PHILADELPHIA -- Supporters of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal staged a march Thursday in Center City coinciding with a court hearing that was getting international attention.
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Video: Prosecutors Hope To Reinstate Mumia Abu-Jamal's Death Sentence
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At issue was whether Abu-Jamal will be put to death for the shooting death of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
Abu-Jamal's death sentence was overturned in 2001. Prosecutors are asking the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate it, while Abu-Jamal's attorney are challenging his 1982 conviction.
The former Black Panther, who has became a celebrity inmate during a quarter century on death row, wasn't in federal court Thursday.
For 25 years now, the prosecution has said Abu-Jamal did receive a fair trial and deserves to die.
But Abu-Jamal's attorney argued his client should receive a new trial or re-sentencing hearing.
Most of Thursday's arguments centered around allegations of racial bias during the murder trial.
"At the time of this trial in 1982, the District Attorney's Office of Philadelphia was systematically removing people from the jury who were African-American, not for any other reason but because of the color of their skin," said Abu-Jamal's attorney, Robert Bryan.
Bryan told the three federal judges his client did not have enough black people on his jury.
In 1982, a jury of 10 Caucasians and two black people convicted Abu-Jamal of shooting Faulkner to death.
Former prosecutor Joseph McGill said he had initially selected four black people in what he calls his strongest case ever.
"Jamal struck one. The total number of jurors, I believe, was two because one of those African-Americans jurors was jointly excused," McGill said.
Faulkner was killed by Abu-Jamal in December of 1981. Court records show police had pulled over Abu-Jamal's brother near 13th and Locust streets. Abu-Jamal showed up in his cab. During an exchange of gunfire with police, Faulkner was killed and Abu-Jamal was shot.
Maureen Faulkner, the officer's widow, has attended every legal proceeding for 25 years and maintains Abu-Jamal was treated fairly and deserves death.
"There is absolutely no doubt that Mumia Abu-Jamal murdered Danny and did it with premeditation, and he absolutely received a fair trial," she said.
Both attorneys said the federal judges could take about 90 days to reach a decision.
The judges have a couple of choices. They could order a new trial, order a new sentencing or penalty phase hearing, or they could uphold the death sentence against Abu-Jamal.
Abu-Jamal, 53, has built a global following through his politically charged writings and recorded speeches from prison. Actors, writers, death-penalty opponents and a melange of other activists have staged rallies on his behalf around the world over the years.
Hundreds of protesters on both sides of the case were outside the federal courthouse and then at City Hall Thursday afternoon, blocking lanes of traffic on some surrounding roads. The Associated Press reported there were 500 protestors in all, although the group marching at City Hall appeared smaller.
One of them, Marcus Shell, 35, of Philadelphia, said Abu-Jamal didn't get a fair trial because of who he was -- "a former Black Panther, the voice of the voiceless."
"Mumia represents a lot of blacks locked up in prison today," Shell said.
Protesters were supposed to march again at 5 p.m., but the second event was smaller than the first.
http://www.nbc10.com/news/13337685/d...l?dl=mainclick
Ugh
