September 1999 Issue 3

PAM AFRICA, a member of International Concerned Friends and Family and a leader of the fight to save Mumia, talked about the recent controversy surrounding Mumia's case.

What do you make of the new allegations made by Philip Bloch?

It just shows the government's desperation to try to undo the magnificent work that's been done to bring Mumia's case to the forefront. Mumia says that it points out their desperation for people to think that Mumia would say something like this to someone he doesn't know.

In June, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Louis Jones, the first man sent to the federal death row under the 1994 Federal Death Penalty Act, which expanded the number of federal capital crimes from 2 to 60.

In his appeal, Jones argued that judges should be required to tell jurors that defendants will be sentenced to life without parole if jurors don't decide unanimously on the death penalty.

Pittsburgh demonstration against the Death Penalty

The Pennsylvania State Senate is considering legislation that would put a two-year moratorium on executions.

The bill calls for a halt to executions while officials investigate four points: 1) whether innocent people are sentenced to death; 2) if capital-case defendants receive competent legal representation and the resources needed to put on a defense; 3) whether racism plays a role in who gets sentenced to death; and 4) if prosecutors handle all cases the same. The bill was inspired by recent campaigns for moratoriums in other states, most notably Nebraska and Illinois.

Prosecutor admits police torture may have occurred

Rallying for the Death Row Ten

On July 29, Chicago's Death Row Ten and their supporters woke up to an astonishing piece of news: the day before, Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine had asked the Illinois Supreme Court for stays of execution for three of the Ten -- Aaron Patterson, Derrick King and Ronald Kitchen.

Devine asked the court to freeze appeals proceedings for the three while another court ruled in a case that centers on the issue that unites the Death Row Ten -- that confessions were tortured out of them by Chicago cops.

Credit: Jennifer Beach

Mumia Abu-Jamal

The fight to save Mumia Abu-Jamal has reached a critical stage.

The possibility of an execution date this fall -- as reported by the Philadelphia Daily News -- looms over the case, though Mumia's lawyers say the threat can't be substantiated.

Mumia's appeal was denied by the state last year, but it is presently before the federal courts. It would be unusual for an execution date to be set for a death row prisoner whose case is pending federal appeal. But this particular prisoner is Mumia.

"I am writing in the hope that you can help get me a pen pal friend. If so, will you please? I'm 41 years old, love playing ball, jogging, reading and looking at tv and listening to the radio and work out a lot to keep fit. I have been on death row for 10 years..."

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