And Justice For Some: Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Final Days

After four decades served in maximum security for a crime he did not commit, activist Mumia Abu-Jamal faces the biggest challenge of his life.

For decades, the U.S. justice system has come under scrutiny for its conduct towards individuals asserting derision at the establishment. During this time, revolutionaries have been harassed, victimised, and incarcerated by a corrupt system desperate to veil the sinister machinations of democracy. Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and Ross Ulbricht are template examples of citizens imprisoned for defending basic human rights.

Another casualty of establishment paranoia is journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. With his incarceration expedited in the early 1980s, he has hence dedicated his time attempting to clear his name. In 1982, he was sentenced to death for the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, an outspoken individual connected to alerting the F.B.I. of local department corruption. It has since been alleged that Abu-Jamal was framed.

Make no mistake, Mumia Abu-Jamal cuts an imposing figure. He possesses the ability to poke the nest and speak without fear. As president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists he rallied against that city’s justice system, the most corrupt faction in the United States at the time.

“Do you see law and order? There is nothing but disorder, and instead of law, there is the illusion of security. It is an illusion because it is built on a long history of injustices: racism, criminality, and the genocide of millions. Many people say it is insane to resist the system, but actually, it is insane not to.”

With the framing of champion boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter fresh in the collective consciousness, Philadelphia police manipulated a sting using one of their own as bait. Abu-Jamal, having been sacked by NPR affiliate WHYY for his outspokenness, was working as a taxi driver on the night in question, and upon witnessing a traffic stop involving his brother William Cook, stopped to render assistance.

THE INCIDENT

Despite a substantial gap existing between the time of the traffic stop and the time Faulkner's body was found, Mumia Abu-Jamal was shot. Bloodied, and metres from the deceased policeman, Abu-Jamal was discovered injured by a bullet from Faulkner's gun, with his own discharged weapon beside him.

Two shooters were allegedly arranged for the night, the script concluding with Faulkner being executed by shooter #1, and Abu-Jamal by shooter #2.

But the plan backfired:

a) Mumia survived.

b) Given the sting was planned for 4am, the officers involved hadn't banked on witnesses being present—there were twelve, all with corroborating sworn statements.

Despite missing evidence, a lack of prosecutorial witnesses, and no detail tying Abu-Jamal to the shooting, the jury delivered a unanimous verdict with little deliberation and care.

Abruptly sentenced to death, Abu-Jamal was deemed a street thug with a grudge against society. Following the trial, a conspiracy was exposed, highlighting the murder of an honest cop threatening to unleash a tirade against his own corrupt department. Subsequently, in 2012, after an excruciating lobby of appeals, Abu-Jamal’s sentence was commuted to life without parole.

“The broader problem is this: how many cases of a similar ilk are perpetuated on a daily basis across the globe? How many innocent people must rot in prison before enough is enough? Why is the exposition of truth left to so few?”

From the confines of his cell, Abu-Jamal has become an integral speaker against the U.S. establishment. An eloquent man with cult-figure status, he has recorded several spoken-word albums for San Francisco’s Alternative Tentacles label, and has authored countless theses.

Frail, and under the ravage of Hepatitis C, Abu-Jamal concedes he may never bear witness to the spoils of freedom again. Despite his weakening state, he remains steadfast in anticipation of a recently granted right of appeal hearing under the banner of the Supreme Court.

*You have more influence than you think. To assist Mumia Abu-Jamal in his fight for freedom, financially or otherwise, go to freemumia.com