> WW News Service Digest #170 > > 1) Pam Africa calls for action on legal briefs > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) Becker acquitted at protest trial > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Los Angeles transit strike rolls on despite media lies > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Socialist candidates on R.I. ballot > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 5) Vieques protesters brace for new confrontation > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 6) U.S. shelters Haitian death squads > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Oct. 5, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >PAM AFRICA CALLS FOR ACTION >ON LEGAL BRIEFS > >By Betsey Piette >Philadelphia > >An emergency meeting was held in Philadelphia Sept. 23 to >bring Mumia Abu-Jamal's supporters up to date on recent >developments in his legal case. > >On Aug. 7 Federal District Court Judge William H. Yohn Jr. >denied four amicus curiae, or "friend of the court," briefs >filed in support of Abu-Jamal. The decision was without >legal precedent and of great significance, according to Pam >Africa of International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia >Abu-Jamal. She said the briefs addressed legal issues >crucial to Abu-Jamal's pending review for a new trial. > >Africa said that Yohn had not commented when two amicus >briefs were filed earlier this year. One of the briefs was >filed on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild, National >Conference of Black Lawyers and other attorneys' groups. The >other was issued jointly by the NAACP and the Pennsylvania >American Civil Liberties Union. > >But it was a different matter when 22 members of British >Parliament and the Los Angeles-based Chicana/Chicano Studies >Foundation submitted two more briefs this summer. > >'REVERSE MUMIA'S CONVICTION' > >The last two briefs cut straight to the court's denial of >Abu-Jamal's right to self-representation in his 1982 trial, >where he was sentenced to death for the killing of >Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. Supporters of >the award-winning journalist and former Black Panther say >the racist Philadelphia Police Department framed him. > >The Chicana/Chicano Studies Foundation brief also presented >evidence, previously unknown to Abu-Jamal and his >supporters, of a conspiracy between court-appointed defense >attorney Anthony Jackson, Judge Albert Sabo and Prosecutor >Joseph McGill. The brief called for Abu-Jamal's conviction >to be reversed. > >In refusing the briefs, Yohn said, "I will deny the >petitions as unnecessary and unhelpful, without comment on >the merits of the arguments raised or the merits of the >petitioner's underlying claims." > >"He says he didn't look at them, even though these briefs >suddenly seemed to require action," noted Marlene Kamish, an >attorney for the Chicana/Chicano Studies Foundation, at the >Sept. 23 meeting. > >"Yohn can't say he looked at a brief raising the issues of >the denial of Mumia's right to self-representation and >Jackson's conspiracy and say it wasn't important, and have >this stand up," she explained. > >Kamish said several U.S. Supreme Court decisions had >overturned convictions when the Sixth Amendment right of >self-representation was violated. > >She went on to explain that an essential element of any >trial is an adversarial relationship between the defense >attorney and the prosecutor. "It's this conflict that is >supposed to allow the truth to come out. When you don't have >this, you don't have a trial." > >DEFENSE COLLABORATION CHARGED > >Kamish described transcripts of discussions between Jackson, >Sabo and McGill in the judge's chambers, where they >discussed how to get a conviction that would be protected >from appeal. These transcripts were the basis of the >Chicana/Chicano Studies Foundation brief. > >The transcripts also show that Jackson discussed Abu-Jamal's >defense strategy with the prosecutor and the judge, in clear >violation of attorney/client privilege, Kamish said. > >The court's refusal to allow Abu-Jamal to represent himself >or to have John Africa as a lay advisor in the courtroom was >addressed in the British Parliament members' brief. > >Kamish explained that five months before his own trial, then- >reporter Abu-Jamal had seen MOVE Organization founder Africa >effectively defend himself in federal court and walk out a >free man. When he was in a battle for his own life, Abu- >Jamal fought for the right to have someone he trusted sit >with him to assist his defense. > >Sabo denied Abu-Jamal's request to have Africa's assistance. >Instead he appointed Jackson to sit at the defendant's table >and eventually let him take over the case, despite Abu- >Jamal's repeated objections. > >"It's often said that the problem is that Jackson was >ineffective," noted Pam Africa. "But actually he was very >effective--only for the prosecution, not for the defense." > >Africa and Kamish said Jackson gave no opening statement on >Abu-Jamal's behalf. He failed to subpoena key witnesses, >including Police Officer Wakshul, whose testimony could have >refuted the prosecution's phony "confession" story. He >failed to present any character witnesses during the >sentencing phase that resulted in the death sentence. > >CHARACTER WITNESSES > >The Chicana/Chicano Studies Foundation brief also presented >compelling testimony from Abu-Jamal's 1995 Post Conviction >Relief Appeal hearings. At that time the defense, now headed >by renowned civil rights attorney Leonard Weinglass, >presented several character witnesses, including late >Pennsylvania State Representative David P. Richardson, whose >testimony should have been grounds for a reversal of the >death sentence. The witnesses all said they had been willing >to testify in 1982, but Jackson never called on them. > >So credible was their testimony about Abu-Jamal's >compassionate and non-violent nature that the district >attorney in the appeals hearing conceded it was "not >characteristic" of Abu-Jamal to have committed murder. > >Kamish explained that there are no grounds to seek the death >penalty when the defendant has no prior conviction and is >shown to have value to other people, relationships and ties >in the community and a non-violent character. > >Sabo, who also presided over the 1995 appeal, "unreasonably >and erroneously" ruled that the mitigation evidence at the >PCRA hearing was "irrelevant," Kamish said, even though the >prosecution conceded its relevance. > >In 1982 Sabo engineered a Black woman juror's removal with >Jackson's and McGill's collaboration. That juror was the >only one selected by Abu-Jamal during the two days when he >was allowed to act as his own counsel. > >Sabo replaced the woman with a white male who became jury >foreman, although the man admitted three times that he >couldn't be impartial. When Jackson tried to exercise a >peremptory challenge, Sabo denied it, saying, "I select >him." Kamish said, "He had no right whatsoever to put this >man on. Sabo stacked the jury." > >Africa and Kamish urged Abu-Jamal's supporters to read all >four amicus briefs and the writ of habeas corpus presented >by Weinglass. An appeal of Yohn's ruling is underway. > >The briefs are available on the Web site www.mumia2000.org, >along with instructions on how to support the appeal effort. