Mumia Abu Jamal - DP dropped!!!

[brigadista]

THE PHILADELPHIA DA HAS FORFEITED THE DEATH PENALTY FOR MUMIA. MUMIA WILL RECEIVE LIFE IN PRISON (NO PAROLE)
time to push for his release now.....

PHILADELPHIA - Prosecutors announced Wednesday that they will no longer pursue the death penalty against former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison for gunning down a white police officer nearly 30 years ago.
The decision by District Attorney Seth Williams, made with the support of the officer's widow and the city police commissioner, comes after nearly 30 years of legal battles over the racially charged case.
Abu-Jamal was convicted of fatally shooting Philadelphia police Officer Daniel Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981. He was sentenced to death after his trial the following year.
Abu-Jamal, who has been incarcerated in a Pennsylvania prison, has garnered worldwide support from those who believe he was the victim of a biased justice system.
Abu-Jamal, a one-time journalist, garnered worldwide support from the "Free Mumia" movement. Hundreds of vocal supporters and death-penalty opponents regularly turn out for court hearings in his case, even though Abu-Jamal is rarely entitled to attend.
His message resonated particularly on college campuses and in the movie and music industries — actors Mike Farrell and Tim Robbins were among dozens of luminaries who used a New York Times ad to advocate for a new trial, and the Beastie Boys played a concert to raise money for Abu-Jamal's defence fund.
His conviction was upheld through years of legal appeals. But a federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing after ruling the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in on the case in October. That forced prosecutors to decide if they wanted to again pursue the death penalty through a new sentencing hearing or accept a life sentence.
The officer's widow, Maureen Faulkner, has tried to remain visible over the years to ensure that her husband is not forgotten. They were newlyweds when he died.
"My family and I have endured a three-decade ordeal at the hands of Mumia Abu-Jamal, his attorneys and his supporters, who in many cases never even took the time to educate themselves about the case before lending their names, giving their support and advocating for his freedom," Maureen Faulkner said. "All of this has taken an unimaginable physical, emotional and financial toll on each of us."
According to trial testimony, Abu-Jamal saw his brother scuffle with the 25-year-old patrolman during a 4 a.m. traffic stop in 1981 and ran toward the scene. Police found Abu-Jamal wounded by a round from Faulkner's gun. Faulkner, shot several times, was killed. A .38-calibre revolver registered to Abu-Jamal was found at the scene with five spent shell casings.
Abu-Jamal, born Wesley Cook, turned 58 earlier this year.
His writings and radio broadcasts from death row made him a cause celebre and the subject of numerous books and movies. His own 1995 book, "Live From Death Row," describes prison life and calls the justice system racist and ruled by political expediency.
Over the years, Abu-Jamal has challenged the predominantly white makeup of the jury, instructions given to jurors and the statements of eyewitnesses. He has also alleged ineffective counsel, racism by the trial judge and that another man confessed to the crime.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/philadelphia-prosecutor-dropping-pursuit-of-death-penalty-against-mumia-abu-jamal-135172183.html

cant access the free mumia site but its on there

[Os Cangaceiros]

"My family and I have endured a three-decade ordeal at the hands of Mumia Abu-Jamal, his attorneys and his supporters, who in many cases never even took the time to educate themselves about the case before lending their names, giving their support and advocating for his freedom," Maureen Faulkner said. "All of this has taken an unimaginable physical, emotional and financial toll on each of us."

But what if you think that he probably did do it, but should none-the-less be released? And preferably be given a medal?

[Per Levy]

good news for once, hopefully he will be a free man sooner or later. wich brings me to the question is there a chance that he will be released on day?

[brigadista]

Here are ten reasons to believe Mumia is innocent:
10. Pamela Jenkins. Jenkins was a former prostitute and government informant, the girlfriend of police officer Thomas Ryan. She testified at hearings last year that Ryan tried to make her falsely identify Mumia as the shooter at the time of the original trial, even though Jenkins was not at the scene of the shooting.

Jenkins' credibility was recently proved by her status as the key witness in the investigation that unraveled the massive police corruption scandal in Philadelphia's 39th Police District. Her testimony was instrumental in reversing the decisions of hundreds of cases.

9. Cynthia White. Jenkins also recently testified that Cynthia White, or "Lucky," another prostitute and the prosecution's star witness, was successfully coerced to lie on the stand in exchange for exemption from criminal prosecution - that is, being given permission to work her corner. None of the other nine eyewitnesses recall seeing White at the scene of the crime.

