Forwarded message:
From: John Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 1995 08:41:04 -0400
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: NYT Ad on Mumia
The New York Times, July 26, 1995, p. A16.
[Half-page ad]
Journalist to Be Executed August 17
What You Haven't Read in the Press About Mumia Abu-Jamal
Who Is Mumia Abu-Jamal?
Mumia Abu-Jamal, author of Live from Death Row
(Addison-wesley) and recipient of a Lillian Hellman and
Dashiell Hammett award from Human Rights Watch has been
a journalist and political activist for 27 years. As a
15-year-old high school student, he co-founded the
Philadelphia Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Subsequently he became well known for his reports and
commentary on National Public Radio, the Mutual Black
Network, the National Black Network, and WUHY-FM. In
1980, he was elected President of the Philadelphia
Chapter of the Association of Black Journalists. He has
also written for the Yale Law Review, The Nahon, and
other periodicals.
But Didn't He Kill a Cop?
On December 9, 1981, Philadelphia police officer Daniel
Faulkner stopped a Volkswagen driven by two men, one of
whom was Mumia's brother William Cook. Mumia, who was
driving a cab at the time of the incident, came upon the
scene and saw Faulkner beating his brother with a
flashlight. According to the prosecution, Mumia shot
Officer Faulkner, then stood over the fallen poiice
officer and shot him twice more.
What Really Happened?
According to four witnesses, as Mumia approached the
scene of the beating, he was shot by Officer Faulkner.
Then a third person, described by the witnesses as a
heavyset black male who had been a passenger in the
Volkswagen, shot Faulkner and fled. The shooter remains
at large.
Who Testified for the Prosecution?
The key prosecution witness was a prostitute named
Cynthia White, who had three pending felony charges at
the time of Mumia's trial. During the weeks preceding
the trial she was twice arrested by police; each time
she revised her story. Without explanation, bench
warrants against White were not prosecuted. Police told
another prostitute, Veronica Jones, that Jones would be
allowed to work the streets with impunity if she would
likewise testify against Mumia.
A second prosecution witness was a convicted arsonist
named Robert Chobert. His testimony at the trial was the
opposite of the initial report he gave on the crime
scene to an arriving police captain: that another man --
not Mumia -- had committed the crime and fled the scene.
What Happened to Mumia's Witnesses
According to the prosecution, Mumia bragged loudly of
the crime in the emergency room. However, Doctor Regina
Cudemo, who was present in the emergency room, reported
that Mumia was barely conscious and did not say anything
Instead, she saw an officer kick Mumia, who lay with his
arms handcuffed.
Officer Gary Wakshul, who stayed with Mumia during the
entire time he was in the emergency room, wrote a police
report that "during this time the negro male made no
statements." The jury never heard from Wakshul because
the department had sent him "on vacation."
A witness named William Singletary reported that Mumia
was not the shooter and that the real shooter ran from
the scene. He also said that prosecution witness Cynthia
White arrived on the scene after the shooting.
Singletary was forced by the police to sign a statement
that he did not see anything and was intimidated by the
police so severely that he left Philadelphia prior to
the trial for fear of police harassment.
A Magic Bullet?
As a cab driver working a downtown night shift, Mumia
carried a registered .38 caliber pistol. However, the
Medical Examiner judged the fatal bullet to be a .44
caliber.
How Much Research Can $150 Buy?
Mumia's court-appointed lawyer petitioned the court for
funds to present photographic, pathology, and ballistic
evidence. The court allowed only $150. Basic questions
-- such as whether Mumia's gun had even been fired --
were never investigated.
What Did the FBI Know About Mumia?
Because of Mumia's involvement with the Black Panthers
the FBI began keeping a file on him at the age of 15,
which eventually grew to 700 pages. Ironically, the
FBI's own record of surveillance provides powerful
confirmation of his reputation as a gentle, eloquent man
-- not a street criminal. FBI internal documents state
that "Mumia has not displayed a propensity for violence"
and note his talents as a writer and speaker who "made
the Black Panther Party look good because his approach
was very positive."
Persona Non Grata?
It appears that Mumia's real "crime" was to get under
the skin of the Philadelphia police and political
establishment through his persistent investigations into
their practices and activities. The late Frank Rizzo, a
former police commissioner who became mayor of
Philadelphia, singled out Mumia and denounced him for
his "advocacy journalism." In his book, Live from Death
Row, Mumia describes receiving threats from the police.
What Does the International Community Think?
In this country, the "cop killer" label and the absence
of widespread news coverage have hindered support for
Mumia. Internationally, however, his case is viewed with
alarm and has attracted attention in Holland, Japan,
South Africa, Italy, Spain, Canada, and elsewhere.
Amnesty International and others have expressed concern
and requested a new trial.
What's Wrong with This Execution?
Whether or not you agree with the death penalty, no one
should permit the Philadelphia political establishment
to use it as a convenient means to silence a critic. As
the August 17 execution date approaches, key questions
remain unanswered. Did all the witnesses have a chance
to testify without intimidation? Did the decision of the
police to prosecute Mumia cut off investigation of other
suspects? Has the American standard of "innocent until
proven guilty" been met?
Time is short. Your questions can save a life. Don't remain
silent.
International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-
Jamal, P.O. Box 19709, Philadelphia, PA 19143. 215/476-8812
[Sidebar]
To Ask for a New Trial
Governor Thomas Ridge
717/787-2500 Phone
717/783-3369 Fax
Chief Justice Robert Nix
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
215/560-3071 Phone
215/560-6388 Fax
Justice Ralph Cappy
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
412/565-2700 Phone
215/560-6388 Fax
To Find Out How to Help
International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-
Jamal
215/476-8812 Phone and Fax
Equal Justice USA/The Quixote Center
301/699-0042 Phone
301/864-2182 Fax
Refuse & Resist
212/713-5657
The SF Bay Area Network for Mumia
415/648-4505 Phone
510/845-8816 FAX
Internet Addresses
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
World Wide Web Addresses
http://www.igc.apc.org/prisons/prisondesk.html
http://hulzen.dds.nl/~tank/mumia002.htm
http://www.esslink.com/~brud/issues/deathpen/mumia/
http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/mumia002.htm
http://www.calyx.com/~refuse/
http://www.io.org/amnesty/
To Contribute to the Legal Fund
Equal Justice USA/MAJ-LDF
PO Box 5206
Hyattsville, MD 20782
301/699-0042 Phone
To Write to Mumia in Prison
Mumia Abu-Jamal
#AM-8335, SCI Greene
1040 East R. Furman Highway
Waynesburg, PA 15370-8090
-----
--
Michael Golden
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Biology
Grossmont College
8800 Grossmont College Drive
El Cajon, CA 92020
619-465-1700 x332
