Pa. Supreme Court rejects Abu-Jamal’s last appeal

    Former death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal has lost his last legal appeal.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has rejected a challenge regarding forensic evidence in his racially charged case.

    The onetime Black Panther was found guilty in 1982 of fatally shooting white Philadelphia police Officer Daniel Faulkner.
    Abu-Jamal spent nearly 30 years on death row while pursuing numerous legal appeals. On March 26, the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s denial of the forensics claim.

    Abu-Jamal’s attorney didn’t immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the Philadelphia district attorney’s office declined to comment.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    One of Abu-Jamal’s appeals led a judge to order a new sentencing hearing. Instead, prosecutors in December agreed to allow him to serve a life sentence.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal