Report of oral court hearing in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Hosted by Ian Macdonald QC
Garden Court Chambers, 57-60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LS
Tuesday 10th July 2007 6.30pm
Claude Guillaumaud-Pujol, Le Collectif Unitaire National pour le Soutien de Mumia Abu-Jamal (United National Collective for the Support of Mumia Abu-Jamal – France)
Professor
Linn Washington,
Temple
University
and Philadelphia Tribune columnist, who at the time of Mr
Abu-Jamal’s arrest was working as a beat reporter for the
Philadelphia Daily News assigned to cover the shooting of Officer
Faulkner.
On 17 May, the Federal Court of Appeal in Philadelphia heard the appeal of Mumia Abu-Jamal, known to millions as Mumia. An award winning journalist convicted in 1982 of killing a policeman, he has spent 25 years on Pennsylvania’s death row. The court heard arguments on such constitutionally important issues as: racism in jury selection (in a city that was 43% Black and 60% people of color, only two jurors were African-American), the bias of the judge and prosecutor, and equal protection under the law. A decision on the appeal is expected soon. If the court rules that Mumia’s claim of racism and injustice are justified it can grant a new trial. Remarkably, despite having declared his innocence, this would be the first time that Mumia would have a chance to put his account of events before a jury of his peers.
According to Mumia’s distinguished and dedicated lead lawyer, Robert Bryan:
“Racism and politics are threads which have run through this case since his 1981 arrest. The issues before the court concern the right to a fair trial, the death penalty, and the political repression of an outspoken journalist.”
Both Ms Guillaumaud-Pujol and Prof Washington were in court for the appeal. The report-back is hosted by Ian Macdonald QC who with Legal Action for Women initiated a letter, now signed by over 150 UK lawyers, highlighting the racism of Mr Abu-Jamal’s trial and asking the court to redress this grave injustice: http://allwomencount.net/EWC%20LAW/LawyersLetterReMumia.htm
|
Mumia Abu-Jamal, is an award winning journalist who, in the years leading up to his arrest, actively exposed corruption and racism in Philadelphia. He continues his journalistic work from prison, recording weekly Dispatches From Death Row, incisive radio commentaries which are broadcast on 100 stations, and writing for other publications. He has published five books including Live from Death Row and most recently We Want Freedom: a Life in the Black Panther Party.
The US government’s determination to deny Mumia a fair trial and to execute him has to be seen in the context of its treatment of Black prisoners generally, and of other journalists, many of whom have been killed for trying to speak the truth. Mumia had no criminal convictions before his arrest. His work as a ‘jailhouse lawyer’, providing legal advice to other prisoners, led to an honorary position with the National Lawyers Guild in the US. His Jailhouse Lawyers will be published shortly. |
Mumia Abu-Jamal |
For more information: Legal Action for Women 020 7482 2496, 07956 316 899 law@crossroadswomen.net