson, georgia. theyll give us a confirmation that the execution has taken place. the witnesses, the media witnesses and then if the macphail family, the witnesses on that behalf of family, will come forward and make any statements, if they choose. so the timing right now, they believe...

The life of troy davis to be spared, but inside that execution chamber, obviously, you have the macphail family. theyve been trying to get what they call justice, and they point out that throughout this whole process, they havent been crying for blood. theyre not blood-thirsty. they say theyve been thirsty for justice, ed. >> nbc news correspondent thanh truong with us tonight on the scene in jackson, georgia. lets bring in now ben jealous, president of the naacp. ben, your reaction to the news ...

News broke that officials at the georgia prison in which troy davis is being held and in which georgia has its execution chamber, officials at that prison had gone into what they call a temporary delay while they waited for word from the united states supreme court. not a stay, a delay. georgia is legally able to go ahead with this execution at this point, but they are choosing to wait for word from the u.s. supreme court. georgia is essentially saying, hold on a minute, not yet, we will wait to...

scene to investigate and was shot and killed. 1991 troy davis was convicted for the murder based on eyewitness testimony. seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted or changed their testimony raising doubts that have gone global. joining us is david mattingly. also senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin. jeff, what is happening right now? explain this. the state wont go forward with this until they get word from the supreme court? >> right. what happened this morning was troy d...