Remembering Daniel Faulkner & A Cop Killer’s 25th Anniversary on DR - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 12-10-2006, 01:08 AM

Remembering Daniel Faulkner
December 09, 2006 10:09 AM

We mark the 25th anniversary of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner's murder over at Hot Air. Hot Air » Blog Archive » Cop killer’s anniversary

Widow Maureen Faulkner keeps the flame alive: Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/09/2006 | Widow marks 25 years and salutes the D.A.

Quote:

Maureen Faulkner says she has spent half her life seeking peace.

She is 50 now, and it was 25 years ago today that her husband of one year, Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, was shot dead on a Center City street, a crime for which Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced to death.

Yesterday, Maureen Faulkner hosted a luncheon at the Union League to keep her husband's memory alive and to honor District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham for steadfastly challenging Abu-Jamal's many appeals.

Abu-Jamal's name was never mentioned at the luncheon.

Afterward, Faulkner, who never remarried and now lives in California, said she had spent "half my life" returning to Philadelphia for the appeals. "I wish that some day, I can have closure and some peace in my life from this," she said, vowing at the same time to not stop "fighting to have justice for Danny."

Today, Abu-Jamal's supporters plan to protest at City Hall to mark the anniversary of the crime that put him in jail, while Faulkner's family will attend a memorial Mass at Annunciation Church in South Philadelphia.

During the luncheon, Faulkner choked up when she addressed Abraham and thanked her for "helping my friends and family through such a long 25 years."

Abraham, for her part, called Abu-Jamal's supporters "know-nothings" and said she wanted to "make sure history is not rewritten, that it is not revised" in the Faulkner case.

Her office is currently appealing a federal judge's 2001 decision overturning Abu-Jamal's death sentence in the case. It also is challenging an appeal by Abu-Jamal's lawyers seeking to have his first-degree murder conviction thrown out.

Michael Smerconish's book preview is here. Philadelphia Daily News | 12/07/2006 | Michael Smerconish | BOOK PREVIEW: MAUREEN FAULKNER'S OWN STORY

More on the memorials being held this weekend. DelcoTimes - Supporters rally for fallen officer; others cry foul

In case you missed the roll call vote on the resolution protesting the decision by the city of St. Denis to honor Faulkner's convicted Death Row murderer with a street name, here are the 31--all Democrats--who voted against the measure OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

Quote:

A street named Mumia Abu JamalCentre Daily news, sports, jobs, homes, cars

A street in a Paris suburb has been named in honor of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer. "In France, they see him as a towering figure," said Suzanne Ross, co-chair of the Free Mumia Coalition of New York City, who was part of an April 29 ceremony to dedicate the Rue Mumia Abu-Jamal in the city of St. Denis.

Ross said the street is in the town's Human Rights district, which includes Nelson Mandela Stadium. Abu-Jamal, a former radio reporter and member of the Black Panther party, was sentenced to death in 1982 for the shooting of 25-year-old Daniel Faulkner. He has maintained his innocence. His writings and taped speeches have made him a cause celebre among Hollywood activists, foreign politicians and some death-penalty opponents who believe he was the victim of a racist justice system.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year agreed to consider three counts of Abu-Jamal's appeal, allegations that there was racial bias in jury selection, that the prosecutor gave an improper summation and that a judge in a previous appeal was biased.

Faulkner's widow, Maureen, called the street dedication "disgusting" and urged Philadelphia residents planning a visit to Paris this summer to cancel their trips. In 2001, the Paris City Council made Abu-Jamal an honorary citizen. "This is so unnerving for me to get this news," Faulkner said from Los Angeles, where she lives. "It's insulting to the police officers of Philadelphia that they are naming a street after a murderer."

Daniel Faulkner has been honored by a memorial plaque installed at the scene of the shooting at 13th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia.

Daniel Faulkner's memorial page is here. Untitled Document
They have the entire, unedited trial transcript, and links to a great many mainstream media accounts.

LunaChick · 12-10-2006, 11:03 PM

This whole thing makes me sick.

I think he is getting a new trial. If he does, he will be acquitted.

