can we sign onto this? Fwd: Mumia - letter to Krasner

[Millie Phillips]

It would be great if LFM could sign onto this organizational letter to Larry Krasner. The Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia are coordinating this effort and they'd like signatures by 10-19. Provided there are no objections over the next few days, can we, as the LFN steering committee, agree to sign it on behalf of LFN?

Also, if you belong to other groups who might sign, please let them know.

Thanks, Millie

October 15, 2018

Dear District Attorney Larry Krasner,

You were elected on your claims of being a “progressive DA” and that you would “end mass incarceration.” You stated that you would investigate and overturn wrongful convictions.

However, in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal you have to date shown yourself to be in tandem with the Fraternal Order of Police. This is despite the history of the evidence of Mumia’s innocence and the police, prosecution, and judicial misconduct that permeates his case. 

In a letter sent to you in January 2018, Pam Africa and international representatives of the movement to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal requested a meeting to discuss his case with the objective of obtaining a dismissal of the charges against him and his release from prison. We also asked as a first step that you join in or at least not oppose Mumia’s pending petition for new appeals based on the precedent of Williams v. PA. 

Over the past months after first agreeing to that meeting, you then refused, but later met with Maureen Faulkner. Since April 30 you have submitted legal arguments to Judge Leon Tucker that deny the relevance of the evidence from prosecution files of Ronald Castille’s  significant involvement in Mumia Abu-Jamal’s prosecution and death sentence. You have called for Mumia’s petition to be dismissed.  Documents show that DA Castille tracked the status of capital cases and that he sent a letter to former Governor Casey that “urged” him to sign execution warrants to “send a message” to all ”police killers.”

 

Ronald Castille’s very public and vocifierous support of capital punishment and the Fraternal Order of Police combined with the evidence to date disclosed from the prosecution files meets the test of Williams v. PA. Judge Castille should have recused himself from Mumia Abu-Jamal’s appeals. Since Castille refused to do that, Mumia Abu-Jamal should, at least, be granted new appeal rights.

 

So far, your handling of Mumia’s case has been very much in line with the wishes of the Fraternal Order of Police and you seem to show no interest in opening up a case that has been denounced around the world as reflecting the worst of a racist and classist judicial system that finds poor people, and especially people of color (and even more so dissenters)  guilty and sentences them to the most extreme sentences:  for Mumia, execution,  up until 2011 when he was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of ever getting out as he is not eligible for parole. 

 

We call on you to release all the police and DA files relevant to Mumia’s case, to stop fighting to close this opening in the case by insisting that there is no evidence when that’s not the reality. The world is watching you out of its concern for Mumia and for justice.

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Motivating note that Suzanne Ross of Concerned Family and Friends, who is coordianting this effort, is sending out to groups:

October 15, 2018

Dear Friends and Comrades,

At this late date, given that Mumia’s next court hearing is on October 29^th, two weeks away, many of us have felt that not enough attention has been paid to challenging Philadelphia’s widely hailed, new, ‘liberal’ District Attorney Larry Krasner.  His deadly role in Mumia's current legal proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas has not been understood by many Mumia supporters. People both in Philadelphia and around the country are still describing Krasner as a "breath of fresh air", a major change agent in the criminal justice system, and a potentially fair DA in Mumia's case.  

While we agree that Krasner has made some important positive moves on several issues, he has, like all the previous DA's, been adamant in his denial of justice to Mumia. It is, therefore, urgent that we publicize the situation with Krasner, and confront him with the fact that people are recognizing his deplorable role in the court process for Mumia.  We must pressure him to drop his opposition to Mumia’s current legal action aimed at giving Mumia new rights of appeal of his conviction.  Needless to say, regardless of the outcome of this legal struggle, we will continue to assert Mumia’s innocence and fight for his freedom.  For further clarification and details on this potentially confusing legal situation, read the attached background piece. 

There are two attachments we are including. One is the background piece on what Krasner has done regarding Mumia's current legal action.  This will not be sent to Krasner. The second is the letter we hope to send Krasner with as many organizational signatures as possible.  We are focusing on organizations and some well-known individuals.  We urge others who wishes to, to send their own letter to Krasner.  As a collective, we will only process organizational letters and a limited number of individual names to simplify the logistics involved.  Please be sure to get your organization’s signature back to us by October 19^th at the latest.  Send it to:  info...@gmail.com.  We plan to deliver the list of organizational signers along with the letter addressed to him to Krasner on the 25^th at a press conference we will hold that day in Philadelphia.   Although we are only soliciting names of organizations for that particular letter, we are URGING  INDIVIDUALS TO SEND THIS SAME LETTER OR THEIR OWN TO KRASNER DIRECTLY.  HIS E-MAIL IS:   jus...@philadelphia.gov.  Let’s flood Krasner’s lines!  

(LIST IN FORMATION)

Pam Africa, Keith Cook (Mumia’s brother), Cornel West, Kathleen Cleaver, Basym Hasan, Glen Ford, Eli Domota (Guadeloupe), Mireille Fanon (France) 

The Uncompromising International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, The Frantz Fanon Foundation, The MOVE Organization, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC), International Action Center, Mobilization 4 Mumia, Food Not Bombs Solidarity, Amig@s de Mumia de Mexico, Campaign to Bring Mumia Home, Colectif James Baldwin, Liberons Mumia, Comite Mumia de Saint-Denis, German FREE MUMIA Network, FREE MUMIA Berlin, LIBERONS MUMIA (French Collective), The Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, Oakland Teachers for Mumia, National Jericho Movement, NYC Jericho Movement, Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition.

International Dockworkers Council, Union Generale des Travailleurs de la Guadeloupe, People’s Organization for Progress, CEMOTAP, KOMOKODA, Black is Back Coalition, Urhuru Solidarity Movement, Universal Zulu Nation, Guillermo Morales – Assata Shakur Community and Student Center, National Lawyers Guild (Minnesota), Alliance for Global Justice (Afgj), SOS Racismo (Portugal), Freedom Archives, Communities United Against Police Brutality (Minneapolis), Bruxelles Pantheres (Belgium) , Just Justice BKO (Mali), End Solitary Santa Cruz County (CA), International Labor Solidarity Committee of Doro-Chiba/Railway Workers Union in Chiba (Japan), The Hoshino Defense Committee (Japan)

 

 

 

 

[Donna Dewitt]

I am fine with this.

 

Donna

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[Millie Phillips]

Thanks, Donna.

BTW...just found out the date has been extended to 10-25 and Larry Krasner's correct email should be: jus...@phila.gov.

[don bryant]

Yes!

Don

[James Lafferty]

Dear Friends:

        Please..let's be sure to have LFN sign on to the letter. This is another of those critical moments in the long struggle to save the life of Mumia.

In Solidarity,

Jim Lafferty

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[carolgay747]

I signed NJ IUC on to letter.

Thanks. I plan to go Oct 29.

Carol

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

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[Millie Phillips]

Excellent, and thanks to Jim Lafferty, too.

[Sandy Eaton]

Yes.