The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has written a letter to Judge Lucretia Clemons of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, calling for the freedom of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The text of the letter is below.

Click here for a PDF of the letter

INTERNATIONAL LONGSHORE & WAREHOUSE UNION

1188 FRANKLIN STREET, 4th FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA 94109
(415) 775-0533
(415) 775-1302 FAX
www.ILWU.org

March 1, 2023

Honorable Justice Lucretia Clemons
Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County 1220 Criminal Justice Center
1301 Filbert Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Dear Honorable Justice Clemons,

We applaud your December 16, 2022 order directing the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to share all of its files on the case with Mumia Abu-Jamal’s defense team. It is a long overdue and important step towards justice.

On December 27, 2018, Judge Leon Tucker rendered a decision that granted Mumia Abu-Jamal new rights of appeal. He stated in his opinion that under the Williams v. Pennsylvania decision, “If a judge served as a prosecutor and then judge, there is no separate analysis or determination required by the court, there is a finding of automatic bias and a due process violation.” Judge Tucker added, “Re-argument before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would be best to perform the heart of the function of the appearance of justice.”

Every citizen in this great country deserves equal protection and justice under the law, as such please afford Mumia Abu-Jamal with the ability to move forward with re-arguing his appeals before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Sincerely Yours,

Edwin R. Ferris
International Secretary-Treasurer