LunaChick · 12-10-2006, 11:12 PM

Saturday, December 09, 2006
25 Years Ago Scumbag Mumia Abu Jamal MURDERED a good Cop Danny Faulkner

Mumia Should be 6 foot under Rather than in a 6X6 Cell....

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Murder of a good cop by a scumbag. A benefit was held at GENO’S STEAKS in Philly wear all money raised goes to the JUSTICE FOR DANIEL FAULKNER SCHOLRSHIP FUND please give your support.

WHO IS MUMIA ABU JAMAL?

Mumia Abu-Jamal has stated that he spent his youth as an "apprentice in revolutionary journalism" for the Black Panthers. The Panthers were a radical group that, along with their legitimate "social work," advocated violence, kidnapping, drug dealing and murder, as appropriate methods of response to perceived government and police oppression. Jamal, who had no prior criminal record prior to the Faulkner shooting, eventually rose to the rank of "Lieutenant Minister of Information" for the Panther's Philadelphia Chapter. He left the Panthers in the early 1970s and began working for a string of local Philadelphia radio stations. In March of 1981, Jamal was fired from his part-time job as a reporter for Philadelphia's NPR (National Public Radio) affiliate station, WUHY-FM, (now WHYY) in Philadelphia.

NOTE: Along with millions of others, it appears that the Mumia propaganda machine duped us too. When we first went on line, based on the information we collected while researching this issue -- which included articles written by Jamal's supporters -- we stated, "Mumia Abu-Jamal was a longstanding critic of the Philadelphia Police Department." However, since our initial posting of this site we have been contacted by several credible sources, including Pulitzer Prize winning author Buzz Bissinger and various other reporters who worked for local Philadelphia newspapers in 1981. These individuals informed us that, while Mumia Abu-Jamal known in Philadelphia's inner city for his reports on social issues, he was not known as a critic of, or even a commentator on, the Philadelphia Police Department. In his Vanity Fair article "The Guilty and the Dead" (Which is posted at danielfaulkner.com) Buzz Bissinger states that William Marimow (who shared in a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1978 for reporting on police abuses in Philadelphia, and who is now the managing editor of the Baltimore Sun) told him, "I was very attuned to everyone who wrote about Philadelphia police violence. This guy [Jamal] didn't register a blip on my radar screen." Several other prominent Philadelphia journalists who specialized in writing about police abuse echo Mr. Marimow's sentiments.

Jamal's supporters have always insisted that he was "targeted by police" because he was a constant nuisance to them and had "exposed" much of their alleged wrongdoing. But the reality seems to be that Jamal's supposed commentary on police issues in 1981 has nothing to do with his case, because he simply never made any such commentary. As confirmed by the statement made by one of Jamal's own attorneys - who admitted that the arresting officers likely had "no idea" who Jamal was on the morning of the killing -- this notion appears to be just another article of misinformation on the part of Jamal's adherents.

THE MOVE FACTOR
There is undoubtedly a link between Mumia Abu-Jamal and the violent anti-government, anti-police group known as MOVE. Headed by a man named John Africa, MOVE was headquartered in Philadelphia's Center City. Most of MOVE's members lived together in a single row home in Philadelphia's inner city area. For several years preceding the murder of Officer Faulkner, MOVE's members had been in constant conflict with their neighbors, as well as various Philadelphia City officials. According to comments made to local media by residents who lived adjacent to the MOVE home in 1978, Move's members were armed to the teeth and they would threaten any person who violated the rules MOVE had established to govern the neighborhood. MOVE allowed mountains of trash to pile up in front of their home attracting vermin to the neighborhood and throw buckets of human waste from their windows. Additionally, MOVE's members used a loudspeaker system to blast the militant rhetoric of John Africa from their windows around the clock.

