Texas Moratorium Network is hosting a screening on Wednesday October 5 at the Violet Crown Cinema in Austin of “Incendiary: the Willingham case” about the case of Todd Willingham. We are hosting it as a fundraiser to benefit the campaign of Charlie Baird for Travis County District Attorney. All proceeds go to the campaign of Charlie Baird. Get your tickets now, seating is limited. Charlie Baird needs your support in his race to bring Justice That Works to Austin and Travis County. To learn more about Charlie Baird visit his website www.charliebaird.com.

“You can’t fight murder with murder,” Ross Byrd, 32, told Reuters late Tuesday, the night before Wednesday’s scheduled execution of Lawrence Russell Brewer for one of the most notorious hate crimes in modern times.

“Life in prison would have been fine. I know he can’t hurt my daddy anymore. I wish the state would take in mind that this isn’t what we want.”

Brewer is scheduled to die by lethal injection after 6 p.m. today in Huntsville, Texas.

Call Governor Perry to register your opposition to executions 512 463 2000.

More from the AP:

An avowed white supremacist, Brewer, 44, was one of three white men convicted of capital murder in the kidnapping and killing of Byrd Jr., in June 1998.

John King, another white supremacist, is on death row awaiting an execution date. Shawn Berry is serving a life sentence.

Brewer would be the 11th man executed in Texas this year. In Georgia, the execution of Troy Davis, convicted of killing a police officer, is scheduled for the same night.

If both executions go forward, Brewer and Davis would be the 34th and 35th executions in the United States in 2011.

In Texas, a vigil in Huntsville began at midnight with civil rights activist Dick Gregory.

PROTESTS

Gregory has joined Ross Byrd and Martin Luther King III in the past to publicly protest Brewer’s execution.

Ross Byrd, a recording artist studying for his MBA at nearby Stephen F. Austin University, said Tuesday that he wouldn’t attend the execution but will “be there in spirit.”

He says he doesn’t want to “waste my time” watching anybody die, even a man who killed his dad.

“Life goes on,” said Byrd, who has a son. “I’ve got responsibilities that I have every day. It’s not on the front page of my mind. I’m looking for happy times.”

Cleve Foster just got a stay of execution from the U.S. Supreme Court. No execution in Texas today. The high court granted the stay of execution for Foster about 2-1/2 hours before he was scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection around 6 p.m. local time in Texas.He was convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman he met in a bar in Fort Worth.

The justices in the brief order gave no reason why they granted the stay and said his execution will be delayed while it considers his appeal.

Stop the Execution of Troy Davis: Solidarity Rally in Austin!

Troy Davis was sentenced to death in Georgia for the 1989 killing of police officer Mark Allen MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. His sentencing was in spite of the fact that there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, nor was a murder weapon ever found. He was convicted solely on the testimony of 9 witnesses.

Seven of these witnesses have now recanted their testimony and several say they were pressured by the police to identify Troy as the shooter. One of the remaining witnesses was Sylvester Coles, who was initially a suspect and in fact admitted he was carrying the same caliber gun used in the murder half an hour before the slaying took place.

Troy has spent the last two decades on death row for a crime he did not commit. He has faced three execution dates and is now facing his fourth date on September 21st. Please show your support for this innocent man and put public pressure on the Georgia Parole Board to grant Troy clemency.

For more information about the case of Troy Davis, please visit nodeathpenalty.org or visit the CEDP Austin Facebook page at facebook.com/AustinCEDP

We will deliver the signatures and comments on this petition to Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is running for president of the United States. A lot of people already signed and we delivered those signatures to Perry in 2009, but we wanted to repost it since Rick Perry is running for president so that more people can sign. It also allows you to leave a comment when you sign. Many people have left great comments, add yours. Click View signatures to read comments.

View Signatures.

This petition was created and written by Texas Moratorium Network. If you have questions, call TMN at 512-961-6389. If you are shocked to learn that Texas has executed an innocent person, please attend the 12th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty on October 22, 2011 in Austin, Texas at the Capitol.