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<h2><b>New lawyers committed to new trial for Mumia Abu
Jamal</b></h2><font size=2>By Saeed Shabazz -Staff Writer- | Last
updated: Apr 19, 2011 - 8:31:15 AM<br>
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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. <br><br>
“They are experienced intelligent and well-motivated lawyers, who know
what they are doing,” he wrote.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
The event co-sponsors were the International Concerned Family and Friends
of Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Riverside Church Prison Ministry. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
“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.”<br><br>
The activist attorney said the Legal Defense Fund is committed to
eliminating racism in the criminal justice system nationally.<br><br>
“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. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
“So you can see that race is the most significant factor in giving the
death penalty as a sentence,” Ms. Swarms concluded.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
Several people lined up to ask the popular political prisoner questions
via telephone. “What has kept your spirit up?” asked one
questioner.<br><br>
“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.<br><br>
Ms. Ross told <i>The Final Call</i>, “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.<br><br>
Pam Africa, the tireless driver of the International Coalition out of
Philadelphia, told <i>The Final Call</i> her job is “to agitate and make
people stay on the move. The fact of it is we are all on
death-row.”<br><br>
“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.<br><br>
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