- Von: <RobertRBryan>
Betreff: Mumia Abu-Jamal – Legal Update and news
[PLEASE CIRCULATE]
- Datum: Mittwoch, 14. November 2007 10:56
- Dear Friends:
- There are many developments on the legal and other fronts concerning my
- client, Mumia Abu-Jamal. We remain in active litigation before the U.S. Court of
- Appeals for the Third Circuit, and also have issues pending in the
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Mumia has been honored by fellow writers through
- acceptance into a prestigious organization, a Nobel Prize winner recently visited
- him, an excellent new book was released in France, a leading British newspaper
- has published a major article on Mumia, and a superb film recently premiered
- in London and Rome. The following are the highlights.
- PEN membership Mumia has been accepted into the membership of PEN, the
- worldwide human-rights organization of prominent writers. This is a great
- honor. He was thrilled upon learning that the application I filed on his behalf
- last spring was granted. In two decades of knowing each other, I have not
- seen Mumia so happy. The recognition from his peers is well deserved.
- In a quarter of a century of being locked up in a small cell on
- Pennsylvania’s death row, Mumia’s literary output has been prodigious. He has written
- five outstanding books that are published in various languages, and also writes
- weekly commentaries that are published and broadcast internationally.
- PEN was founded in 1921 to dispel national, ethnic, and racial hatred, to
- promote understanding among all countries, and defend the freedom to write.
- PEN American Center, into which Mumia has been accepted, is the largest of the
- 145 centers in 104 countries of International PEN. It exists to fight for
- freedom of expression, represent the conscience of world literature, and foster
- friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. It is
- the world’s oldest human rights organization and also the oldest international
- literary group.
- The support provided by Alice Walker, E.L. Doctorow, Bell Chevigny and other
- members of the PEN American Center, New York, was invaluable. I am
- especially grateful to the kindness of Salman Rushdie, former President of PEN.
- Throughout the application process, I was impressed by the paramount concern of
- the PEN membership for human rights and protecting the independence of writers.
- Bishop Desmond Tutu On October 23, 2007, Bishop Desmond Tutu met with
- Mumia. It is was a moving experience. Later that afternoon Mumia expressed to
- me how touched and humbled he was by meeting with this wonderful person, who
- received the Nobel Peace Price in 1984 and the Albert Schweitzer Prize for
- Humanitarianism in 1986. Mumia is particularly grateful to Martha Conley, Esq.,
- of Pittsburgh, who initiated and arranged the visit, drove Bishop Tutu and
- his assistant to the prison, and joined them in the visit on death row. Last
- week Bishop Tutu issued the following statement concerning Mumia and capital
- punishment:
- „I oppose the death penalty on principle in every case and I support the
- plea for a retrial for Mumia Abu-Jamal.“
- The Most Reverend Desmond M. Tutu, O.M.S.G., D.D., F.K.C.
- Anglican Archbishop Emeritus
- Cape Town, South Africa
- 5 November 2007
- Legal developments Last month the prosecution submitted a Notice of
- Supplemental Authority with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,
- Philadelphia, arguing that a recent ruling and related decisions by the U.S.
- Supreme Court affects the pending issues pertaining to the death penalty and racism
- in jury selection. Consequently on November 1, 2007, we filed a Reply To
- Notice of Supplemental Authority, explaining with legal analysis that the
- contentions of opposing counsel should be rejected because they are without merit
- and do not alter the major constitutional violations that occurred in this
- case.
- I remain in contact with the court. It is not known exactly when there will
- be a federal decision. If the court follows the law and the U.S.
- Constitution, we will win. In my experience of successfully litigating well over a
- hundred capital murder cases at trial and on appeal, I know that courts are not
- always just. They can make terribly tragic mistakes. Nevertheless, I have
- not seen a case more riddled with such significant constitutional violations,
- racism, fraud, and unfairness. My goal remains to achieve a reversal of the
- conviction, and at a new jury trial win a jury acquittal so that Mumia can
- go home to his family — a free person.
- In Prison My Whole Life, British film on Mumia On October 25, 2007, the new
- documentary film In Prison My Whole Life premiered simultaneously at the
- London Film Festival and Rome Film Festival. It is a superb movie which does
- much to expose the many wrongs including racism and politics that have infected
- the case from the outset, the American legal system, and our society.
- Amnesty International is officially supporting the film. The picture is hard
- hitting and reveals the death penalty for what it is: legalized murder. Mumia
- and I are indebted to Colin and Livia Giuggioli Firth, along with Marc Evans,
- William Francome, Nick Goodwin Self, Katie Green, and the others who had the
- courage to make this film and tell the truth.
- New French book on Mumia In September an excellent book on Mumia was
- published on September 15, 2007, in France. It is Mumia Abu-Jamal un homme libre
- dans le couloir de la mort, by Claude Guillaumaud-Pujol, with a foreword by
- Robert Meeropol, son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and Founder, Rosenberg Fund
- for Children. Claude is deeply involved in the Collectif, a group of over
- 80 French organizations that aggressively support our campaign for a new and
- fair trial for Mumia and his freedom. She knows Mumia well, and last visited
- with him on November 11. Claude has donated her book to help in the struggle
- for Mumia’s freedom. Mumia says „the book is beautiful.“ It can be
- purchased though various booksellers in France.
- Guardian (England) article: „I Spend My Days Preparing for Life, Not for
- Death“ Recently there was an excellent article in the Guardian newspaper. It
- concerns a fascinating death row interview with Mumia, and can be found at:
- _ http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2198415,00.html _
- Tax-Deductible Donations to Mumia’s Legal Defense My office continues to
- receive extensive e-mail from people confused as to how and where they may
- send donations for Mumia’s legal defense. With Mumia’s authorization, a process
- exists which guarantees that all donations in the U.S. go only to the legal
- defense. The contributions are tax-deductible. Checks should be made
- payable to the National Lawyers Guild Foundation (indicate „Mumia“ on the bottom
- left), and mailed to:
- Committee To Save Mumia Abu-Jamal
- P.O. Box 2012
- New York, NY 10159-2012
- Your interest is appreciated.
- With best wishes,
- Robert R. Bryan
- Law Offices of Robert R. Bryan
- 2088 Union Street, Suite 4
- San Francisco, California 94123
- Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal