Subject: AUT: Mumia's Death Warrant Has Been Signed. Mobilize!
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 10:34:24 -0400 (EDT)


> >
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 18:22:31 -0400
> >From: Bob Lederer <BobL-AT-poz.com>
> >To: Free Mumia:  ;
> >Subject: Details from Mumia's legal team: Death Warrant signed today
> >
> >The death warrant that Gov. Ridge signed today sets Dec. 2nd as the
> >execution date. Following is information from Mumia's legal team:
> >
> >
> >PA Governor Signs Mumia Abu Jamal's Death Warrant Despite Expected Habeus
> >Corpus Petition Citing New Evidence of Innocence, Prosecutorial Misconduct,
> >Racial Bias
> >
> >Abu Jamal's Legal Team to File Habeus Corpus Petition Friday, October 15 At
> >10:00 a.m. at the Federal District Court in Philadelphia, PA
> >
> >Press Conference Will Follow at 11:00 a.m. at the American Friends Services
> >Committee, 15th and Cherry Street
> >
> >Rush to Execute Violates Defendant's Basic Legal Rights and Opposes
> >Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations' Recent Call for a
> >Moratorium on Executions
> >
> >
> >PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Ridge of Pennsylvania today
> >signed the death warrant of Mumia Abu Jamal, despite an expected habeus
> >corpus petition from the defendant's lawyers citing: fabrication and
> >suppression of evidence; racial bias in selecting jurors; and denial of the
> >right to self- representation, among other arguments.
> >
> >This is the 171st death warrant Governor Ridge has signed since 1994 -- 
> >five
> >times the number signed by his predecessors over a 25-year period.
> >Ninety-nine percent of those warrants signed by Ridge were done while the
> >inmates still had time to appeal.
> >
> >Aside from not waiting for the habeus corpus petition -- a process that all
> >defendants are legally entitled to -- Governor Ridge also decided to sign
> >Jamal's warrant despite the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations'
> >recent call for a moratorium on all executions until the death penalty
> >system is proven just.
> >
> >One of the system's infirmities, acknowledged by the bar associations, has
> >to do with racial prejudice. While nine percent of Pennsylvania's total
> >population is African-American, for example, the percentage on death row is
> >nearly seven times that amount (62%). This is the largest racial disparity
> >of any state in the United States.
> >
> >In addition, a 1998 study by Professor Baldus at the University of Iowa
> >found that a young African-American man growing up in Philadelphia is 11.5
> >times more likely to end up on death row than in Georgia or Alabama.
> >
> >``Ridge is rushing to execute before all the evidence has been presented,''
> >said Leonard Weinglass, Jamal's lead attorney. ``Since when does one man's
> >political motivations override another's right to a fair trial, especially
> >when a human life is in question?''
> >
> >Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, 81 people have been
> >exonerated. Rushing executions assures that people who are on death row as 
> >a
> >result of errors in process or issues of actual innocence will not be saved
> >through the appellate process.
> >
> >The habeus corpus petition, which Governor Ridge knew was being filed for
> >federal review, contains more than 29 separate issues of Constitutional
> >violations that occurred in Jamal's trial and appeal. It is more than 150
> >pages, and contains more than 600 paragraphs of factual allegations
> >pertinent to the case.
> >
> >``Several arguments will be raised in the petition demonstrating that Jamal
> >never received a meaningful trial and that compelling evidence of innocence
> >was ignored by the state courts of Pennsylvania,'' said Daniel Williams, 
> >co-
> >counsel.
> >
> >``Above and beyond the issue of innocence -- which is paramount in this
> >case -- are the transcendent issues of whether or not in the 1990's someone
> >ought to be executed when the trial attorney admits he interviewed no
> >witnesses and conducted no investigation; when 11 African-American jurors
> >were removed on the basis of race; and when the prosecution wrongly used a
> >teenager's political statements to give the death penalty to an adult 12
> >years later,'' said Weinglass.
> >
> >In addition to the defending attorneys, those working to ensure a fair 
> >trial
> >for Jamal include: Amnesty International, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the
> >European Parliament, Reverend Jesse Jackson and many others.
> >
> >SOURCE: Leonard Weinglass, Esq.
> >
> >********************************************
> >
> >NATIONWIDE EMERGENCY DEMOS:
> >
> >From: iacenter-AT-iacenter.org
> >To: "Mumia list"<npcny-AT-peoplescampaign.org>
> >Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 17:30:54 -0400
> >X-Distribution: Bulk
> >MIME-Version: 1.0
> >Subject: MUMIA'S DEATH WARRANT SIGNED--DEMONSTRATE!
> >Reply-to: "Mumia list"<npcny-AT-peoplescampaign.org>
> >Priority: normal
> >
> >October 13, 1999
> >
> >Gov. Ridge has signed the death warrant for Mumia Abu-Jamal.  His
> >execution date is set for December 2.  There will be demonstrations
> >across the country on Thursday, October 14.  There will be regional
> >demonstrations in Philadelphia and San Francisco on Saturday, October
> >16.
> >
> >Stop the Execution!
> >
> >THE SCENARIO
> >The death warrant has been signed!
> >(1) local demonstrations Thursday, Oct. 14
> >(2) Saturday, Oct. 16:  regional demonstrations
> >    in Philadelphia and San Francisco
> >
> >Thursday, October 14
> >Check the Mumia web pages for demonstrations going on across the
> >country.
> >www.mumia.org
> >www.peoplescampaign.org
> >www.iacenter.org
> >
> >In NYC, there will be an Emergency Response tomorrow, Thursday, October 
> >14th:
> >
> >(1) 1-2pm Gather at PBA (Police Benevolent Assn), 40 Fulton St. and demand
> >"Hands of Mumia!"
> >
> >(2) 2pm  March up Broadway to Times Square
> >
> >(3) 4:30pm Demonstrate at Times Square (-AT- 42nd St. and Broadway)
> >
> >There will be a demonstration in Philadelphia on Saturday, October 16th at:
> >Pennsylvania State Office Building at Broad and Spring Garden Streets, 11 
> >am
> >People are riding the train down and there will be buses from NYC.  Call
> >the Free Mumia Coalition Hotline 212-330-8029 and the In'tl Action Center
> >212-633-6646 for more info.
> >
> >Saturday, October 16
> >San Francisco: regional march and rally on Saturday, October 16
> >assembling at Powell and Market. Call: The Mobilization to Free Mumia
> >Abu-Jamal: 415-695-7745.
> >
> >Stay in Touch!  For more information, contact
> >In Philadelphia, call International Concerned Family and Friends at 215-
> >476-8812.  In New York City, call the IAC at 212-633-6646 or email
> >iacenter-AT-iacenter.org, or call the Free Mumia Coalition hotline at 212-
> >330-8029.
> >
> >
> >Bob Lederer
> >Senior Editor, POZ Magazine
> >349 W. 12th Street, 2d fl.
> >New York, NY 10014
> >
> >phone: (212) 242-2163 x216 (24-hour voicemail)
> >fax:   (212) 675-8505
> >email: bobl-AT-poz.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
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