Supreme Court issues temporary hold for Davis

BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. -- In a last ditch effort, attoeys for Troy Davis made a stay of execution request with the United States Supreme Court. Now, the US Supreme Court is looking over the case and a temporary hold has been issued for Davis' execution while the court decides.

More than a hundred protesters gathered outside Georgia's death row to demonstrate against the scheduled 7 p.m. execution of Troy Davis.

The Rev. Al Sharpton led the protesters past the security checkpoint to the Georgia Diagnostic Prison in Butts County.

He told Channel 2's Richard Elliot that he believes Davis is innocent of the murder of off-duty Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989.

"We don't know if we'll get a miracle today, but we know whatever they do, it will not be in silence," said Sharpton.

A jury convicted Davis of the murder of MacPhail. The 27-year-old police officer was working as an off-duty security guard at a Savannah bus station when he was shot and killed coming to the rescue of a homeless man.

Heartfelt protest: Supporters wait outside Jackson prison, Georgia for news of the Supreme Court decision on the execution of Troy Davis

Since the conviction, some of the witnesses have recanted their story and at least one juror came forward stating they made a wrong decision to convict.

That conviction and subsequent death sentence has drawn protests from around the county and around the world. The Vatican, the French Foreign Ministry and former President Jimmy Carter have asked the state to set aside the death sentence.

On Monday, however, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency. The Georgia Supreme Court also refused a stay of execution for Davis. Wednesday, the parole board declined requests to reconsider that decision.

On Wednesday, Davis' attoey, Stephen Marsh, tried to get a polygraph device into the prison to test Davis, but prison officials denied that request.

"We came here today to try to prove Mr. Davis' innocence," said Marsh. "Unfortunately, we were denied that opportunity by the Department of Corrections."

Chatham County prosecutors stand by the conviction.