Mumia Facing the Noose? No! Not Again!
Posted by Mike E on January 19, 2010
No one is every safe, as long as these forces remain in power. The shadow of death had seemed to pass from Mumia, and yet there it is, again. In a case crammed with injustice, in a system packed with raw racism, consideration is given at the highest level — not to Mumia’s freedom, but to his execution. Welcome to America, again. Now what are we going to do, together?
Kasama has already published a great deal of background on Mumia’s radical and journalistic activity, then his frameup and persecution. We will be publishing posts soon, analyzing this Supreme Court ruling and the road ahead.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted an appeal by prosecutors and set aside a ruling that invalidated the death sentence of black political activist Mumia Abu-Jamal for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer.
His case has become a prominent cause for many death penalty opponents.
In a brief order, the Supreme Court sent the case back to a U.S. appeals court based in Philadelphia for further consideration in view of the high court’s recent decision in an Ohio case that had raised similar issues.
The Supreme Court in the Ohio case unanimously reinstated the death sentence of a neo-Nazi convicted of murdering three men. The court’s action, which was not a ruling on the merits of the case, could lead to Abu-Jamal’s death sentence being reinstated, too.
The appeals court had ruled that Abu-Jamal, 55, deserved a new sentencing hearing because of flawed jury instructions.
Abu-Jamal, a former member of the Black Panthers militant group, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1982 for murdering white Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in an early morning confrontation on December 9, 1981.
The officer was shot after stopping Abu-Jamal’s brother for driving the wrong way down a Philadelphia street. Abu-Jamal, a former radio reporter who was arrested at the scene, has maintained his innocence.
Abu-Jamal’s jailhouse writings about the justice system have drawn the attention of many people around the world. His case attracted the support of many death penalty opponents, foreign political leaders and Hollywood celebrities.
The flaw in the jury instructions related to whether the jurors understood how to weigh mitigating circumstances that could have resulted in a sentence other than the death penalty. Under the law, jurors did not have to agree unanimously on the mitigating circumstances.
Prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court the part of the appeals court decision that invalidated Abu-Jamal’s death sentence. The Supreme Court last year let stand the part of the decision that upheld Abu-Jamal’s murder conviction.
land said
All the media I have read is about the sentencing procedure. They keep talking about mitigating circumstances which is defined as “did he have a criminal record.
They have buried the injustice of the whole case. So once again we will take pleasure in unburying it.
It’s time to hit the streets again and it’s time to go viral on the internet with the case Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Barbara Louise said
Why can’t (white) Americans see the obvious rwacism in thw Mumia case? Seems mant Black Americans refuse to see the racism in this case.
Maiga said
Mumia’s case has successfully become a unifying factor in the left. So many of us can see, clearly, the array of issues from racism, unjust courts, police brutality, the prison industrial complex, and the US’s export of it’s policies and neoslavery throughout the world. Let us continue to strategically shine a light on Mumia’s case, FREE HIM, and use that momentum to continue our battles for a healthy, just world!
observer said
another case also worthy of support–please make this an independent post:
Days of Blogging Brings Out Supporters of ‘Free Scott Sisters’ From Mississippi Prison
For Immediate Release
Afrosphere Action Coalition – March 18, 2010
Contact: Marpessa Kupendua of The Committee to Free the Scott Sisters at nattyreb@gmail.com
Wrongly Convicted In Dire Health Situation
DAY OF BLOGGING FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS
Jamie Scott, who was convicted with her sister Gladys Scott and given double-life sentences each for an $11.00 robbery of which there was no credible evidence presented at trial, is suffering from complete kidney failure and other life-threatening medical conditions. The prison is aware of Jamie’s current condition yet Jamie remains in the prison infirmary.*
Mrs. Rasco and Afrosphere Bloggers are calling on the public to request that elected and prison officials in Mississippi immediately move Jamie to qualified medical facilities where she can receive proper medical care forthwith. We also ask that the media do investigative inquiry about this tragic situation and the outrageous case of the wrongfully convicted Scott Sisters!
CONTACT GOV. BARBOUR’S OFFICE
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
(If you reach VM leave msgs, faxes, and please send letters)
CONTACT CHRISTOPHER EPPS
Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Congressman Bennie Thompson
3607 Medgar Evers Blvd.
Jackson, MS 39213
601-946-9003(ph)
601-982-5337 (fx)
Benniethompson@mail.house.gov
Congressman John Conyers
2426 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-5126
Fax: 202-225-0072
On 12/24/93, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jamie and Gladys Scott for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime and the women have unwaveringly maintained their complete innocence. Despite this, the corrupt Mississippi sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel the young men to turn state’s evidence against the Scott Sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. In 10/94 the Scott Sisters were sentenced to extraordinary double-life terms each, despite the facts that no one was harmed, neither sister had prior convictions, no weapon was ever recovered, and the amount alleged to have been taken was approximately $11.00. Even if they were guilty as charged, this sentence is completely outrageous and cruel.
The Scott Sisters are now in their 15th year of incarceration and their five children and grandchildren are being raised by their now ailing mother. The defendants and their family are wholly dependent on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.
Their Story has had some success in getting media of late, the most notable being a very brief mention on HLN’s “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell”, a clip of which is available to view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO_p3tbjy5E
*Although Jamie was recently hospitalized due to a life-threatening infection, she continues to require ongoing close monitoring as once returned to the prison it has been proven on many occasions that are well documented at the website that the medical staff there has provided abysmal health care that has put Jamie’s life at risk far too many times to be acceptable.