MUMIA MUST NOT DIE! Press Conference: Announcements & Actions

For Immediate Release: November 8, 2010

Press Conference Announcement & Statement from the Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal on the Oral Argument in Mumia Abu-Jamal v. Beard

Contact: Professor Johanna Fernandez, 917-930-0804

 

New York. The Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal looks forward to Professor Judith Ritter's argument before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on November 9 in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal v. Beard. Professor Ritter has been Abu-Jamal's counsel for seven years and successfully argued the Mills v. Maryland claim before the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 2007.

 

On November 3, 2010, Mr. Abu-Jamal regretfully asked for the resignation of Robert Bryan, his lead attorney. Mr. Abu-Jamal did so only after Mr. Bryan refused to honor his numerous written and oral requests, spanning a year, that co-counsel Professor Ritter conduct the oral argument on the Mills/Spisak issue.

 

In his November 5, 2010 motion, Mr. Bryan claimed that Abu-Jamal supporters left a voicemail threatening him with public attacks and embarrassment, implicitly forcing him to resign. In fact, it was Mr. Bryan's refusal to honor his client's wishes that led Mr. Abu-Jamal to ask that Mr. Bryan tender his resignation. 

As a long standing supporter of the appellee, the Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal, which was formed in the 1980s to raise funds for his legal support, felt it important to ensure that Mr. Abu-Jamal's wishes and best interests were carried out.

 

The Committee urges all concerned to focus on the salient issue at hand, namely how the jury was mis-instructed by the court during the sentencing hearing in 1982, a claim granted by Judge William Yohn of the Federal District Court in 2001 and by the Third Circuit panel in 2007.

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Place : Front Entrance, National Constitution Center

    Independence Mall, 525 Arch Street @ 6th & Arch St.

Date: Monday, November 8, 2010

Time: 3:00PM

Who: 

Pam Africa, International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal

Prof. Johanna Fernandez, Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal & Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal

Heidi Bogosian, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild & Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal

Frances Goldin, Mumia Abu-Jamal's Literary Agent, Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal

Suzanne Ross, Free Mumia Abu Jamal Coalition (NYC)

Martha Conley, Free Mumia Committee of Pittsburgh

Prof. Mark Taylor, Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal

Prof. Michael M. Schiffmann, Germany, Author of Race Against Death

International Supporters of Mumia Abu-Jamal

The French Collective

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Interview with "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal" author Pat O'Connor on Mumia's Nov. 9th, 2010 sentencing hearing. O'Connor gives background information on Mumia's case and talks about his theory of who really killed Officer Daniel Faulkner.

 

   (50837 KB)
Listen on posterous

 

via indybay.org

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MUMIA MUST NOT DIE!

Dear friends,

On Tuesday Nov 9 the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia will consider reinstating the death sentence on Mumia.

The International Action Center is mobilizing for the rally in Philadelphia at this important hearing:

Tuesday, Nov. 9
12 Noon
6th & Market
Federal Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia

Mumia’s hearing is at 2 pm.

The IAC is also supporting Solidarity actions for Mumia which are taking place in other cities on Nov. 9. The following press release was sent out by the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC) - freemumia.com  and International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia -Abu Jamal.  Join us in Philadelphia on Nov. 9 to demand "Free Mumia!".

 Monica Moorehead,
Millions For Mumia
millions4mumia.org

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PO BOX 16, COLLEGE STATION, NEW YORK, NY 10030
HOTLINE: 212 330-8029

For immediate release:

November 7, 2010

Contact: Pam Africa 215-476-8812
Dr. Suzanne Ross, 917-584-2135

On November 9, 2010, Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia Will Consider Reinstating Death Sentence on Internationally Renowned Death Row Political Prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal

On January 10, 2010 the US Supreme Court ordered the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision on overturning the original death sentence meted out to Mumia in July 1982 by Judge Albert Sabo. On March 27, 2008, the Third Circuit had upheld Judge William Yohn’s decision of December 18, 2001 in which he affirmed Abu-Jamal’s conviction but threw out his death sentence on the grounds that the instructions to the jury had violated the Supreme Court’s Mills precedent and therefore entitled Abu-Jamal to have his death sentence overturned.

