https://socialistaction.org/2018/08/25/pack-the-courtroom-for-mumia-on-aug-30/
Pack the courtroom for Mumia on Aug. 30!
/ 13 hours ago
Sept. 2018 SA mumia banner 2009By MICHAEL SCHREIBER
— PHILADELPHIA — Oral arguments on behalf of political prisoner Mumia
Abu-Jamal will take place here on Aug. 30 before Judge Leon Tucker of
the city and county Court of Common Pleas. Defense activists plan to
fill the courtroom and to demonstrate outside to demand a new trial for
Mumia and his freedom. Socialist Action urges all supporters of civil
liberties to come to Philadelphia to join the Aug. 30 protest, starting
at 8 a.m. at 1301 Filbert St.
Mumia, an award-winning journalist and Black movement activist, was
convicted in a notoriously biased frame-up trial of murdering a
Philadelphia police officer in 1981. He has remained in prison for over
36 years, and has suffered recently from medical problems that were
allowed to go untreated.
The Williams v. Pennsylvania decision in the U.S. Supreme Court provided
an opening for attorneys to appeal Mumia’s conviction. In 2016, Terrance
Williams argued successfully that Judge Ronald Castille, who was on the
bench in appeals of Williams’ murder conviction in Pennsylvania’s
Supreme Court, had also been personally involved in prosecution of his
case years earlier as Philadelphia district attorney. In the court
victory, Williams’ death sentence was vacated.
On similar grounds, Mumia’s attorneys have filed appeals stating that
Judge Castille had been personally involved in his case, when as
district attorney he worked to uphold Mumia’s conviction. At an April
30, 2018, court hearing, however, the prosecution stated that they had
found no evidence corroborating Castille’s prior involvement in the case.
This indicates that the office of current DA Larry Krasner will oppose
Mumia’s petition to throw out the state Supreme Court’s denial of his
appeals, which would allow him to re-file an appeal. Krasner attracted
national attention when he ran as a liberal “reformer” during his
campaign for district attorney a year ago, but has shown no inclination
to look very deeply into the racism and judicial prejudice surrounding
Mumia’s case.
Judge Tucker told Mumia to file an amended petition based on new
evidence released by the prosecution during the “discovery” process.
That petition, which was filed on July 9, will be argued on Aug. 30.
Mumia is represented by attorneys Judith Ritter, professor at the
Widener School of Law, and Samuel Spital, of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
The petition states that documents newly released by the prosecution
show that Ronald Castille, as Philadelphia district attorney,
participated in a critical decision to expedite issuing warrants for
execution, particularly for those who were convicted as “police
killers.” That is the category Mumia was placed in.
The petition points out that the new evidence includes a June 15, 1990,
letter from Castille to Gov. Robert Casey “imploring him to sign and
issue death warrants in such cases. … The letter represented the
culmination of several months of Mr. Castille soliciting information
about the status of Philadelphia’s capital cases, including Mr.
Abu-Jamal’s case. … Castille urged the Governor to ‘send a clear and
dramatic message to all police killers that the death penalty in
Pennsylvania actually means something.’”
The prosecution has stated that because the June 1990 letter did not
specifically name Mumia, it cannot be used as evidence of Castille’s
personal involvement in the case. The amended petition by the defense
has responded by making it clear that Castille’s urging the governor to
sign death warrants undoubtedly applied to Mumia—who was the subject of
the most known and publicized case of an alleged “police killer.”
Whether the prosecution bothered to find and release all of the
documents that might establish Castille’s involvement in Mumia’s case is
not known. The petition also pointed out, “While not necessary for Mr.
Abu-Jamal to prevail in this Petition, a letter to the Governor about
signing a warrant for Mr. Abu-Jamal’s execution could very well be
amongst documents that have not been found by the Commonwealth.”
Attorney Rachel Wolkenstein commented in a memo sent to supporters of
Mumia’s defense: “It is without a doubt that the District Attorney’s
office has suppressed and/or destroyed documents showing Castille’s
personal involvement in Mumia’s case—direct input into legal arguments
against Mumia’s appeal claims, tracking the status of his direct appeal
and seeking a death warrant against Mumia and seeking his execution.
