The State Of . . . Justice. Mumia’s case is a long and interesting one. Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted in 1981 of killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. His supporters say that the Philly Police department intimidated witnesses and that the judge was biased against him. I (rich) think Mumia probably shot the office but in self defense and in defense of his brother. But whether he did it or not, the circumstances surrounding his trial raise serious questions about its fairness. I think a new one is deserved.
Filed under: Law
I agree. Contrary to the hype, Mumia is not the poster boy for unjustly incarcerated inmates.
Three folks know what happened that day and one of them is in the ground. Mumia and his brother need to stop the bs stringing people along with his cause and finally tell the truth once and for all. I mean he’s been in prison since 1981!
I know people who worked with Mumia (he was a journalist) and not one said they did NOT think he was capable of the killing. Regadless, he needs a new trial, yet I am uncomfortable with so much attention devoted to this case when he could end it all by opening his mouth. After all, a man did die that night.
I don’t know a thing about Mumia’s case, but his radio commentaries on Pacifica Radio (90.7FM in LA) are stellar.
I used to know the ins and out of this case back when I was in college. Now, I dont remember a thing.
Most of what I know comes from the book written by officer Faulkner’s family. According to them, Mumia confessed to the shooting. WHat the confession entailed, I’m not sure. But they are outraged that his case has become a “cause.” I agree that he may not be the best poster child against injustice. But I don’t know the details of his first trial.
Contrary to the lies rehashed in the book by Faulkner/Smerconish, Mumia Abu-Jamal has unequivocally declared his innocence and recounted exactly what happened on the night the policeman Faulkner was killed. You can find his declaration at http://partisandefense.org, along with the statement of his brother Wesley Cook. Also there is the affidavit of Arnold Beverly, the man who confessed to being the shooter, as well as a well-argued summary of the facts in the case, complete with citations. Mumia was framed up for his political beliefs; he was a Black Panther leader and a vocal supporter of MOVE, the back-to-nature group that fell into the cross-hairs of the notoriously racist Philly cops and had dozens of its members and their children slaughtered or thrown in jail where they sit to this day. Mumia should never have spent a single minute behind bars. The Third Circuit Court decision continues the racist frame-up and leaves Mumia in limbo between execution and the living death of life in prison. He has already spent more than a quarter century on Death Row for a crime he did not do. There is no justice for Black Panthers and other opponents of this oppressive system in the capitalist courts. Mumia is manifestly innocent. He should be freed now, as should the MOVE 9. The racist death penalty, legacy of chattel slavery in the U.S., should be abolished.