Hundreds of protesters from around the world will be gathering both inside the courtroom, where arguments will be heard for and against Abu-Jamal’s execution, and outside in a support rally for Abu-Jamal. The rally is called for 12 Noon at 6th and Market Streets and the court hearing is called for 2 PM. The outpouring of support for Abu-Jamal and the outrage expressed at the possibility once again of his execution has exceeded organizers’ expectations. Nine French officials have already arrived in Philadelphia to express the widespread support in France for Abu-Jamal’s freedom. On very short notice, city council representatives of districts, representatives of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) (the umbrella union that played such a leading role in the recent French protests), and the Deputy Director of United Against the Death Penalty gathered to travel as a group from Paris. Professor and journalist Michael Schiffman, who exposed the now-famous Polakoff photographs, withheld by the police and prosecutors from the defense for years, that profoundly challenge the prosecution’s version of what happened on December 9, 1981, the night of the killing of Officer Faulkner and the near-killing of Mumia and his subsequent targeting and incarceration, has also arrived in Philadelphia. Chairman of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee, Fred Hampton, Jr., son of the late martyred FBI and Chicago Police victim, Fred Hampton, Sr. who was murdered in December 1969 and many other labor, religious, activist leaders and rank and file supporters of Abu-Jamal are on their way to Philadelphia.

Pam Africa, head of the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal has called on everyone to stand up at this critical moment to those who are fighting for Abu-Jamal’s execution despite extensive evidence of his innocence. She has identified District Attorney Seth Williams as a key voice for the execution. “Seth Williams stated that when a new sentencing hearing happens he will ask for the death penalty”, explained the militant international leader of this movement.

Demonstrations and film showings of a new film that portrays both arguments for and against Mumia’s innocence called Justice for Mumia, produced by Professor Johanna Fernandez, are being held in dozens of cities in this country: Oakland, San Francisco, Houston, Albany, Detroit, Los Angeles, Toronto and across the globe in Germany, Holland, England, France, Mexico, Jamaica, and Canada. To highlight just a few, there will be demonstrations both in London and Paris, at the respective US Embassy sites. In France there will be additional demonstrations at Consulates in: Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Rennes, Strasbourg, and Toulouse. In Mexico, too, a demonstration is scheduled for November 9 at the US Embassy in Mexico City.

But all eyes will surely be focused on Philadelphia where the arguments will be made and a decision will follow within weeks or months regarding this case which many consider a disgrace to the US judicial system. Amnesty International in its February 2000 report called A Life in the Balance : The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal states very clearly that this case “failed to meet minimum international standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings” and called for a new trial for Abu-Jamal.

The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the organization that has vehemently fought for Abu-Jamal’s execution with frequently held “Fry Mumia” banners and signs, and whose role in influencing the judiciary Amnesty seriously criticizes, has a link on its website announcing that Maureen Faulkner, the widow of the slain officer, Daniel Faulkner, who has since 1995 worked very closely with the FOP, will be in the courtroom with a group, and that “Jamal will be present”. No other indication has been available suggesting that Abu-Jamal will be in the courtroom on the 9th.

A debate has been scheduled for the night before the hearing at the Constitution Center by the Prosecutor’s office between the District Attorney, Seth Williams, and noted Philadelphia-based Black attorney, Michael Coard. Two filmmakers, one of a hit piece on Abu-Jamal by Tigre Hill, Barrel of a Gun, and the other of a rather balanced film produced by academic Dr. Johanna Fernandez of CUNY’s Baruch College, will also be participating in that debate.

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via Peoples Video Network Youtube Channel

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For more info. and how to get involved visit http://www.freemumia.com/

Posted via email from Street_Visuals