Mumia Abu Jamal gets another day in court; Update: A “human rights campaigner”
Via Ed and Power Line, the AFP is calling Mumia a “human rights campaigner.” I’m going to throw up.
***
Yet another reason for the cult of Mumia to rejoice. He’s won another day in court. The Philly Inquirer reports:
In a major victory for world-famous death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, a federal appeals court today refused to reinstate his death sentence for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Abu-Jamal must be sentenced to life in prison or get a chance with a new Philadelphia jury, which would decide anew whether he should get life in prison or be sentenced – again – to death.
At the same time, the judges upheld his first-degree murder conviction, rejecting Abu-Jamal’s claim that he deserves an entirely new trial and a chance to prove his innocence.
Abu-Jamal, who has written books and given taped speeches from death row, was convicted in 1982 by a Philadelphia jury of killing Faulkner, who was shot to death near 13th and Locust Streets in the early morning hours of Dec. 9, 1981.
The court upheld, in all respects, the 2001 decision by U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr., who rejected all but one of Abu-Jamal’s legal claims, but threw out the death sentence.
Yohn ruled that the jury in Abu-Jamal’s 1982 trial may have mistakenly believed it had to agree unanimously on any “mitigating” circumstances — factors that might have persuaded jurors to decide on a life sentence instead of death.
The appeals court affirmed that decision, and said that the state has six months to hold a new sentencing hearing for Abu-Jamal, or he must be sentenced to life in prison.
“The jury instructions and the verdict form created a reasonable likelihood that the jury believed it was precluded form finding a mitigating circumstance that had not been unaanimously agreed upon,” wrote Chief Judge Anthony J. Scirica in the 77-page opinion.
An appeal is virtually certain.
Flashback: Challenging the cult of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Flashback: Remembering Danny Faulkner
Flashback: Denouncing Mumia Chic
Flashback: A street named Mumia Abu Jamal
Flashback: Philadelphia fever: The Mumia parade
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Disgraceful.
i wish PA could elect a gov. will the guts to set a date with a needle for this unrepentant cop killer.
If we cannot kill people who kill people, then the terrorists have already won.
with the guts**
and Sausage, i think you’ve made a profound statement and don’t even realize it.
this is exactly why terrorists should not have the right to have their cases heard in a US criminal court.
A needle is what you use for a loyal, loving, family dog. This waste of sub-human excrement needs to die a horrible death. One at least as excruciating as Officer Faulkner.
Anyone else sick of these robed-for-life judges who sit from on high, waiving their magic gavel, making the world a more utopian place for all to bow down and thank them?
He’s sat on death row longer than Officer Daniel Faulkner was alive. Something is very wrong with this picture.
There is a reason we call it the Criminal Justice system. Until we rename it the Victim Justice System, only the criminals will benefit from it.
Case in point.
Hmmmm
I still don’t understand why it is that the left cozies up to scum like this. I’m sure Danny Glover and the rest of the glitterati are getting a tingle in their legs over this news. I guess Mumia’s “story” just confirms
B. Hussein Obamamassiah’s edict about whitey’s racism.
As former mayor of Philly, Fast Eddie Rendell isn’t about to eat his own. And whatever became of Birdie Africa, Wilson Goode and Ira Eichorn (given sanctuary for ages by the cheese-eating surrender monkeys)?
well, i like the ‘take ‘em out back’ approach better, but some may view that as draconian.
as long as a needle insures he’ll be dead, i can live with that.
Ms. Afrika won millions from Philly and i guess is on a beach somewhere.
#37 On March 27th, 2008 at 11:12 am, On-my-soap-box said:
“There is a reason we call it the Criminal Justice system.”
I haven’t called it that for many years.
It may be a legal system, which is how I refer to it; but, it is hardly a justice system.
His supporters will not be satisfied unless and until he is set free.
Don’t waste anymore tax payer money on a trial for this low life. Take the life in prison a let it be!
What an asinine load of hooey.
Mumia has been given due process. He has been found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for a cold-blooded murder of a police officer. He was deemed to be enough of a threat to society that he was sentenced to death.
While in prison, he’s enjoyed enormous amounts of infamy. Book deals. Radio shows.
He is not the victim here, sausage. He is the criminal.
Remember Officer Faulkner’s wife? She’s never remarried. Mumia did untold damage to her life. Where’s the justice and closure for her?
I know in the liberal utopia you envision, criminals are really the victims and the people they rob, rape, maim and murder are somehow to blame – but that’s not justice. That’s stupidity.
Problem is, taxpayer money will be spent caring for his sorry a.
I doubt Rendell would have the guts to allow the death penalty either. If it came down to that, he’d probably sign the paperwork to grant him reprieve.
