[Ppnews] New lawyers committed to new trial for Mumia Abu Jamal

[Political Prisoner News]

New lawyers committed to new trial for Mumia Abu Jamal

By Saeed Shabazz -Staff Writer- | Last updated: Apr 19, 2011 - 8:31:15 AM
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_7741.shtml

NEW YORK (FinalCall.com) - Mumia Abu-Jamal, 58, 
often called the “world's most famous death-row 
prisoner” penned a letter from his cell in 
Pennsylvania's SCI Greene prison last November 
telling supporters about changes to his legal team.

“They are experienced intelligent and 
well-motivated lawyers, who know what they are doing,” he wrote.

On April 3, his supporters, grassroots activists 
representing anti-death penalty organizations, 
Pan Africanists, nationalists, organized labor 
activists, the Million Worker March and anti-war 
organizations gathered on the ninth floor in 
Riverside Church to meet the two lead co-counselors.

Attorney Christine Swarms, director of the NAACP 
Legal Defense and Education Fund's Criminal 
Justice Project, and Judith Ritter, professor at 
Widener Law School in Wilmington, Del., were 
greeted with a rousing ovation from the 
standing-room only crowd. The applause came with 
the announcement from event moderator Suzzanne 
Ross, chairperson of the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal 
Coalition of New York City, that the Legal 
Defense Fund had taken on Mr. Abu Jamal's case. 
“Mumia is very relieved that his case is in the 
hands of the new team,” Ms. Ross said, before 
turning the podium over to the two attorneys.

The event co-sponsors were the International 
Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal 
and the Riverside Church Prison Ministry.

The journalist, former Black Panther and 
supporter of the police-targeted back to the 
earth MOVE organization was sentenced to death in 
1982 after being found guilty of the Dec. 9, 1981 
murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel 
Faulkner. Mr. Abu-Jamal has always maintained his innocence.

During his 30-year imprisonment, Mr. Abu-Jamal 
has published several books, the most notable 
being “Letters from Death Row” (1995), written 
newspaper columns and created commentary for radio airplay.

In 2001, the Federal District Court for the 
Eastern District of Pa. found constitutional 
error in the jury instruction and verdict form 
used in the 1982 penalty phase of his case. The 
finding was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals 
in 2008, but was sent back to the Third Circuit 
Court by the U.S. Supreme Court last year for further review.

Mr. Abu-Jamal's appeal is still pending before 
the Third Circuit Court. “We do not know when the 
decision will be made,” Ms. Ritter told the 
gathering. The legal team's ultimate goal remains 
a new trial, which has been rejected by many courts, she said.

Ms. Ritter, who has represented the man called 
the “voice of the people” since 2002, noted 
Philadelphia's first Black district attorney, 
Seth Williams, may seek a new penalty trial with 
a new jury. Ms. Ritter has argued questions over 
instructions given to the jury before Mr. 
Abu-Jamal was sentenced to the death penalty in 
appeals before federal courts in 2007 and 2010.

“It is absolutely an honor to represent Mumia 
Abu-Jamal,” said Ms. Swarms. “No question the 
criminal justice system has failed him and that 
has everything to do with race. That is why the LDF is in this case.”

The activist attorney said the Legal Defense Fund 
is committed to eliminating racism in the criminal justice system nationally.

“The death penalty is the child of this country, 
which is a direct descendant of slavery, a 
violent way of controlling and maintaining slavery,” Attorney Swarms said.

The death sentence became a form of legal 
lynching by 1930 and 89 percent of those in 
America sentenced to death for rape between 1930 
and 1972 were Black, she noted.

“So you can see that race is the most significant 
factor in giving the death penalty as a sentence,” Ms. Swarms concluded.

The gathering at Riverside Church received a 
surprise when Mr. Abu-Jamal called. He thanked 
everyone for coming out, saying there are so many 
problems in the country it would seem difficult 
to get people motivated to deal with his 30-year-old case.

Several people lined up to ask the popular 
political prisoner questions via telephone. “What 
has kept your spirit up?” asked one questioner.

“It has been a long, hard struggle. I have been 
blessed with a loving family. I am inspired when 
I see people organize against neo-colonial imperialism,” Mr. Abu-Jamal.

Ms. Ross told The Final Call, “The spirit in that 
room showed the significance of this movement 30 
years later. Having the LDF is a major turning 
point, a lot of lawyers would not touch this case­LDF wants to win,” she said.

Pam Africa, the tireless driver of the 
International Coalition out of Philadelphia, told 
The Final Call her job is “to agitate and make 
people stay on the move. The fact of it is we are all on death-row.”

“Support is again growing for Mumia. It's good 
seeing people come out asking what can 
collectively be done to free him,” said Ralph 
Poynter, husband of jailed activist attorney 
Lynne Stewart. “Lynne says that Mumia is the 
point person­his life is on the line now­her life 
is on the line tomorrow,” Mr. Poynter added.




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