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<h1><font size=4><b>LDF Joins Mumia Abu-Jamal Defense
Team</b></font></h1><font size=3> <br><br>
NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- <br>
<a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ldf-joins-mumia-abu-jamal-defense-team-115514004.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ldf-joins-mumia-abu-jamal-defense-team-115514004.html<br>
<br>
</a>On January 28, 2011, Mumia Abu-Jamal retained the NAACP Legal Defense
and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) to represent him in the ongoing appeal
of his capital murder conviction and death sentence. LDF will serve
as co-counsel in the case with Judy Ritter, Esq., of Widener Law School
in Wilmington, Delaware, who has represented Mr. Abu-Jamal since
2003.<br><br>
Mr. Abu-Jamal is the world's best known death-row prisoner. His
case has attracted attention from around the world and he is widely
viewed as a symbol of the racial injustices of the death
penalty.<br><br>
"Mumia Abu-Jamal's conviction and death sentence are relics of a
time and place that was notorious for police abuse and racial
discrimination," said John Payton, Director-Counsel of LDF.
"Unless and until courts acknowledge and correct these historic
injustices, death sentences like Mr. Abu-Jamal's will invite continued
skepticism of the criminal justice system by the African American
community."<br><br>
Mr. Abu-Jamal is on death row in Pennsylvania for the 1981 murder of a
police officer in Philadelphia. His death sentence was vacated in
2001 after the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania found constitutional error in the jury instructions and
verdict form used in his 1982 penalty phase. That decision was
affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in
2008 but then sent back to the Third Circuit by the United States Supreme
Court in 2010 for further review. <br><br>
Christina Swarns, Director of LDF's Criminal Justice Project explained
that, "LDF seeks to sweep the grave injustices embodied in this case
into the dustbin of history and, in so doing, give communities of color
reason to believe that they can and will receive equal justice in
Pennsylvania courtrooms."<br><br>
Mr. Abu-Jamal's appeal is currently pending before the Third
Circuit.<br><br>
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