“The prosecutors who worked on Mumia’s case for decades—specifically
Ronald Eisenberg and Hugh Grant—have known since the Williams decision
that Mumia would make a new challenge to Castille’s bias in denying his
appeals. They left the DA’s office before Krasner assumed his position
as District Attorney. No attempt was made to review their personal file.
Nor was there an attempt to review Castille’s files.
“Significantly the prosecution absurdly argues that Castille’s
involvement in tracking capital cases and attempting to expedite death
warrants, particularly in cases of those convicted as “police killers,”
does not apply to Mumia. With that conclusion, the prosecution opposes
Mumia’s petition. The prosecution has taken a political decision, not a
legal one. Krasner’s office continues the frame-up conviction of Mumia.”
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
6Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)6
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
August 25, 2018 in Black Liberation, Prisons. Tags: Mumia Abu-Jamal
Related posts
Philadelphia DA’s office stonewalls at hearing for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal! All out Feb. 26 and March 27!
Mumia wins court victory for prison medical care
Post navigation
← Books: Where science and socialism intersect
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month August 2018 (10) July 2018 (13) June
2018 (11) May 2018 (19) April 2018 (15) March 2018 (17) February
2018 (14) January 2018 (13) December 2017 (13) November 2017 (13)
October 2017 (16) September 2017 (15) August 2017 (16) July 2017
(17) June 2017 (16) May 2017 (17) April 2017 (14) March 2017 (13)
February 2017 (19) January 2017 (13) December 2016 (12) November
2016 (19) October 2016 (12) September 2016 (10) August 2016 (10)
July 2016 (14) June 2016 (14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12) March
2016 (14) February 2016 (8) January 2016 (11) December 2015 (11)
November 2015 (9) October 2015 (8) September 2015 (10) August 2015
(7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12) March
2015 (9) February 2015 (11) January 2015 (10) December 2014 (12)
November 2014 (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014 (6) August 2014
(10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (11) April 2014 (10)
March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11) January 2014 (11) December 2013
(10) November 2013 (11) October 2013 (17) September 2013 (13) August
2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013 (15) May 2013 (14) April 2013
(14) March 2013 (12) February 2013 (10) January 2013 (17) December
2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October 2012 (19) September 2012 (2)
August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June 2012 (3) May 2012 (19) April
2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012 (19) January 2012 (17)
December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October 2011 (14) September 2011
(13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June 2011 (19) May 2011 (19)
April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February 2011 (15) January 2011 (15)
December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1) October 2010 (6) September 2010
(3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7) June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9) April
2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February 2010 (3) January 2010 (9) December
2009 (6) November 2009 (5) October 2009 (16) September 2009 (3)
August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April 2009
(6) March 2009 (16) February 2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December
2008 (11) November 2008 (8) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14)
August 2008 (18) July 2008 (12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April
2008 (3) March 2008 (14) February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11)
December 2007 (8) November 2007 (1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1)
April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11)
November 2006 (11) October 2006 (13) September 2006 (15) August 2006
(11) July 2006 (18) June 2006 (7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March
2006 (14) February 2006 (5) January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9)
November 2005 (8) October 2005 (13) September 2005 (12) August 2005
(9) July 2005 (16) June 2005 (16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12)
March 2005 (14) February 2005 (19) January 2005 (15) December 2004
(14) November 2002 (17) October 2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August
2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May 2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February
2002 (15) January 2002 (15) December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24)
September 2001 (18) July 2001 (19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17)
September 2000 (21) August 2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26)
May 2000 (21) April 2000 (22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18)
January 2000 (20) December 1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999
(25) September 1999 (18) August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999
(24) May 1999 (27) April 1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999
(29) January 1999 (24) July 1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East Palestine Police & FBI Prisons South Asia Trump / U.S.
Government Uncategorized Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
Follow