Legal Update
In a unanimous and quick decision, the Superior
Court of
Pennsylvania denied Mumia Abu-Jamal's appeal to be re-sentenced.
The appeal challenged the undisclosed manner in
which
Mumia was re-sentenced from death to life in prison without parole by
Judge
Pamela Dembe of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. In failing to
notify
Mumia or his attorneys of his resentencing, the court violated Mumia's
constitutional rights, specifically: the right to notice of sentencing,
to be
apprised of the right to appeal the sentence, and to be present in
court and
make a statement. The unconstitutionality of Judge Dembe's undisclosed
filing
echoes the history of due process violations in the Abu-Jamal case,
which spans
more than three decades.
In her argument before the court, Mumia's
attorney,
Judith Ritter, underscored that in not allowing Mumia or his lawyers
the right
to make a statement for the record, the court denied Mumia the
opportunity to
begin to build a legal argument challenging his sentence of life in
prison
without parole. She illustrated the importance of due process in this
regard
with a compelling example that highlights its importance both for
Mumia's case
and for the legal community. Among other points, she argued that last
year's
Supreme Court decision, which declared life sentences unconstitutional
for
juveniles, has generated a debate in the legal community about the
constitutionality of life sentences for adults and that Mumia's
attorneys
should have been afforded the right to build on these arguments in his
defense.
Mumia's supporters continue to uphold his
innocence, to
strategize toward the goal of bringing Mumia home, and to link the
fight for
his freedom to the fight to free all political prisoners and end mass
incarceration.
We have launched a petition addressed to the
Department
of Justice calling for Mumia's Release. Our goal is more than a million
signatures. Please sign and spread the word.
Please join us in our efforts. Email: bringmumiahome@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
International Concerned Family and Friends of
Mumia
Abu-Jama
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC)
Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Committee to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal
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SIGN THE JERICHO COINTELPRO PETITION!
Free All Political Prisoners!
www.jerichony.org
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