Judge Lucretia Clemons Orders Philly DA to Disclose All Evidence in Mumia Abu-Jamal Case. Could It Lead to New Trial?
Supporters and family of Pennsylvania political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal filled the courtroom today. All were asking whether Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Lucretia Clemons would continue the long miscarriage of justice against Mumia — 41 years in prison — or whether she would place herself on the side of justice and rule in favor of Abu-Jamal.
Dec 19, 2022: Supporters of imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal are celebrating a decision by a Philadelphia judge on Friday to order the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to share all of its files on the case with Abu-Jamal’s defense team. Judge Lucretia Clemons gave prosecutors and the defense 60 days to review the files, including many that Abu-Jamal’s team has never seen. The judge is then expected to rule on whether to hold a new trial for the former Black Panther, who has been imprisoned for over 40 years for his 1982 conviction in the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner.
The Philly DA’s office still continues to withhold @ 22 – 200 boxes evidence that shows Mumia’s innocense and was never turned over to his lawyers!
His supporters have long claimed prosecutors withheld key evidence and bribed or coerced witnesses to lie, and documents found in the DA’s office in 2019 show Abu-Jamal’s trial was tainted by judicial bias and police and prosecutorial misconduct.
For more on the case, we speak with Johanna Fernández, an associate professor of history at CUNY’s Baruch College and one of the coordinators of the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home. “We have enough evidence here to clearly give Mumia at least an evidentiary hearing, a new trial or set him free,” says Fernández. She is the executive producer and writer of the film “Justice on Trial: The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal” and is also the editor of “Writing on the Wall: Selected Prison Writings of Mumia Abu-Jamal.”
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Results of Critical hearing for Mumia Abu-Jamal