[PEN-L:776] Press release on the Pennsylvania's denial of new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal

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>From: "C. Clark Kissinger" <cck1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Press release on the Pennsylvania's denial of new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal
>Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 16:46:56 -0500

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 30, 1998

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Denies Fair Trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal Refuse &
Resist! Urges International Protests

	Demonstrations are expected throughout United States and internationally in
response to Friday's decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to deny a
new trial to radical journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. If Pennsylvania carries out
its threat to execute Jamal, it will be an international incident comparable
to Nigeria's execution of author Ken Saro-Wiwa.

	Refuse & Resist! National Secretary, Dr. Robert Rockwell, said: "People
have every right to be angry and demonstrating in the streets when a court
of law (1) accepts the bogus claim of police officers made two months later
that Mumia "confessed" but none of them thought to report it at the time,
(2) lets stand the removal on jurors on the grounds of race after the U.S.
Supreme Court has outlawed the practice, and (3) holds the blatantly
pro-prosecution judge was fully justified in barring key evidence from both
the trial and the post-conviction hearings."

	The Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously let stand a lower court decision
denying a new trial, and the Gov. Tom Ridge has promised to quickly sign a
new death warrant.

	In rejecting the appeal, and all the evidence amassed in over two years of
hearings, the Pennsylvania Court is in step with the national political
program of both major parties to reject appeals from death row inmates, no
matter how meritorious, and expedite executions.

	The Pennsylvania high court is elected in partisan political elections, in
which some of justices received the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of
Police which has campaigned for Jamal's execution.

	In response to the FOP campaign, hundreds of prominent people signed a
full-page ad that recently appeared in the New York Times (October 16, New
York edition) demanding a new, and for the first time fair, trial for Jamal.

	At a conference earlier this year, the International Concerned Family &
Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal called on people to respond to any negative court
decision with immediate calls to the media, demonstrations in their local
area on the next work day, and regional demonstrations the following
weekend.

For more information contact:	Leonard Weinglass, attorney for Jamal, at
212-807-8646
				Pam Africa, International Concerned F&F, at 215-476-8812
				Robert Rockwell, M.D., Refuse & Resist!, at 718-875-2828

******************************************************************* Paul
Zarembka, supporting RESEARCH IN POLITICAL ECONOMY at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka
*******************************************************************