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"Court had no option" but to kill Troy Davis, said former Justice Stevens

"Court had no option" but to kill Troy Davis, said former Justice Stevens
Troy Davis AP/Georgia Dept. of Corrections

(CBS/AP) BOULDER, Colo. - Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens says the high court made the correct decision in not intervening in Wednesday night's execution of a man convicted of the 1989 killing an off-duty police officer in Georgia.

Speaking to a group of law students, faculty and judges at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Thursday, Stevens said, "I think the court had no option but to uphold the decision."

The Supreme Court decided not to intervene in the execution of Troy Davis, who was convicted in 1991 of killing officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Ga.

Davis was pronounced dead late Wednesday night after the Supreme Court rejected an 11th hour request for a stay.

The high court did not comment on its order.

Complete Coverage of Troy Davis on Crimesider

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