Back in 2000, an early Media Mouse project was the publication of a pamphlet titled "White Walled in America: A Look at our Biased Judicial System." The pamphlet, which was prepared for distribution at the 2000 Racial Justice Summit held at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, examined the systemic racism that exists in Michigan and at the national level. Additionally, the pamphlet briefly used the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal as an example of racism in the judicial system.
In the years following the publication of the pamphlet, Mumia Abu-Jamal has continued to languish in prison. Since being convicted and sentenced to death in 1982 for the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981, Abu-Jamal has maintained his innocence. His case has received intense scrutiny over the years, including a call from Amnesty International for a new trial and organizing by hundreds of grassroots activists, celebrities, and internationally renowned figures such as Desmond Tutu. While there is some debate between groups as to whether or not the demand should be to free Abu-Jamal or demand a new trial, there is considerable agreement that Abu-Jamal never had a fair trial. Among the problems with Abu-Jamal's trial were the exclusion of eleven African-American jurors, a judge--Albert Sabo--who sentenced more people to death than any other judge in the U.S. who reportedly said that he is "going to help 'em fry the nigger" (Sabo was also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police which heavily biased him against an accused killer of a police officer), and the appointing of an ill-prepared public defender against Abu-Jamal's wishes. During the trial, Abu-Jamal was also repeatedly attacked in the media and in court for his past involvement with the Black Panther Party and MOVE.
Beyond the problems with way the trial was conducted, there have been longstanding concerns that incomplete or distorted evidence was presented during the trial. According the Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal these include:
"The policeman was killed with a 44 caliber gun. Abu-Jamal's gun which he was licensed to carry as a night-time taxi driver, was a 38 caliber.
The police never tested Abu-Jamal's gun to see if it had been recently fired. They never tested his hands to see if he had fired a gun. They have never shown Abu-Jamal 's gun to be the fatal weapon.
No police officers present at Abu-Jamal's arrest claimed to have heard Jamal's "confession" until two months after it allegedly occurred. This was right after Abu-Jamal had filed police brutality charges.
Abu-Jamal's doctor said that Abu-Jamal, who was unconscious, said nothing. He reported that a nurse found police with loaded guns pointed at Mumia as he lay unconscious in his hospital bed.
William Singletary, a Vietnam veteran and local businessman, saw the whole incident and has testified that Abu-Jamal was not the shooter. However, the police forced him to change his story and intimidated him into leaving Philadelphia.
Other key witnesses, such as Veronica Jones -- who now testifies in support of Abu-Jamal, were harassed into giving false testimony. Two prosecution witnesses were given special favors, including exemption from criminal prosecution, for their testimony."
Additionally, recently unveiled photographs--published online by Journalists for Mumia Abu-Jamal--call into question key aspects of the prosecution's case. The photos--taken by a press photographer who beat police photographers to the scene--show:
A police officer holding Abu-Jamal's and officer Faulkner's weapons with his bare hand, contradicting the officer's testimony that he preserved the ballistic evidence.
Faulkner's hat is not on the street grate where it appears in police photos.
There are no bullet divots or chunks of missing cement, only a puddle of blood where Faulkner was shot. This raises questions about prosecution claims that Abu-Jamal stood over Faulkner and shot him, missing several times in the process.
A key witness--cab driver Robert Chobert--is not pictured, nor is his cab that Chobert claimed was parked behind Faulkner's car.
In May of this year, there was a hearing to determine whether Abu-Jamal should receive a new trial. At issue are four constitutional concerns including violation of rights to a fair trial, exclusion of jurors along racial lines, improper juror instructions, and judicial bias in post-conviction proceedings. No decision has been issued since the May 17 hearing.
Currently, Journalists for Mumia is engaged in a letter-writing campaign directed at NBC News' Today program that is scheduled to feature the authors of a new book titled "Murdered by Mumia." The letter calls for Today to present information about the problems with Abu-Jamal's trial and the new photographs.
