It was a small victory in a very big war. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals decided for the second time on April 26th to uphold a 2001 federal court decision to set aside the death sentence of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a journalist, former Black Panther, and the world’s best-known political prisoner. The court had already ruled in 2008 that, due to improper instructions to the jury in Mumia’s 1982 kangaroo-court trial, his death sentence is to be replaced by life without the possibility of parole, unless the State of Pennsylvania holds a new jury trial on sentencing within 180 days. If the state fails to hold such a hearing within the time limit, the sentence automatically becomes life without the possibility of parole. Now, acting under orders from the US Supreme Court to reconsider, the Third Circuit panel reached the same decision once again.
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Greetings from Mumia for Jack Heyman, ILWU Local 10
On February 25th a retirement party was held at a union restaurant in San Francisco for Jack Heyman, longtime militant in ILWU Local 10. Heyman, a member of the Labor Action Committee, was instrumental in organizing the 1999 port shutdown and march in San Francsico for Mumia, during which 25,000 marched, against Mumia’s execution. This action was the first port shutdown in defense of a political prisoner in the United States. Here are Mumia’s remarks for the party:
West Coast Report
Mumia Abu-Jamal is an innocent man on death row. Yet the State of Pennsylvania, and the federal government, still want to “legally” kill him. This is shown by the US Supreme Court, which in April 2009 rejected Mumia’s appeal without comment, despite mountains of evidence of his innocence. (More info below.)
Now, on November 9th 2010, a hearing has been held on the question of Mumia’s sentence: death, or life in prison without the possibility of parole. We don’t know the outcome in the Third Circuit Court–the judges will take their sweet time with that.
What we know is:
MUMIA IS INNOCENT!
MUMIA NEEDS TO BE FREE, RIGHT NOW!
Mumia’s Life is in Danger!
MUMIA ABU-JAMAL faces his likely last court hearing on November 9th, 2010, at the Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, in Philadelphia. This hearing is about sentencing only.
Why is this happening?
Targeted by the FBI’s infamous COINTELPRO counter-intelligence and disruption program since the age of 15, and now by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Mumia Abu-Jamal is seen as an enemy of the state. His innocence is considered irrelevant, and in US courts, following recent rulings, innocence is no defense.
The US Supreme Court has already thrown out, without comment, Mumia’s last appeal against his frame-up conviction before a racist judge in a blatantly unfair trial in 1982. This rejection meant the Supreme Court had to ignore mountains of evidence of Mumia’s innocence, as well as precedents such as its own ruling in Batson v Kentucky, which was supposed to prevent racism in jury selection.
Oscar Grant & Mumia Abu-Jamal : Mass Mobilizations!
1. Oakland, October 23rd 2010:
PORT SHUTDOWN FOR OSCAR GRANT!
Rally: 12 Noon, City Hall, 14th and Broadway
OUTRAGE!
An Innocent Black Man Shot in the Back by Police and…
Killed for No Reason!
Killer Cop Gets Off With Involuntary Manslaughter!
Photographic evidence Proves : It Was Murder!
Oscar Grant was a father of a young daughter, a working person in Oakland, and innocent of any crime! He was shot while he was held face-down with his hands behind him, by BART cop Johannes Mehserle!