From: Chuck0 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
SOURCE: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
Pennsylvania Gov. Ridge Signs Three Execution Warrants
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge today
signed warrants for the execution by lethal injection of Mumia Abu-Jamal of
Philadelphia, Dennis Counterman of Lehigh County and Jerome J. Gibson of
Bucks County.
Gov. Ridge set Abu-Jamal's execution for Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999.
In July 1982, Abu-Jamal was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced
to die for the Dec. 9, 1981, murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel
Faulkner, 25. Abu-Jamal was formally sentenced to death on May 25, 1983.
That judgment was upheld by the state Supreme Court on March 6, 1989. The
U.S. Supreme Court denied Abu-Jamal's petition for a writ of certiorari on
Oct. 1, 1990, and denied two subsequent petitions for rehearing.
On June 1, 1995, Gov. Ridge issued a warrant scheduling Abu-Jamal's
execution for the week beginning Aug. 13, 1995. On Aug. 7, 1995, the
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas stayed the execution pending the
resolution of Abu-Jamal's Post-Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) petition. On
Sept. 15, 1995, the Court of Common Pleas denied post-conviction relief. On
Oct. 29, 1998, the state Supreme Court affirmed the denial of PCRA relief.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Abu-Jamal's petition for a writ of certiorari
on Oct. 4, 1999, lifting the stay.
Abu-Jamal, 45, is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at
Greene, Greene County.
Gov. Ridge set Counterman's execution for Tuesday, Dec. 7.
In February 1990, Counterman was convicted of first-degree murder and
sentenced to die for burning his house and killing his three trapped sons
-- Christopher, six years old; James, four years old; and Scott, 10 weeks
old. Counterman was formally sentenced to death on Dec. 6, 1996. The state
Supreme Court upheld that judgment on Oct. 26, 1998.
On Feb. 17, 1999, Gov. Ridge signed a warrant scheduling Counterman's
execution for April 13, 1999. On March 12, 1999, the state Supreme Court
stayed the execution pending the filing and resolution of Counterman's
petition for writ of certiorari. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Counterman's
petition for a writ of certiorari on Oct. 4, 1999, lifting the stay.
Counterman, 39, is a prisoner at SCI Greene.
Gov. Ridge set Gibson's execution for Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999.
In March 1995, Gibson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to
die for the Sept. 29, 1994, murder of Robert Berger, a 76-year-old store
clerk, during a robbery. Gibson was formally sentenced to death on Aug. 24,
1995. That judgment was upheld by the state Supreme Court on Nov. 17, 1998.
On March 9, 1999, Gov. Ridge signed a warrant scheduling Gibson's execution
for May 6, 1999. On April 1, 1999, the state Supreme Court stayed the
execution pending the filing and resolution of Gibson's petition for writ
of certiorari. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Gibson's petition for a writ
of certiorari on Oct. 4, 1999, lifting the stay.
Gibson, 41, is an inmate at SCI Greene.
Gov. Ridge now has signed 176 death warrants since taking office. Three
have been carried out, the first executions in Pennsylvania since 1962.
For more information, contact Tim Reeves, Press Secretary of the
Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, 717-783-1116.
SOURCE: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
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