In the spring of 1978, MOVE staged a lengthy hunger strike. Local activists visited the MOVE headquarters in their Powelton Village home and determined that the MOVE members participating in the hunger strike were also starving their children. Arrangements were made to have food delivered to the home for these children. MOVE's leaders first accepted this food, and then threw it back over the fence that surrounded their home. On August 10, 1978, the police were asked to extract the children from the MOVE home. As they attempted to do so, MOVE members began firing at them. When the shooting stopped, Police Officer James Ramp had been killed. Nine MOVE members were tried for Officer Ramp's murder. All were convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

According to Jamal's friends and co-workers, he openly began to espouse the teachings of MOVE founder John Africa while at work. The trial and the sentences handed down for Officer Ramp's murder enraged Jamal. According to the station's general manager, Jamal lost all semblance of objectivity as a reporter. Due to his outspoken and inflammatory rhetoric at the station, coupled with several work related violations, Jamal was fired from his part time radio job at WUHY-FM. He failed to find new employment in local media. As stated by many of his colleagues, by 1981 he had become a local media pariah whose professional and personal life had begun to unravel.

Mumia Abu-Jamal had not worked as a reporter for nearly a year, and had taken to working as a cab driver to make ends meet, on the night he murdered Officer Daniel Faulkner.

THE CASE AGAINST MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

By any standard, the evidence against Mumia Abu-Jamal was overwhelming. The prosecution case included:

Four eyewitnesses to the crime who stated that Jamal was the killer.
Considerable forensic and ballistic evidence that pointed to Jamal's guilt.
Three witnesses saw and heard Jamal, when just outside the hospital emergency room, triumphantly shout that he had killed the officer.
Jamal himself. Jamal proved to be his own worst enemy at his trial. According to members of the jury, his own conduct in the courtroom convinced them that he was quite capable of committing murder.

The_City_Troll: 25 Years Ago Scumbag Mumia Abu Jamal MURDERED a good Cop Danny Faulkner

LunaChick · 12-10-2006, 11:12 PM

THE EVIDENCE

The trail evidence established that the following occurred on December 9, 1981.

At the 1982 trial four (4) eyewitnesses -- none of who knew each other prior to the shooting and each of who was deemed to have testified credibly by the court -- stated that they witnessed the following sequence of events:

At 3:51:08 AM on December 9th, 1981, Officer Faulkner pulled a Volkswagen over for driving the wrong way down a one way street with it's lights off.

William Cook, Mumia Abu Jamal's brother, was driving the vehicle. He exited the car and shortly thereafter several witnesses saw him attack Officer Faulkner, punching Faulkner in the face.

Several of the eyewitnesses saw Mumia Abu-Jamal running across the street towards the scene with his arm raised. Prior to the police stop of his brother, Jamal was coincidentally sitting in his cab across the street in a parking lot.

From less than two feet away, Jamal fired a shot, which hit Officer Faulkner in the back.

Faulkner was able to remove his revolver, turn and fire one shot at his attacker. The bullet found its mark in Mumia Abu Jamal's chest.

The wounded Faulkner then fell to the ground.

Jamal stood over the unarmed officer and fired several additional shots at Faulkner's upper body.

Jamal then took the time to bend down, put the barrel of his gun inches away from Officer Faulkner's face and fire the final and fatal shot, killing him instantly.

Jamal then staggered several steps and collapsed on the curb.

Just 90 seconds later, police apprehended Jamal, his gun at his side, only a few feet from Officer Faulkner's body. They then placed him in the back of a police van.

Jamal's Bragging Confession to the Murder

In their testimony, several witnesses stated that Mr. Jamal was violently resisting police when he was brought into Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Three people, including two police officers and a black hospital security guard twice heard Jamal shout out, "I shot the Mother ****er, and I hope the Mother ****er dies." Two of these individuals, police officers Gary Bell and Gary Wakschul, each reported what they had heard two months after the incident. The third, security guard Priscilla Durham, reported hearing the same outburst to her supervisor the day after the shooting.

