Mumia Abu-Jamal's supporters and opponents weigh in on Supreme Court decision
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
The U.S. Supreme Court may have upheld the conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal in the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. But outside the courtroom, the battle continues between the opposing sides in the case.
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Pam Africa is a leader of the supporters of Mumia Abu-Jamal. She says the Supreme Court's decision not to review the case, which upheld the conviction, is an illegal action
Africa: The only reason why they refuse to review it is because number one when you go into a review you see all the inconsistencies of what happened in the case and you see the frame-up.
Supporters of the Faulkner family see things differently. Nationally-syndicated radio host Michael Smerconish wrote a book on the case and has no doubts Abu-Jamal is guilty.
Smerconish: The Faulkner family has already been victimized twice: first by Mumia Abu Jamal, and secondly by a judicial system that has failed to bring this case to closure.
The Supreme Court still has to decide whether to take up a Third Circuit decision that tossed out the death penalty for Abu-Jamal.