I Am Troy Davis by Marlowe Jen; Davis-Correia Martina; Davis Troy

Author:Marlowe, Jen; Davis-Correia, Martina; Davis, Troy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography
ISBN: 1181637
Publisher: Haymarket Books
Published: 2013-08-13T04:00:00+00:00

2004

Martina and Troy had been writing to law firm after law firm for years, asking if they would represent Troy pro bono. They appreciated the Georgia Resource Center attorneys and investigators, who had been energetically pursuing leads and uncovering exculpatory evidence ever since the nonprofit had been able to reconstitute itself, but there was no way to undo the damage from those critical years when the Resource Center had been gutted and almost nothing had been done on Troy’s case.

The final straw had come during a conversation with one of Troy’s attorneys. The attorney had said that he believed that Troy was innocent, but that Troy was a black man accused of killing a white police officer in Georgia. “In the South, any black man will do,” the attorney had concluded. Martina knew the lawyer had been referring to the attitude of the state and not the attitude of the nonprofit, but she was horrified by the statement nonetheless. It was time to look for new representation.

One night, as Martina had been checking her email, Court TV was on in the background. Suddenly, she heard an attorney discussing her involvement in the Roger Coleman case. Martina snapped to attention. Coleman, a coal miner from Virginia, had been executed for killing his sister-in-law, despite controversy as to his guilt. The attorney, Kathleen Behan, was an associate at a DC corporate law firm and had taken on Coleman’s case pro bono, working tirelessly to prevent his execution. Behan sounded knowledgeable, passionate, and committed. Martina jotted down the name of the firm: Arnold & Porter.

The next day, Martina tracked down Kathleen Behan’s email address and wrote Behan a brief explanation of who she was and what she was asking. A few days later, Martina received a reply from Kitty Behan instructing her to write a letter, in one thousand words or less, as to why she should take Troy’s case. Martina complied immediately and waited to hear back. A week later, Kitty got in touch. She was going to be in Georgia the following week. Could she go visit Troy?

Despite the short notice, Troy was able to get the visitation request approved, and Martina and Kitty agreed to meet at the prison. Martina arrived at the appointed time and waited in her car. An hour passed, and then two. Had Kitty decided not to come? Just as Martina was about to give up, a little Hugo driven by a slender blond woman pulled into the parking area. The woman got out and surveyed the guard tower and the barbed wire.

Martina got out of her car.

“Kitty Behan?”

“Yes, you must be Martina!” Kitty strode to Martina with an outstretched arm. “I’m so sorry to be late, I had a problem renting a car at the airport.”

“Troy’s waiting for you,” Martina said. “I don’t have permission to enter for attorney visits, but it should be all set for you to go on in and talk to Troy.”

“I’ll only be in with him half an hour or so,” Kitty said, taking her ID and locking her purse in the car.

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