It’s crap like this that teaches the new thugs that they don’t have anything to fear when they commit a crime.
Take what happened yesterday in Philly. When 4 high school kids beat a 36 year old man to death at one of the busiests subway stops in the city.
Mumias legacy of hatred and violence lives on …and he’s still allowed to preach it.
I’m a conservative who happens to disagree with the death penalty. I don’t think he is the victim and if I had my way, I would love him to work in a hard labor camp. Possibly chipping big rocks on a daily basis.
Just don’t believe killing someone as punishment for killing someone is the right-thing-to-do.
Can he at least be prevetned from having any more books released or having a radio show?!?! He;s making a mockery of the justice system. Thanks Fast Eddie!
At least ‘lil Abu will never be a “martyr”.
Sausage is right. These guys should be put to hard labor for life. A Japanese-style prison system would keep public expenses down too. In Japan prisoners are more concerned with staying warm than concocting legal appeals.
Hey, now I know why the Frogs love him: he has the same hairdo as Yannick Noah.
I say we release Mumia under the condition that his white leftist supporters have to let him live with them.
For me, this is a best case scenario. I am passionately anti death penalty and I’m ecstatic that a person’s life may have been saved. A vile person, but a person nevertheless.
I have little doubt that Abu Jamal is guilty of murderering a police officer. This ruling makes it clear that his appeals have failed and that he can prepare himself to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Finally, the ridiculous cult of Mumia is based on the fact that the PA government was going to kill him. Removing that threat makes his words less powerful. I think this ruling will have the pleasant unintended effect of slowing down the movement that surrounds him.
And I don’t think Pennsylvania was really that excited to execute him anyways. The state has killed only three people since the death penalty was reinstated. They did not want to deal with the backlash.
blah, blah flippin blah…. thats BS from all you no death penalty types.
if one of your close friends,son, daughter was a victim of a truly brutal murder you would be singing a different tune, gauranteed.
i for one dont buy it.
if Obama really wants to have a conversation about race, i suggest he address stuff like this. and i dare him to tell me that this crime, and the hundreds like them, are a result of racism.
Perhaps, but it also provides a blueprint for future Mumias.
#25- I especially love how the system caters to juvenile offenders who are old enough to kill, but not considered adults. Incarcerate them for a few years, expunge their records and set them free. So you have the gangbangers using those “poor, innocent cherubs” as the triggermen and essentially walking away laughing at the system’s stupidity.
I note that in real life, Snoop from The Wire murdered someone and ended with an acting gig. And let’s not go there about the sports
stars who also get a walk after murdering people. Looks like OJ is getting closer to another homicide rage. His latest Nicole clone fell down the steps and was badly injured. OJ says she was drunk, but no alcohol was found in system. How many blonde bimbos would love to be amour regardless?
I read the article. Absolutely disgusting. It said the beating took place in front of a transit cop who was “unable to help”. He eventually got there after the youths had fled. If the cop is anything like our CTA security in Chicago, he probably thought the guy was getting what he deserved. I receive a lot of racial harassment from transit employees. They are right down there with postal workers in my book.
It looks like it’s open season on whitey in Philly. In the immortal words of Condoleezza Rice, we need the Second Amendment “because there may be moments when the government will not protect you”. I think that applies to the criminal legal system as well as thugs.
This type of violence is a reason why we need “conceal and carry” laws.
#24 Rusty in saving his life or any of these monsters lives. What benefit are they bringing to society?
It will never happen, Abu-Jamal has to prepare for the keynote speech at the Democrap National Convention.
If we as a society believe that life deserves the utmost protection, than it necessarily requires that we submit those who take life to the utmost punishment, i.e., having their life taken. To not execute convicted murderers relects an implicit value judgement, that the life of the murderer is of greater value to society than the life of the murdered.
If a life sentence truly meant life, and the murderer spent decade after decade breaking big rocks into small rocks, I’d support that. But while life sentences still allow the possibility of parole, and a life of relative ease behind bars, I’d rather see the death penalty enforced.
sausage,
Read Rusty’s #24 post. It’s reasoned, logical, qualified, and fair.
I dare say that he accomplished his objective much better than you accomplished yours (whatever it was) in your #3 post.
Rusty,
Something tells me that if a member of your family were murdered, your attitude might change.
By the way, there is no death penalty in europe, when are you movin’?
No way. I think the Matthew Shepherd case set a great example. His parents refused to ask for the death penalty since they knew their murdered son opposed it. I would hope my family would do the same for me and I would do the same for my family. Killing people won’t give me any extra closure.