Jenkins on March 5, 1997 saw White, who ran away and hopped into a pickup truck driven by former Philadelphia police officers Jenkins knew. It is likely White is being hidden to this day by the police to prevent her being called to testify by Mumia's legal team.

8. More on the mysterious "Lucky." White was arrested in 1987 on armed robbery charges. However, Philadelphia homicide detective Douglas Culbreth appeared in court and successfully asked that White be released without having to post bail money, because she was "a Commonwealth witness in a very high profile case."

When Jamal's legal team sought to find her for recent hearings, the prosecution declared that she was dead. To support this claim, they produced a death certificate for a woman in another state with a different name, whose body had been cremated, and whose fingerprints did not match Cynthia White's.

7. William Singletary. Singletary was a local businessman and one of the only eyewitnesses who saw the whole incident. Police suppressed Singletary's original statement that he saw a shooter fleeing the scene - a man whom by Singletary's physical description could not have been Mumia. In a 1995 hearing, Singletary testified how he was coerced and intimidated by the police, who tore up his written statement and forced him to sign a different, false statement which they dictated. His version of events is supported by Dessie Hightower, who witnessed the 5-hour police interrogation of Singletary.

6. More witness manipulation. Veronica Jones confessed in a 1996 hearing that she was coerced by police into retracting her original statement about the case. Jones explained that she lied on the stand in exchange for receiving only probation on unrelated, pending felony charges. Robert Chobert, in a 1995 hearing, testified that he was offered a deal by the D.A.: if he retracted his claim that a shooter fled from the scene (he too described a man whom by physical description could not have been Mumia), the prosecution would reinstate his suspended cab driver's license.

5. Trial Judge Albert Sabo. Known as a "prosecutor in robes," Sabo has sentenced to death more than twice the number of people than any other judge in the country. Six former Philadelphia prosecutors have sworn in court documents that no accused could receive a fair trial in the court of Judge Sabo.

Typical Sabo responses to virtually all defense statements were "Shut up!", "Sit down!", and "Take it up with the Supreme Court!" When Mumia's court-appointed attorney Anthony Jackson objected to Mumia not being allowed to be present at Jackson's questioning of certain police witnesses on the record, Sabo replied, "I don't care about Mr. Jamal."

Stuart Taylor, Jr., in the leading law journal American Lawyer, summarized his review of the transcripts: "Jamal's trial was grotesquely unfair and his sentencing hearing clearly unconstitutional...Judge Sabo flaunted his bias, oozing partiality toward the prosecution."

4. Jury-stacking. Eleven qualified blacks were removed by peremptory challenges from the prosecution, a practice that was recently revealed as having been taught to prosecutors in a special training video tape prepared by the Philadelphia D.A.'s office in the 1980's. Mumia ended up with an 83 percent white jury (ten whites, two blacks) in a 40 percent black city.

3. Judge Sabo forcibly prevented Mumia from being present at major proceedings of his own trial, a blatantly improper act, especially in a capital case. Sabo, 76, was forced to retire this past January, but the damage has been done.

2. Trial travesties. Jamal's court-assigned attorney, Anthony Jackson, testified that he didn't interview a single witness in preparation for the trial and he informed the court in advance that he was not prepared and wished to withdraw. Jackson was so incompetent he was later disbarred. Jamal, who futilely argued throughout the trial that he did not accept Jackson as his attorney, was also denied the right to act as his own attorney.

Neither a ballistics expert or pathologist could be hired by Mumia, because the court refused to allocate sufficient funds, allowing only $150 for each of a maximum of four experts. Judge Sabo repeatedly refused to authorize additional funds. The defense investigator quit the case before the trial began. How far would O.J. get on $600?

1. According to the written findings of the medical examiner, Faulkner was killed by bullets from a .44; Mumia's gun was a .38 caliber.

http://homepages.sover.net/~foodsong/mumia1.htm

[ed miliband]

But what if you think that he probably did do it, but should none-the-less be released? And preferably be given a medal?

if yr still in Paris you should check out the street named after him.

Or not, there's probably not much to see.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Paris has left a bad taste in my mouth.

There is a plaza or something called Stalingrad here, though.

[Ocean Seal]

But what if you think that he probably did do it, but should none-the-less be released? And preferably be given a medal?
Won't make him very popular though. And to be honest, he most probably didn't do it. Or else the cops wouldn't have had to pull so many fake witnesses from their asses.

