April 24, 2013 is Mumia Abu-Jamal's 59th birthday

Mumia Abu-Jamal, one of the best known American political prisoners in the world, celebrates his 59th birthday today, April 24, 2013, sitting in prison on false charges as we have a government that has total contempt for the workingclass and its leaders, of whom Mumia is one.

An appeal of his life sentence without parole was filed on February 25, 2013.

From: http://www.freemumia.com/2013/03/25-feb-2013-important-legal-update/

On Monday, February 25, 2013, Prof. Judith Ritter of Widener Law School and Christina Swarns of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. filed an appeal in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania challenging the fairness of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas’ surprise August 2012 Order resentencing Mumia Abu-Jamal to life imprisonment without parole.

That brief, which is attached, demonstrates that the trial court violated state and federal law:

•by resentencing Mumia without providing him, his counsel or anyone else notice that a resentencing would occur
•by failing to give Mumia or his counsel the opportunity to appear or present information or argument prior to sentencing, and
•by failing to make any effort to ensure that Mumia was informed of his appellate rights


NOTE FROM THE LEGAL TEAM:

Given these errors, the appeal requests a new sentencing hearing.

Here are the next steps:

•The Philadelphia County District Attorney’s Office will file a brief responding to our appeal
•we will file a reply to the DA’s brief
•there may be oral argument, and then
•the Superior Court will issue an opinion


The Court has three options, it can:

•conclude that there was nothing wrong with what the trial court did and uphold Mumia’s life without parole sentence; or
•conclude that the trial court made mistakes but there was no harm to Mumia because the outcome — a life without parole sentence — would be the same even if the proper procedures had been followed; or
•vacate the trial court’s order and send the case back to the Court of Common Pleas for a new sentencing hearing that complies with state and federal law.


It is hard to know how the court will rule, or how soon an opinion will be issued.

We will certainly let everyone know as soon as a decision is announced.

Thank You,
The Legal Team of Mumia Abu Jamal
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SEIU 1199 (healthcare workers) of New York City is sending a bus to Philadelphia for the birthday celebration and to kickoff the new campaign to end his incarceration and bring Mumia home.

More information may be found at:
http://www.freemumia.com/2013/04/campaign-launch-join-us-april-24th-in-philadelphia/#more-2525
The leaflet on that page combines many issues, all related:
Abolish Democrat Clinton's Anti-Terrorism and Death Penalty Act signed on April 24, 1996, and pushed by Democrat DA Ed Rendell who framed Mumia.
Abolish the Death Penalty in Pennsylvania
Oppose School Closures and the School to Prison Pipeline
Abolish sentencing of juveniles to life without parole
End police brutality

The leaflet giving some history of the Democratic Party's district attorneys, all anti-Mumia, is at
http://www.freemumia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013_04_24_Final-v24-color.pdf

Ron Castille is a Republican, no different from all the others, all of whom are Democrats.

Here is more on Ed Rendell:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Rendell
Among many positions he has held, he served as General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 presidential election.

Democrat Lynne Abraham is described at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynne_Abraham
which states: "Abraham held the office of District Attorney longer than anyone in Philadelphia history. She earned the nicknames "Deadliest DA" and "Queen of Death" for the high rate at which her office sought the death penalty in past decades."

Free Mumia Abu-Jamal!