Mumia Abu-Jamal is petitioning for a re-trial regarding his sentencing in the 1981 killing of Philadelphia officer Daniel Faulkner. After multiple appeals to overturn his conviction were denied, the former Black Panther’s case will be heard once again due to new evidence that may prove his innocence, per ABC 6 News.
Abu-Jamal was driving with his brother, William Cook, when they were stopped by Faulkner, reports say. The traffic stop then boiled into a shooting match. Faulkner was fatally shot and Abu-Jamal suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. Abu-Jamal was found guilty of the officer’s murder, sentenced to death then later re-sentenced to life in prison, per CBS.
Abu-Jamal’s defense team say they found six filing boxes marked with their client’s name stored in the district attorney’s office, per ABC 6. They claim the evidence within those files proves he didn’t have a fair trial. There were notes found written by prosecutor Joseph McGill who allegedly struck out 10 Black jurors to curate a majority-white jury pool.
In another instance, the defense said they found evidence to suggest the witness testimonies lacked credibility. For star witness Robert Chobert, the defense claimed he made a monetary agreement with McGill to testify against Abu-Jamal.
Source: Defense Team for Ex-Black Panther Discover Evidence Withheld from Trial