[RadioRaheem84]

There is a concerted effort by the Philadelphia PD to tarnish Mumia's name. They have amassed a pretty big campaign to disprove his innocence. I know many leftists/liberals who now "doubt" his innocence, but still support the overthrow his DP conviction.

[Le Socialiste]

I hadn't heard about this case until now, but it strikes me as good news nonetheless.

[Os Cangaceiros]

You hadn't heard about Mumia abu-Jamal until now?!

At just about any leftie event it seems like there's always someone who wants to talk about the latest regarding his (or Leonard Peltier's) case.

[socialistjustin]

Good news. I don't really care if he did it or not, the fact that he's been utterly screwed by the system with his trials is reason enough to support him. Like Redbrother said, he's probably innocent anyway considering the fake witnesses and such.

[Le Socialiste]

You hadn't heard about Mumia abu-Jamal until now?!

At just about any leftie event it seems like there's always someone who wants to talk about the latest regarding his (or Leonard Peltier's) case.

No, I hadn't. :blushing:

But now I have!

[Os Cangaceiros]

Getting shady witnesses and/or jailhouse snitches is a pretty common way for prosecuters to secure a conviction, actually, it ain't really that unique to MAJ.

With MAJ, I think it's not so much a race thing, although the fact that he's a black militant certainly doesn't do him any favors in a court of law, it's more to do with the fact that he's accused of killing a cop. Ever see that movie "The Thin Blue Line"? It's about a white man who was accused of killing a cop, and Texas authorities were fanatical in their efforts to keep him on death row, and there was even less evidence that he'd committed the crime than there is in the MAJ case (the man, Randall Adams, was eventually released after the real killer confessed). Law enforcement is extremely vindictive in regards to these cases, Troy Davis is another good example.

[brigadista]

Getting shady witnesses and/or jailhouse snitches is a pretty common way for prosecuters to secure a conviction, actually, it ain't really that unique to MAJ.

With MAJ, I think it's not so much a race thing, although the fact that he's a black militant certainly doesn't do him any favors in a court of law, it's more to do with the fact that he's accused of killing a cop. Ever see that movie "The Thin Blue Line"? It's about a white man who was accused of killing a cop, and Texas authorities were fanatical in their efforts to keep him on death row, and there was even less evidence that he'd committed the crime than there is in the MAJ case (the man, Randall Adams, was eventually released after the real killer confessed). Law enforcement is extremely vindictive in regards to these cases, Troy Davis is another good example.

think its about a political black man allegedly killing a cop -- the whole legal system came down hard..

[black magick hustla]

think its about a political black man allegedly killing a cop -- the whole legal system came down hard..

:shrugs: i disagree really. i mean 4 decades ago black militancy was a big deal but today? dude if you are convicted of cop killing you are smoked, regardless if you are white or black or a black panther.

[Rusty Shackleford]

excellent news.

[A Marxist Historian]

But what if you think that he probably did do it, but should none-the-less be released? And preferably be given a medal?

Then you are an idiot, and everything you say about the subject is grist for the mill of Mumia's persecutors.

-M.H.-

[A Marxist Historian]

:shrugs: i disagree really. i mean 4 decades ago black militancy was a big deal but today? dude if you are convicted of cop killing you are smoked, regardless if you are white or black or a black panther.

True, but it was because he was a former Panther and widely known in Philly (prize-winning radio journalist) as the prime defender of MOVE, whom the Philly cops already had a murderous vendetta against.

Otherwise they would have framed somebody else up for the murder.

One of the actual killers is dead, the other one gave a deposition confessing that he did it. Not in Pennsylvania and immunized from arrest (1) because he had been a federal witness vs. the Philly police in several of their notorious murder/corruption scandals and (2) because if they arrested him they'd have to let Mumia go.

The hit on Faulkner was ordered by a supervisor in the Philly police because Faulkner was the prime federal witness in the federal investigation back in the '80s of the Philly police department.

-M.H.-

[HEAD ICE]

Then you are an idiot, and everything you say about the subject is grist for the mill of Mumia's persecutors.

-M.H.-

From what I've read I thought Mumia was defending his brother from a physical assault from a police officer.

[A Marxist Historian]

From what I've read I thought Mumia was defending his brother from a physical assault from a police officer.

No, that's strictly the version of the prosecution and Fox News. Has been punctured with extreme thoroughness, one of the earlier postings on this thread lists some of the more glaring inconsistencies.