Myths Section

Myth #1
The bullet that killed Officer Faulkner was a .44 caliber bullet, while Jamal's gun was a .38 caliber.
Myth #2
Several "eyewitnesses" saw someone else shoot Officer Faulkner and then escape up an alley.
Myth #3
The jury that convicted Mumia Abu-Jamal was racially stacked against him by the prosecutor, who used eleven of his peremptory challenges to exclude qualified black jurors, solely because they were black.
Myth #4
Mumia Abu-Jamal is a political prisoner who was convicted and sentenced to death because of his political beliefs and his past membership in the Black Panthers.
Myth #5
The court allocated just $150 for Mumia Abu-Jamal and his attorney to mount their entire defense.
Myth #6
The Philadelphia Police Department lost evidence, withheld evidence, coerced witnesses and conspired against Mr. Jamal to obtain a conviction.
Myth #7
In an effort to frame Mumia Abu-Jamal and secure a conviction, the Philadelphia Police fabricated a story about Mumia Abu-Jamal's Emergency Room confession.
Myth #8
Mr. Jamal was coming to the aid of his brother who was being brutally beaten by Officer Faulkner.
Myth #9
Mumia Abu-Jamal was denied his right to self representation, in violation of his Constitutional Rights.
Myth #10
Mumia Abu-Jamal's court appointed attorney was admittedly incompetent and incapable of mounting a defense on Jamal's behalf.
Myth #11
Judge Albert Sabo has sentenced more black people to death than any other Judge in the U.S. Therefore, he had a bias against Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Myth #12
The ballistics evidence used to convict Mumia Abu-Jamal was flawed. The police failed to test Jamal's hands to see if he had recently fired a gun and they never "sniffed" Jamal's gun to see if it had been fired.
Myth #13
Only one prosecution witness saw Mr. Jamal with a gun.
Myth #14
Mumia Abu-Jamal is an "award winning journalist" who was targeted by police and Mayor Frank Rizzo because he had repeatedly exposed police corruption in Philadelphia.
Myth #15
Some of Jamal's supporters suggest that the "real killer's" driver's license was found in Officer Faulkner's pocket the morning he was murdered.
Myth #16
The downward angle of Jamal's wound makes the prosecution's explanation of the shooting impossible.
Myth #17
Justice for Daniel Faulkner response to the Arnold Beverly Story

If you require more information why this scumbag should have been executed Go To the Faulkner Home Page For as much information as you need

The_City_Troll: 25 Years Ago Scumbag Mumia Abu Jamal MURDERED a good Cop Danny Faulkner

queenangie · 12-10-2006, 11:36 PM

The city street should be named after the fallen police officer,
"a good Cop Danny Faulkner!"

Blackerose · 12-14-2006, 11:53 AM

If Mumia is guilty, then he will be found guilty again at a new trial. Evidence doesn't change. It's been 13 years since I left South Jersey, but I remember how corrupt the Philadelphia Police Dept was under Frank Rizzo, and how Arlen Specter, now Sen. Specter defended Ira Einhorn and got him released on a low bail after he killed Holly Maddux. He then ran for years before finally geting extradited. I think a new trial is needed to finally end this. A lot of people, including my criminal law professor, believe he is innocent.

Jolie Rouge · 12-14-2006, 06:19 PM

As I understand it, the had a trial in 1982 at which he was found guilty and sentenced to Death. Due to much uproar a second trial was held in 1995 and he was - again - found guilty. In 2001 a Federal Judge overturned Abu-Jamal's death sentence in the case, but not the guilty VERDICTS ( plural ) that were the judgement of two seperate juries.

Do you just keep asking for a re-trial until you get the verdict you want ?

Blackerose · 12-14-2006, 10:17 PM

If Mumia'a attorneys can find grounds for a new trial and they can find a judge who agrees, he can get a new trial. I don't know if he is getting a new trial, Lunachick stated in a previous post that he may be getting one and she's in Philly so she knows more than I do. There have been fund raisers in Hollywood for this man; money buys great attorneys.

LunaChick · 12-15-2006, 07:05 PM

There is a lot of talk here that he may be getting yet another trial. We shall see. There may have been a lot of corrupt police officers back then and I'm sure there are still quite a few left but it doesn't change the fact that Officer Faulkner is dead and Mumia is alive. I believe he shot and killed him. I haven't seen or heard any evidence (old or new) to make me think otherwise.

Blackerose · 12-15-2006, 08:39 PM

Lunachick, please keep us posted if he does get a new trial. I'd like to see on what grounds. Is he off Death Row now?

LunaChick · 12-19-2006, 08:28 PM

His death sentence was over turned but I think he is still on death row. I'll have to check into that.