Although I’d agree that it’s hard to benefit society when you’re sentenced to life in prison, I don’t think that killing these people benefits society either. And I’d rather err on the side of caution.
But I agree with you when you said that PA should just accept his life imprisonment and move on. Why give Mumia the extra attention or spend the extra money.
Why is this scum still breathing my air. He should have been executed long ago.
I’m always amused at the liberals who don’t want the death penalty but are more than happy to kill innocent children. You all are always good for a laugh.
My idea for Mumia and all the others is to put them somewhere very isolated and have them make little rocks from big rocks, no tv, no family visits (just as their victims are no longer to have visits with their families), and Sheriff Joe’s bologna sandwich for brunch everyday.
I wonder why the “celebs” think this guy can walk on water. It’s really disgusting how they love thugs like this (insert expletive here). They’re truly deranged individuals living in an alternate universe.
#35 Rusty
What side of caution? Do you think they gave the victim the same courtesy?
I have one question: why isn’t this piece of slime dead yet? Aren’t we wasting more money (and time) continuing to prosecute his guilty verdict and death sentence. Oh, that’s right, it’s not due process until you’ve been found “innocent” after your umpteenth appeal attempt. Don’t you just love our “wonderful” justice system?
Your tax dollars at work here, folks. Murderous leeches like this Mumia fellow getting a free ride instead of dying for his crime. Where’s the justice for the victim? Yeah, Mumia’s really “suffering” or being reminded everyday of what he did.
Would this matter at all if this guy hadn’t been black or had his own hero worship cult. Gimme me a break…
I mean in case the convicted person is in fact innocent. So many people – hundreds! – on Death Row have been exonerated by people volunteering their time and efforts. It’s not unreasonable to think some have slipped through the cracks.
Terri, your idea for convicted murderers isn’t that different from mine. I would probably go a little further to make sure they’re getting more than just a bologna sandwich a day. Hard to break rocks on that diet. Need more carbs and protein.
Fry Mumia!
Rusty fair enough! Though i think EVERY pedophile should be given the the death penalty. This should be legislation!
Bring back the old days – prisons don’t fee the prisoner, the family does. Get rid of the a/c and the color tv. Don’t tell me that is inhumane – several thousand years of human existence has happened w/o either of those. And our country grew just fine not taking care of prisoners.
The fact is, the entire system needs to be revamped. It’s fairly well documented that it takes more time and costs more money to put someone to death than it does for them to serve a “life” sentence.
I do believe in the death penalty. I believe that, in some cases, there is no other recourse. However, Rusty points out, accurately, the huge number of people on death row that have been exonerated. In my opinion, a simple conviction for murder should warrant life imprisonment. And I mean life. No parole. No time off for good behavior. Your only chance of getting out is either through escape or appeal. However, if in the course of proving your guilt, there are more than two credible eyewitnesses, or a videotape, or some other kind of irrefutable evidence that will remove any and all doubt of guilt, then the person should be executed as soon as humanly possible. No appeal. No sitting on death row for years and years. A quick, simple execution, preferably by .45.
The system needs to realize that there are certain kinds of people who are simply unable to be “rehabiltated”. Murderers, pedophiles…these people are a blight on our society, and as such, need to be put out of our collective misery.
And how many people out of the total death row population have actually been exonerted? Do you have the statistics to back up your assertion? What, pray tell, is the redeemable value of murderers for our society? Perhaps as a reminder that they’re “alive” and their victims are “dead”?
I’d rather these murderers did not receive any bit of food or consolation of life. I’d prefer they’d lead harrowing lives of hell instead of rewarded for their misdeeds like Mumia. Once you’ve taken the life of another human being, as far as I’m concerned, your humanity or worth has been compromised.
As to your assertion that murderers should live because, let’s air on the side of caution, what’s your take on young women who decide to throw their babies in the garbage or other acts of barbarity toward their offspring? Should infanticide become more hip and tolerated too?
Exonerating the few wrongly convicted of a crime should not abdicate the State’s responsibility toward justice in the eyes of both society and the victim.
Rusty, in reply to your comment (which really was well-reasoned and very well written)
I hate to disagree with you, but I’m going to disagree with you.
In my opinion, and I admit I could be wrong on this, I think this will encourage them. Don’t forget this has already been called a “…major victory…” For them, it is. And although I’m not a betting person, I’m willing to wager that somewhere, several bottles of some type of alcoholic beverages have been opened to celebrate this. And I’m also willing to bet that somewhere, his supporters are looking to build on this victory.
I’m at odds with myself on the death penalty. Part of me supports it, if only to save the taxpayers from having to support the lifetime in prison of a murderer who didn’t care about Daniel’s rights, Daniel’s family, Daniel’s life.
