| Poor Mumia Abu Jamal is either innocent or acted
in "self defense". Self defense can be used used as a defense if
one is protecting a family member.
People on death row get so despondent that they just want to die to escape the evil system that put them there. They are frequently not capable of defending themselves The death penalty surely is "cruel and unusual punishment". The physical cruelty is irrelevant; the mental cruelty is colossal, prodigious, and huge. The execution of a incarcerated person can only be considered murder. Half of the families of murdered victims feel no satisfaction in an execution. I only wonder what abysmal and primordial satisfaction any barbarian gains from an execution. The glorious pomp and circumstance of our judicial system blinds most to the fact that it is considerably incompetent. The judicial system is largely illiterate of the constitution or in treason to it. Half of the judges and lawyers I have seen are qualified. However, they seem handcuffed by the system. The courts surely are gullible to "evidence", no matter how tainted, if it is presented by police. Police can be masters at the corruption of testimony and evidence. One poor person was on death row for 2 years for
a murder committed by a police officer. The courts denied all of
his constitutional rights. The only thing that kept him from execution
was a confession by the policeman that actually committed the murder.
How rare is that? How many times does evidence of the absolutely
irrefutable variety come along? Probably a 100 innocent people are
executed for each person that is released by a confession of the actual
murderer.
Subj: Mumia Abu Jamal case
This is a letter that I am sending to all Massachusetts senators and representatives. I stumbled across your page and was impressed with the content and feel that you could possibly further the "free Mumia/allow him to live" campaign. If you or anybody you know can do anything (including attend the rally at park street in Boston, ma. this Saturday, October 16 at noon) please do. Thanks for the support and effort with your page. As a citizen of Massachusetts I feel that it is my right to share my concerns with you. I am a seventeen year old student at St. John's Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts and would like to let you know about an issue that is playing a prominent role in the United States today. That issue is in regards to Wesley Cook, a.k.a. Mumia Abu-Jamal. You may or may not be familiar with his case and no matter your stance on the death penalty (which I am not familiar with) you must analyze this situation. Yes, we are in Massachusetts. This is happening in Philadelphia, but it affects our life here just as much as it does there, because how can one trust the United States' ability to hold fair trials when such bias and racism is obvious? In 1981 Mumia was arrested and charged with killing a police officer (who at the time was beating Mumia's brother). Mumia was critically wounded and when able to stand trial was found guilty of murder. This would not be such an issue if the trial had been fair. Mumia was denied the right to represent himself, because his dreadlocks "made the jurors nervous". Instead he was appointed an incompetent lawyer and given $150 for defense fees. Mumia lived in poverty with a son and a wife and had no money for the necessary legal fees. In the month of Mumia's unconsciousness, much evidence had disappeared or had not been investigated. All but one of the black jurors were removed from jury duty. The .38 caliber gun that he was carrying (required by Pennsylvania State law to be carried by all taxi cab drivers) was never checked with the bullet, which somehow disappeared. The bullet is suspected to have been from a .44 caliber pistol. Four witnesses stated that they had seen a third party at the scene of the crime shoot Faulkner, but never asserted that in court, later announcing that they had been persuaded by police not to testify. One eyewitness fled the Philadelphia area, Cynthia White admitted that she gave false testimony, as well as a police officer who had witnessed the events was unable to be questioned because he was taking an unauthorized "vacation" during the time of the trial. Mumia was banished from court during multiple occasions, missing the discussion going on. Other events went on that made this case biased from the start, including the appointment of Judge Albert Sabo. Sabo, presiding over a case regarding the death of a police officer, was himself a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. Sabo has sentenced more men to die than any other court judge. Thirty-one men, only two of whom have been white, have been sentenced to death under his rulings. Throughout the court session it came to be known that the FBI and police had kept an eye on Mumia since he was fifteen years old. During the years since them, Mumia had no criminal record at all. These facts do not even begin to scratch the surface of this case. The reason I am bringing this to your attention is that you are representing the state of Massachusetts. Today, the Philadelphia governor signed Mumia's death warrant sentencing him to be executed on December 2, 1999. I urge that you use your abilities to vocalize the concerns that many citizens have in regards to this case. Use the power that you have to contact anybody who could possibly make a difference in the outcome of this case, please.Thank you for your time and your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Sean C______
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