Robert R. Brian: Important Mumia Legal News, Movie, Petitions, Fundraising! (Mumia NYC)

LOTS OF STUFF HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, DON’T BE MIA, PASS THE WORD–IT’S IMPORTANT!

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There is a significant new development regarding my client, Mumia Abu-Jamal, the journalist and author who has been on Pennsylvania’s death row for nearly three decades.

Oral argument scheduled, United States Court of Appeals: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has just granted oral argument in Mumia’s case. (Abu-Jamal v. Beard, No. 01-9014.) The arguments will be before a three-judge panel on November 9, 2010, 2:00 pm. This will be in the Ceremonial Courtroom, U.S. Courthouse, 6th & Market Streets, Philadelphia.

Mumia & I spoke shortly after the order was received. He was humbled by the good news. We are cautiously encouraged that the federal court has taken this step.

This is significant in the ongoing litigation to save Mumia’s life and win the case. At stake is whether he will be executed, or granted a new jury trial on the question of the death penalty. We previously won on this issue, but early this year the U.S. Supreme Court vacated that decision and ordered that the case be again reviewed by the federal court.

New movie, Justice On Trial: Yesterday Justice On Trial premiered in Philadelphia. It is by Johanna Fernandez, a professor at Baruch College, New York, and Kouross Esmaeli of Big Noise Films. The release of this superb film comes at a perfect time since it counters another movie,The Barrel of a Gun, that was also shown the same day. The Barrel production is replete with distortions and wild theories, and is supported by those who wish to see my client executed including the Fraternal Order of Police.

Petition to President Barack Obama (Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Global Abolition of the Death Penalty): Over 24,000 people from around the world have signed the petition, including three Nobel Prize winners. We need many more for this to benefit Mumia. Some of the signers are: Desmond Tutu, South Africa (Nobel Peace Prize, 1984); Günter Grass, Germany (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1999); Elfriede Jelinek, Austria (Nobel Prize in Literature, 2004); Danielle Mitterrand, Paris (former First Lady of France); Fatima Bhutto, Pakistan (writer); Colin Firth (Academy Award Best-Actor nominee, 2010); Noam Chomsky, MIT (philosopher and author); Ed Asner (actor); Mike Farrell (actor); Robert Meeropol (son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, executed in 1953); Michael Radford (director of the Oscar winning film Il Postino); members of the European Parliament; members of the German Bundestag; European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights; and Reporters Without Borders, Paris.

How to Help: For information on how to help, both by signing the Obama petition & donating funds, please go to Mumia’s website (http://www.MumiaLegalDefense.org).
Conclusion: Mumia is in the greatest danger since being arrested in 1981. We will not stop until he is saved.

Yours very truly,

Robert R. Bryan
Law Offices of Robert R. Bryan
2088 Union Street, Suite 4
San Francisco, California 94123-4117
Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal“

ANOTHER PETITION, THE ONE ADDRESSED TO ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER, AND CALLING FOR A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION, HAS GARNERED OVER 40,000 SIGNATURES, INCLUDING THE CENTER FOR CONSTITIONAL RIGHTS, CORNEL WEST, CONGRESSMAN CHARLES RANGEL, CYNTHIA MCKINNEY, RUBY DEE, THOUSANDS OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR LEADERS, JULIAN BOND, NOAM CHOMSKY, AND PROFESSOR HENRY LOUIS GATES. AN INTERNATIONAL TRIP IS SCHEDULED REGARDING THE CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION FOR NOVEMBER. GO TO www. freemumia.com, SCROLL DOWN TO CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION, AND SIGN ON THERE,OR DOWNLOAD LETTER TO HOLDER FROM WEBSITE AND SEND TO FMAJC, PO BOX 16, COLLEGE STATION, NEW YORK 10030, NYC, NY.

ALSO, FUNDS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED FOR THE EXCELLENT FILM JUST PREMIERED LAST NIGHT. INFORMATION FOR HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY, AS MONEY WILL BE NEEDED FOR THE WIDE DISTRIBUTION IT DESERVES AND COULD MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE AT THIS MOMENT.

AND THE ONGOING GRASSROOTS WORK FOR MUMIA NEEDS FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THE CAMPAIGN FOR A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION; THE WORK FOR OCTOBER 9TH IN PHILADELPHIA, „WORLD DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY“, A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR MUMIA, TROY DAVIS AND MORE THAN 3000 OTHER DEATH ROW RESIDENTS IN THE US; OCTOBER 7TH IN NYC „INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON POLICE KILLINGS IN THE STREET AND STATE SANCTIONED MURDER ON DEATH ROW“ WITH PAN AFRICAN SCHOLAR AND ACTIVIST CECIL GUTZMORE, JR, AND OTHER EXCITING GUESTS, ALL REQUIRE FINANCIAL HELP. FOR THE GRASSROOTS WORK, FUNDS GET DIVIDED BETWEEN PAM AFRICA AND THE INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL AND THE FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION IN NYC. YOU CAN SEND THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FMAJC, POX 16, COLLEGE STATION, NEW YORK, NY 10030.
MAKE OUT THE CHECKS TO FMAJC/IFCO.

FINALLY, WE MUST BEGIN TO BUILD FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT HEARINGS ON NOVEMBER 9TH IN PHILADELPHIA. THE TIGRE HILL FILM ALSO PREMIERED LAST NIGHT IN PHILLY „THE BARREL OF A GUN“, IS ABOUT PORTRAYING MUMIA AS A COLD-BLOODED MURDERER, AND IS PART OF AN INTENSE CAMPAIGN BY THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND ALL THOSE WHO FINANCE AND BACK THEM TO KILL MUMIA. THE FILM PREMIERED ON THE VERY DAY THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT DECISION CAME DOWN AND IS INTENDED TO INFLUENCE AND DETERMINE THE LEGAL PROCESS, AND TO GET MUMIA EXECUTED. GET THE WORD OUT. NOVEMBER 9TH IN PHILADELPHIA! ALL OUT TO STOP THE EXECUTION AND FREE MUMIA!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, YOUR CONSISTENCY, AND YOUR COMMITMENT! THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES AS THE ENEMY HOPES TO WEAR US DOWN UNTIL WE GIVE UP! WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP! A LUTA CONTINUA AND ONA MOVE!

PLEASE DON’T BE OVERWHELMED! DO WHAT YOU CAN! SUPPORT WHICH OF THESE MANY IMPORTANT EFFORTS YOU PREFER TO FUND! IT TAKES ALL OF US TO WORK TOGETHER AND APPRECIATE EACH OTHER’S CONTRIBUTIONS.