Talk:Girvies Davis

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[edit] Sources?

All of the sources for this article seem to be very anti-death penalty. Numerous sources mention briefly that Davis had a long rap sheet, including crimes in which innocent people were killed, and that there was circumstantial evidence in the particular case for which he was sentenced to death, but I can't find any actual details about these. Don't get me wrong - there seems to be an abundance of problems with his conviction, but we should really try to find more unbiased sources, or, at the very least, biased sources from both sides. Shadowsill (talk) 12:54, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

The sources are not necessarily biased. However long Davis' rap sheet, evidence indicates that he was wrongfully convicted and executed for one particular crime. He was in custody for some reason when he was coerced into signing confessions. Davis' conviction would have been wrongful even if he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for it. Davis' rap sheet might help understand why police targeted him. Sources of information for minor crimes and even some murders are hard to find. It is not like there is a 500-page biography available on Davis detailing his life story. Writers are dependent on their sources. If alleged alternative views are not preserved then for all practical purposes they do not exist. At least the writers of available sources thought enough about their views to preserve them. Their views are uncontested and unless the views contain internal contradictions, we simply must accept them. Having said this, I wish you luck on finding any clear alternative evidence on Davis. --Danras (talk) 03:56, 30 May 2008 (UTC)