HOME
your socialist home on the internet
ABOUT US
who we are, our politics, and what we do
GET ACTIVE!
joining ysa, getting active locally, making a difference
NEWS & VIEWS
articles, fliers, statements and opinions
THEORY
what is socialism, reading lists and study guides
CONTACT US
our email, snail mail, phone number and club directory
LINKS
socialist, youth, activist, labor, feminist, anti-racist, and other important sites
WHAT'S NEW
listing of what's been recently added
pennsylvania court rules aginst mumia
Emergency media release from:
The Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
415-255-1085 Fax: 415-255-1082
email: jmackler@locrain.com
On October 8, 2003, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled against
Mumia Abu-Jamal's appeal. Citing the "untimeliness" of the evidence
proving Mumia's innocence, with a single exception, the court
refused to consider the confession of Arnold Beverly that he, not
Mumia Abu-Jamal, murdered police officer Daniel Faulkner on December
9, 1981.
In rejecting the Beverly confession the court cited the infamous 2001
decision of Federal District Judge William H. Yohn in Mumia's case,
that "innocence is no defense."
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court also dismissed the testimony of
Philadelphia court stenographer, Terri Maurer Carter who overheard
Mumia's original trial judge, Albert Sabo, state in relation to
Mumia's case, "Yeah, and I'm going to help 'em fry the nigger."
Despite the court's agreement that this evidence WAS submitted in a
timely manner, it was disregarded because the issue of Judge Sabo's
racist bias against Mumia, according to the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court, had been previously raised and rejected. The NEW evidence
proving Sabo's racist bias was deemed to be a "reopening" of
previous litigation.
Mumia's case will now be returned to the federal courts which had
placed it on hold pending the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision.
The recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Mills
decision death penalty case is ominous. The court could modify Mills
to retroactively allow for Mumia's life sentence to be reversed
thereby reinstituting the decision to take his life by lethal
injection.
In an additional miscarriage of justice, one of the Supreme Court
justices, Ronald Castille refused to recuse himself despite a
request from the defense to do so. Castille was one of the original
Philadelphia prosecutors in Mumia's case.
Call The Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal for further
information:
415-255-1085
Jeff Mackler and Laura Herrera, Co-coordinators
The Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
