When the Legal Defense Fund became Abu-Jamal’s cocounsel in 2011, its press release called him a ‘‘symbol’’ of ‘‘racial injustice.’’ It said: ‘‘Abu-Jamal’s conviction and death sentence are relics of a time and place that was notorious for police abuse and racial discrimination.’’ An LDF lawyer attended rallies for Abu-Jamal. She said it was absolutely an ‘‘honor’’ to represent him and that doing so was her ‘‘pleasure.’’ She said: ‘‘There is no question in the mind of anyone at the Legal Defense Fund that the justice system has completely and utterly failed Mumia Abu-Jamal.’’ This demagoguery of the murder of a defenseless police officer has shocked and offended law enforcement officers from across the country. Current District Attorney of Philadelphia Seth Williams wrote the Judiciary Committee last month to oppose this nominee’s confirmation. Here is what he had to say: Apart from being patently false, moreover, these claims are personally insulting to me. As an African-American, I know all too well the grievous consequences of racial discrimination and prejudice. I also know that Abu- Jamal was convicted and sentenced because of the evidence, not because of his race. And I have continued to fight for the jury’s verdict because it was the just result. District Attorney Williams notes
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:17:33 +0000