This is one case where, to any reasonable person, Mumia's innocence has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. There is not a single shred of evidence the prosecution came up with that hasn't been disproved. And the actual shooters are in fact known, and one of them has confessed, moreover confessed in the form of a legal deposition!

-M.H.-

[black magick hustla]

Then you are an idiot, and everything you say about the subject is grist for the mill of Mumia's persecutors.

-M.H.-

lol i doubt the opinions of some random yahoo on the internet will sway on the veredict mr. spartacist

[MarxSchmarx]

While life in prison is an improvement, if the guy didn't do it a grave injustice is still being carried out. I wonder if his case will continue to elicit as much passion, and if people who were involved in this drop out now that he's no longer going to be executed, it says a lot about that person.

[A Marxist Historian]

lol i doubt the opinions of some random yahoo on the internet will sway on the veredict mr. spartacist

The verdict came in 30 years ago, and he has absolutely no even conceivable legal appeals at this point.

The only way he can be freed is if there is a campaign to free him. If even the would-be campaigners, and I'd like to think at least that people here would like to work to free him, are running around saying things like he did it and I'm glad, then he is toast. This is Revleft, hopefully not just random yahoos on the Internet. Or why the hell are you and I spending so much time on it?

The only way he possibly can be freed is if people understand he is an innocent man. Which he is.

-M.H.-

[Art Vandelay]

I say come time for revolution hes the first dude we spring from prison:cool: After that some revolutionary justice can be served.

[RedSonRising]

No parole? :(

[Smyg]

:tt1:

[Mr. Natural]

I heard a long analysis of the framing of Mumia on, I believe, "Democracy Now" that convinced me of his innocence. The Philadelphia police department is well known for its systemic violence, racism, and corruption, and Mumia was an "uppity black" who was constantly and righteously in its face.

I don't know that "Free Mumia" is a very effective political slogan, though. He, Leonard Peltier, and the Cuban 5 were framed. A "Fair Trial For Mumia" demand would expose much that is wrong in the American judicial system, garner much more support, and be more realizable. And, of course, a fair trial would free him.

"Fair Trials For Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, and the Cuban Five!" And for all those I left out.

[Kamos]

DP, life sentence, same thing. Maybe a life sentence is even worse (provided he doesn't get released). But yeah, there's the bourgeois justice system for you. You have to bribe them to get a fair hearing.

[Os Cangaceiros]

True, but it was because he was a former Panther and widely known in Philly (prize-winning radio journalist) as the prime defender of MOVE, whom the Philly cops already had a murderous vendetta against.

Otherwise they would have framed somebody else up for the murder.

One of the actual killers is dead, the other one gave a deposition confessing that he did it. Not in Pennsylvania and immunized from arrest (1) because he had been a federal witness vs. the Philly police in several of their notorious murder/corruption scandals and (2) because if they arrested him they'd have to let Mumia go.

The hit on Faulkner was ordered by a supervisor in the Philly police because Faulkner was the prime federal witness in the federal investigation back in the '80s of the Philly police department.

-M.H.-

OK, so the theory is that some police hit-squad, through brilliant strategy and logistics, managed to both kill Faulkner and place Mumia at the scene of the crime? Why didn't they just kill Faulkner and Mumia? Why the hell let Mumia live if he was that big a threat? According to that theory, they were already willing to kill members of their own force, so why would they let someone live who they have a "murderous vendetta against"? (or rather, someone who's associated with an organization who they have a murderous vendetta against)

I don't get it, why would you set a scenario up like that and then give the fall guy the chance to defend himself? (Although, to be fair to the hypothetical hitmen, Mumia has done a terrible job actually defending his innocence over the years...and no, I don't think that "putting the system on trial" really makes for a good plausible case for your non-involvement in a crime, although if the authorities had me dead-to-rights i'd probably do that too).

[Luís Henrique]

OK, so the theory is that some police hit-squad, through brilliant strategy and logistics, managed to both kill Faulkner and place Mumia at the scene of the crime? Why didn't they just kill Faulkner and Mumia?

Because they then would have to frame another person for each crime.

Luís Henrique

[Martin Blank]

I don't know that "Free Mumia" is a very effective political slogan, though. He, Leonard Peltier, and the Cuban 5 were framed. A "Fair Trial For Mumia" demand would expose much that is wrong in the American judicial system, garner much more support, and be more realizable. And, of course, a fair trial would free him.

"Fair Trials For Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, and the Cuban Five!" And for all those I left out.