This is a man, Mumia, who decided that his rights were more important than Daniel’s, that his life was more important than Daniel’s.
And you’re also right that our legal system has killed innocent people who were wrongly convicted of a crime they did not commit. I’m reminded of that now-famous photograph “Hanged by Mistake”:
“Here lies George Johnson
Hanged by mistake 1882
He was right
We was wrong
But we strung him up
And now he’s GONE.”
I’d post the link to the picture, but it’s too bloody long! Do a Google search for it, and you’ll find it.
But in this case, Rusty, I’ll agree with you that he’s already had his day(s) in court, and has already been found guilty.
englishqueen01:
Good question. Where is the justice when Mumia’s supporters will demand (again) yet another trial, as I’m willing to bet that this ruling will spur them to.
Mumia is a human rights campaigner?!? Well, golly gee in order to become a hrc do you have to be first a member of the black panther party and subsequently a cop-killer? It was probably all apart of his initiation.
The lengths people go through to avoid calling him what his is – a murderous thug.
It is true that innocent people have in fact found themselves on death row. With the advances in forensic science, DNA evidence etc, though, I think this argument will lose weight going forward.
One of the innocence projects is found at UW-Madison in Wis. They got a guy out of prison in WI about 3-4 years ago, who subsequently raped, stabbed, shot to death and burned the body of a young woman (his idiot nephew even got in on the act) who had come to his place to photograph some cars for one of those classified publications. While it’s only peripherally connected to this thread, it’s hard to accept that if he’d just remained in prison, that young woman wouldn’t have been died a horribly brutal death.
Anyway, sorry about the thread jack, but that one still grates on me. You just don’t do that to another person. And you shouldn’t get to live after you do.
mattymatt10, no apologies necessary. I am in complete agreement. An eye for an eye.
I hope because he is off death row, he will join the general population.
# 50 the other zoo animals like cop killers. They don’t like pedophiles and rapist
His supporters are stupid. I can’t think of any other term for any person who would fight to keep a known, convicted, cold blooded, cop killer, alive and try and get him out of prison altogether. Yeah, that’s really flipping brilliant.
I swear between stories like this and reading all of the antiwar crowd lunacy I have to really wonder if there is not some passive-suicide-by-embracing-killers mental illness we have yet to identify.
In our system of justice, everyone is a victim, except the victim. Lawyers have a field day defending these people, and it goes on, and goes on, and goes on. The death penalty is a joke. We have people sitting on death row for over 20 years. It wasn’t that long ago where 1 year was unusual. I really can’t fault the guy. He’s using everything he can to defeat the system. It isn’t his fault; it’s our court system at fault. I suppose, being a person of his low morales and values, I’d do the same thing too…tie up the court system as long as possible, allowing lawyers to get a name, feeding off of my situation, and getting liberal judges to review my case. We’ve got the Manson killers applying for parole, because of our stupid legal system.
Something occurred to me.
mumia gave the cop the death penalty.
mumia acted as judge, jury, and executioner.
Where was the anti-death penalty crowd then?
A very sick and twisted world we live in — this murderer gets another day in court, while the victim and his widow continue to experience the denial of justice. The left has no shame.
…”human rights campaigner”?
A vicious murdering thug.
What was the police officer’s value to society in comparison to this piece of garbage?
Question for candidate Barry O: Would you pardon Mumia Abu Jamal?
Question for Hillary: Would you pardon Leonard Peltier?
Off topic: remember when Bill “Judas” Richardson demanded that Obama renounce David Geffen’s comments?
Remember, Geffen and Clinton had a falling out over the fact that Clinton accepted campaign donations from Geffen with the understanding that Geffen was purchasing a pardon for Peltier, but Clinton reneged and pardoned Mark Rich instead.
Classic.
Read the book Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice by Maureen Faulkner, and Michael Smerconish.
Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: The Lyons Press (December 6, 2007)
Language: English ISBN-10: 1599213761
ISBN-13: 978-1599213767
I have read several books about this case over the years and this was the first one that told the story from the victims point of view.
abu jamal murdered Officer Daniel Faulkner, all the evidence indicated jamal was the trigger man, and PO Faulkner marked jamal with a good shot that made it very clear who he was engaged in street combat with. Additionall jamal has made a mockery of the justice system with constant firing of his legal staff, has had more court reviews than anyother prisoner and the sad thing is a cop’s life (or their families suffering) isn’t worth spit to the “liberal elite”.
Read the book, check out all of those indivduals who have signed their names in support of jamal and ask this question: Where is the support for Maureen and her family?
GSP
OT Maureen did eventually remarry and settle on the west coast.