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <01dd01c02ae5$4b810d40$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Becker acquitted at protest trial >Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 09:49:46 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Oct. 5, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Washington > >BECKER ACQUITTED AT PROTEST TRIAL > >By Workers World Washington bureau > >In an important legal ruling, International Action Center Co- >Director Brian Becker was acquitted of disorderly conduct >and unlawful assembly in the Superior Court of the District >of Columbia Sept. 25. Becker had faced 90 days in jail for >charges stemming from the mass police arrests of >demonstrators in Washington last April 15. > >That demonstration was called by the IAC to demand "Shut >down the prison-industrial complex" on the day prior to the >planned protests to "Shut down the International Monetary >Fund and World Bank" April 16-17. > >Attorney Mark Goldstone defended Becker. Goldstone, who >represented many of the defendants from the April 15-17 >arrests, said to a group of supporters after the trial, >"This was an important victory because the court recognized >that what was at stake was the First Amendment right to >demonstrate. > >"This has national implications because it is precisely this >right which we have seen was under attack in Seattle and at >the demonstrations at Philadelphia and Los Angeles in front >of the Republican and Democratic conventions," Goldstone >said. > >Becker was acquitted in a ruling by Associate Judge Harim >Puig-Lugo of the Superior Court. Puig-Lugo ruled that the >government had failed to prove its case that the >demonstrators on April 15 and Becker in particular had >engaged in an "unlawful assembly." > >On April 15 police illegally closed a whole downtown block >in Washington and arrested 678 demonstrators, tourists, >shoppers and passers-by in what has been described as the >largest act of preventive detention in recent decades in the >United States. > >"We were arrested in a planned act of preventive detention >by the police," Becker told Workers World. "They wanted to >put us in jail not because we were breaking a law but >because they wanted to clear the streets prior to the >IMF/World Bank meeting." > >While many of the cases stemming from the April 15 >demonstration were later dismissed, the Washington district >attorney proceeded with the trial against Becker, who is one >of the named plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit charging >that the cops and government conspired to violate the >protesters' constitutional rights. > >"We believe they proceeded with this trial because they >wanted to get a conviction to defend themselves against the >class-action lawsuit for the unlawful arrests of more than >1,300 people that weekend," Becker charged. > >Readers who want to participate in the class-action lawsuit >defending the rights of those arrested April 15-17, as a >witness or potential plaintiff, should go to the Web site >www.justiceonline.org/a16. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <01e501c02ae5$802d3e60$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Los Angeles transit strike rolls on despite media lies >Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 09:51:14 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Oct. 5, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Los Angeles > >TRANSIT STRIKE ROLLS ON DESPITE >MEDIA LIES > >By Preston Wood >Los Angeles > >In spite of a vicious anti-union campaign waged by the >Metropolitan Transit Authority, members of the United >Transportation Union are holding strong as their strike, >which started Sept. 16, continued into its second week. > >The effects of the mass transit strike, which is 100 percent >solid, have been far-reaching. Businesses report dramatic >losses, health clinics report over 50 percent no-shows for >appointments and classes at local colleges are half full. >Freeways are jammed as thousands turn to car-pooling and >taxis to get to work. > >The 4,300 strikers--bus drivers, train operators, clerical >workers and engineers--are fighting back against an MTA plan >to inflict a 15-percent wage cut, drastic benefit >reductions, replacement of veteran workers with low-paid, >part-time workers, and the elimination of $23 million in >overtime pay over the next three years. > >The MTA falsely claims that all bus drivers make $50,000 per >year. Most actually make much less, with starting salaries >of $8.40 per hour. > >Despite a vicious campaign in the local press attempting to >blame the striking workers for the chaotic situation in the >city, support for the strike remains strong, particularly >among those low-paid workers who use mass transit--mainly >Black, Latino and Asian workers and students, many of whom >are immigrants. > >At a militant rally Sept. 20, thousands of workers and >community supporters marched through the streets of downtown >Los Angeles to the MTA headquarters to demand a just >contract. > >The transit strike is part of a massive labor upsurge that >continues to gain momentum here. > >In what has to be a nightmare for the bosses, 47,000 Los >Angeles County workers from Service Employees Local 660-- >nurses, paramedics, clerical workers, librarians, and >welfare workers--will strike Oct. 2, barring a last-minute >agreement. > >In addition, members of United Teachers of Los Angeles also >promised to walk out if their demands for fair pay, lower >class sizes and better shifts are not met. > >While granting themselves a whopping 12.5 percent pay boost, >the Los Angeles County Supervisors have refused to consider >a decent raise for county workers. > >"Our members made the sacrifices in the '90s," said Local >660 President Alejandro Stephens. "Now that there's this >unprecedented prosperity, we want our money." > >Solidarity among all the unions with the striking transit >workers will help ensure more victories in the crucial >struggles to come. > >- END - > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