The problem is that there is no such thing as a "fair trial" in the capitalist system, especially for those who have stood up against the exploitation and oppression of this society. To put it another way: The fact that Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier and the Cuban 5 are in prison is a testament to the fact that there is no such thing as a "fair trial" in capitalist America.


OK, so the theory is that some police hit-squad, through brilliant strategy and logistics, managed to both kill Faulkner and place Mumia at the scene of the crime? Why didn't they just kill Faulkner and Mumia? Why the hell let Mumia live if he was that big a threat? According to that theory, they were already willing to kill members of their own force, so why would they let someone live who they have a "murderous vendetta against"? (or rather, someone who's associated with an organization who they have a murderous vendetta against)

I don't get it, why would you set a scenario up like that and then give the fall guy the chance to defend himself? (Although, to be fair to the hypothetical hitmen, Mumia has done a terrible job actually defending his innocence over the years...and no, I don't think that "putting the system on trial" really makes for a good plausible case for your non-involvement in a crime, although if the authorities had me dead-to-rights i'd probably do that too).

I happen to think that, from the perspective of the police, Mumia's proximity to Faulkner was what some might call a "happy coincidence" -- a "two-fer", so to speak. He happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it became the perfect set-up, with a whole narrative created on the fly. Hence, the problems with inconsistencies and the need for false witnesses. Mumia Abu-Jamal was an involuntary patsy, and he spent nearly 30 years on Death Row for it.

[A Marxist Historian]

I heard a long analysis of the framing of Mumia on, I believe, "Democracy Now" that convinced me of his innocence. The Philadelphia police department is well known for its systemic violence, racism, and corruption, and Mumia was an "uppity black" who was constantly and righteously in its face.

I don't know that "Free Mumia" is a very effective political slogan, though. He, Leonard Peltier, and the Cuban 5 were framed. A "Fair Trial For Mumia" demand would expose much that is wrong in the American judicial system, garner much more support, and be more realizable. And, of course, a fair trial would free him.

"Fair Trials For Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, and the Cuban Five!" And for all those I left out.

In the mid-'90s, the Mumia movement, once very powerful, went from "Free Mumia" to "Fair Trial for Mumia," the liberals and reformists took over, and pretty much killed it as a mass movement, tossing it into the courts where it died. And then the liberals, after the movement had been deradicalized for their benefit, jumped ship anyway.

There can be no such thing as a fair trial for Mumia in Pennsylvania. There is no justice in the capitalist courts, and what has been done to Mumia is the perfect example of that.

Moreover, at this point, with the Supreme Court having rejected umpteen appeals, there probably is no purely legal route to free him.

-M.H.-

[Os Cangaceiros]

Because they then would have to frame another person for each crime.

Luís Henrique

Not necessarily. They could just say that Faulkner's attacker was killed with return fire.

[A Marxist Historian]

OK, so the theory is that some police hit-squad, through brilliant strategy and logistics, managed to both kill Faulkner and place Mumia at the scene of the crime? Why didn't they just kill Faulkner and Mumia? Why the hell let Mumia live if he was that big a threat? According to that theory, they were already willing to kill members of their own force, so why would they let someone live who they have a "murderous vendetta against"? (or rather, someone who's associated with an organization who they have a murderous vendetta against)

I don't get it, why would you set a scenario up like that and then give the fall guy the chance to defend himself? (Although, to be fair to the hypothetical hitmen, Mumia has done a terrible job actually defending his innocence over the years...and no, I don't think that "putting the system on trial" really makes for a good plausible case for your non-involvement in a crime, although if the authorities had me dead-to-rights i'd probably do that too).

Cthulhu got it right on that. Hapy coincidence for them rather than them planning that in advance. Mumia was in the very wrong time at the very wrong place.

But not a total coincidence. The two shooters were Arnold Beverly, who gave the deposition to the PDC attorney confessing to being one of 'em, and the fella whose name I am forgetting right now, who was a passenger in Mumia's brother's taxi, and who died later in very suspicious circumstances.

Behind any lie you have to have a little bit of truth to make it plausible. The truth behind the prosecution version is that it seems that Mumia, also driving a taxi, did notice his brother being ticketed by Faulkner and did approach the scene to find out what was going on, with Faulkner then being done in by his brother's passenger and Beverly off to the side, and then both of them running off wearing those green jackets so many of the witnesses mentioned later that the shooter or shooters wore.

So when the cops showed up and Mumia was there, golden opportunity. The original plan was probably to frame up Mumia's brother not Mumia himself for the killing.

-M.H.-