Thirteen years later, after admitting that he was driving his cab without a license while on probation for felony arson he changed his story, implicating Mumia. Years later he was still driving his cab without a license, unhindered by police. Another witness, Veronica Jones testified that police offered her and one prosecution witness a deal: finger Mumia in court and they could continue their line of work (prostitution) without being arrested. This was stricken from the court recorded by Judge Sabo, a member of the Fraternal order of Police, and a judge who has sentenced more people to death then any other judge in the country. The trial itself was held in Philadelphia- a city where 1,200 cases of police misconduct are under review. More then 300 convictions by Philadelphia courts have been overturned because of manufactured or planted evidence used by police to frame innocent people. Which brings me to my next point, the trial. The trial was nothing less then a farce. Mumia’s court appointed attorney did not interview a single witness before putting them on the stand. It became apparent to Mumia that his lawyer was incompetent, or didn’t care whether his client lived or died, so Mumia asked to represent himself ( a constitutional right). After being denied his right to represent himself, which is so clearly stated in the constitution, he became vocal, and refused to be silent. After that he was removed from his own trial! After Veronica Jones testified that she was pressured by police to finger Mumia, she was dragged out of court and arrested for missing a two year old court date. Then, in last June’s hearings, Pamela Jenkins, a 16 year old prostitute at the time of the murder, testified that she was pressured by Tom Ryan, a police officer and her then boyfriend into identifying Mumia , even though she wasn’t even present during the murder. During the trail, Judge Sabo was reported about in The American Lawyer during the trail as “ oozing partiality toward the prosecution.” In 1995 Mumia filed a Post-convection Relief seeking a new trail. The evidentiary hearing was held by Judge Sabo who not surprisingly denied the petition.
Now the big question in alot of your minds right now is why. Why would the police frame this man? Why would they want so much to see this man put to death? To answer this question you need some vital background information. Mumia was a nationally ranked journalist who reported on cases of police brutality and misconduct, a practice he still continues today, from inside a prison cell. He had no previous criminal record, but the FBI had been observing him since he was 15. He was also a black rights activist and a former member of the black panthers.
His case is of the utmost importance now, because recently the U.S. supreme court rejected Mumia’s “writ of certiorari” and gov. Ridge of Pennsylvania has vowed to set a new execution date for Mumia as soon as possible! Time is running out, and if action is not taken an innocent man will die. I think the best way to close this is with a quote from Mumia himself. “ Don’t tell me about the valley of the shadow of death. I live there.”
You can write, fax, or call these people, to protest the unjust treatment of Mumia Abu Jamal and demand a new trial. Call Tom Ridge, his workers flip out, they don’t know what to do. It’s a days worth of good time.
~*~Brain~*~
Gov. Thomas Ridge
Main Capitol Bldg. Rm 225
Harrisburgh, PA 17120
(717) 787-2500 (ph)
(717) 772-8284 (fax)
(717) 783-3369 (fax)
D.A. Lynne Abraham
1421 Arch Street
Philadelphia,PA 19120
(215) 686-8700 (ph)
Atty. General Janet Reno
Main Justice Bldg.
10th& Constitution Avenue
Washington D.C. 20053
(202) 514-2000 (ph)
(202) 514-4371 (fax)
have any comment...write on our message board message board here
or write directly to the writter, just find his or her name and there will be a e-mail address for each person members section
