Mumia Abu-Jamal: Death Penalty Dropped
After 30 years of legal battles in what is perhaps the nation's most famous and racially charged death-penalty case, Philadelphia prosecutors announced today that they will end their battle to seek the death penalty for former Black Panther and one-time journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal in the 1981 murder of a white police officer.
The Associated Press reports:
Abu-Jamal was convicted of fatally shooting Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981. He was sentenced to death after his trial the following year.
Abu-Jamal, who has been incarcerated in a western Pennsylvania prison, has garnered worldwide support from those who believe he was the victim of a biased justice system.
The conviction was upheld through years of legal appeals. But a federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing after ruling the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading.
Mumia Abu-Jamal: Death Penalty Dropped
Jenée Desmond-Harris
Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:16:00 GMT
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