F O L K E T I B I L D / K U L T U R F R O N T 3/97
p å t e l e p r i n t e r n
DEADLY DECISIONS
Date: 23 Feb 1997Subject: Column 2/17/97
Column Written 2/17/97 By Mumia Abu-Jamal © 1997 All Rights Reserved
Again and again, no matter what happens to others, we stubbornly hold on to our expectations that, for us at least, fairness resides on the bench, and that the person in the black rob represents the impartial idea of "justice".Why do we feel this way, even in the face of mind-numbing, daily injustices?It's human for us to feel as if what occurs to others will not necessarily occur to us. It is human for us to engage in self-deceptions.Also we are conditioned by every medium in this system to believe that judges are just, despite the undeniable fact that, for most of this nation's history, Black folk found only the bitterest injustice in every American court they ever entered, from the meanest justice of the peace, to the nation's highest Supreme Court.For centuries American courts of alleged "Law" supported slavery over freedom, even while calling the practice of human bondage wrong, as did North Carolina Supreme Court justice J. Thomas Ruffin, who noted that: "The power of the master must be absolute, to render the submission of the slave perfect. As a principle of moral right, every person in his retirement must repudiate it. But in the actual condition of things it must be so." (1829-From [II] Herbert Aptheker's American Negro Slave Revolts)Under what "condition" could human slavery be defended? Under a condition of legal injustice fo course, one under which all American law operated for the better part of US history.In modern-day law, the descendant of what came before, we still believe. We still hope.Would it be a "fair" trial for a man to be tried, in a death penalty case, before a jury that had, as a member of its panel, a man who was a fiance of a victim in the case?The law books assure us this cannot happen, for, in the words of a case called Commonwealth vs Stewart, the Supreme Court proclaimed, "even the possibility of jury prejudice required reversal, because of the possibility of an infringement on the accused's right to due process of law."In late 1991, a young man from North Philly faced the death penalty in connection with the robbery and shooting in a popular neighborhood bar. In the case, Commonwealth v. Gibson, the following exchange took place:The Court: Good morning, Ma'am. We have accepted you as a juror in this case. The question arises at this point: Have you heard anyone speak of this case or talk about this case other than here in the courtroom?Juror No. 10: In what context? You mean throughThe Court: While here in City Hall, in the elevators, in the hallways, upstairs in the jury room. Have you heard anyone talk about this case or anyone mention they had any relationship with the case or anyone involved in the case?Juror No. 10: YesThe Court: What would that be Ma'am?Juror No. 10: There was a young lady outside that was being polled yesterday. She mentioned the fact that there was someone in the room that had some relationship to the young lady in the incident.The Court: Would that be the extent of the conversation you heard?Juror No. 10: Yes.Is this a "possibility" of jury prejudice?Not to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which rejected Ron-Ron Gibson's arguments for appeal, and by so doing, sent him dramatically down the judicial conveyer belt towards death.To keep this machinery of death rolling, the court "disappeared" a juror who heard this and more, and actually sat on Ron's case, by simply denying that she sat on the jury.Nigger-justice in the 1990's. And still we believe.Why?
URGENT CALL TO ACT
IN DEFENSE OF MUMIA
Date: 19 Feb 1997Subject: Urgent Mumia Call
February 18, 1997 from Refuse & Resist!
In the last few days, Pennsylvania prison authorities have launched a series of crude new attacks on Mumia Abu-Jamal. Because these attacks are aimed at further isolating Mumia from his supporters, they must be responded to immediately. Martin Horn,
These attacks may also be in preparation for the announcement of new adverse decisions by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, with the purpose of placing Mumia in Disciplinary Custody which would cut off his phone privileges and cut off his access to the media completely-in other words an "official gag." Further, these attacks come following the publication of Mumia's new book Death Blossoms. This time officials may not wish to attack him directly for writing a book, and are looking for other ways to apply the censor's hand.
Here is what has happened: On Thursday, February 13, Mumia was told that he would have to cut his hair, and he had ten days to comply. Mumia wears his hair in natural "dreadlocks" for religious reasons, just as other prisoners wear religious head coverings. He has worn his hair this way for the 16 years he has been held captive. In 1985, immediately after the bombing of the MOVE house in Philadelphia, Mumia and the MOVE members in other Pennsylvania prisons were all ordered to cut their hair. They refused, and Mumia was thrown into "the hole" until 1992 when then Gov. Casey rescinded the order.
The second thing that happened is that Mumia's attorney who is handling his civil suit against the prison authorities, Jere Krakoff of Pittsburgh, was barred from visiting Mumia at the prison. He has visited Mumia as his attorney on six previous occasions.
Third, Mumia was handed a letter on legal matters sent by his attorney Leonard Weinglass, where the envelope had been torn open and the words "cop killer" were written across the front.
Fourth, Chris Zimmerman, a member of the Bruderhof community and the Pennsylvania Prison Society was grabbed and thrown out of the prison following a visit. He has now been permanently barred from the Pennsylvania Prison system.
These outrages must be responded to immediately. In addition to mounting visible public protest, prominent people, religious and governmental officials must be called on to speak out.
Letters of protest can be sent to:Acting Superintendent Vaughn,
Phone 412-852-2902; fax 412-852-2909 and 412-852-5502.
State Correctional Institution at Greene,
1030 E. Roy Furman Hwy.,
Waynesburg, PA 15370-8089
Commissioner of Corrections,
Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 598,
Camp Hill,
PA 17001-0598
