NationStates Jolt Archive

Philadelphia Inquirer (http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/14587429.htm)
Paris suburb names street for cop-killer Abu-Jamal
By Jennifer Lin
Inquirer Staff Writer

As Philadelphians cope with another police slaying, news comes that a suburb of Paris has named a street for Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted of the 1981 murder of Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

Hundreds of supporters of Abu-Jamal attended a ceremony on April 29 to dedicate the Rue Mumia-Abu Jamal in the city of St.-Denis.

"In France, they see him as a towering figure," said Suzanne Ross, cochair of the Free Mumia Coalition of New York City, who was part of the ceremony.

Ross said the street is in the town's Human Rights district, which includes Nelson Mandela Stadium.

Richard Costello, past president of the Philadelphia lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the street dedication was "deplorable" but "consistent with the offensive position the French have taken in this matter. They've made him into some type of hero."

Abu-Jamal, 53, was sentenced to death in 1982 for the shooting of Faulkner, who was 25. A memorial plaque honoring Faulkner has been installed at 13th and Locust Streets, where he was shot.

Abu-Jamal, a former Philadelphia journalist, Black Panther member, and critic of police brutality, has maintained his innocence.

Last year, a federal appeals court agreed to consider Abu-Jamal's appeal of his conviction. The court said it would consider Abu-Jamal's allegation of racial bias in jury selection, as well as claims that the prosecutor gave an improper summation and that a judge in a previous appeal was biased.

The street naming in St.-Denis was part of a three-day event sponsored by the French city, Ross said.

She said there were speakers on such issues as the death penalty, human rights, the Abu-Jamal case, and the 1985 bombing of the MOVE headquarters in West Philadelphia.

Ross said Pam and Ramona Africa, MOVE leaders and supporters of Abu-Jamal, spoke about the "unfulfilled quest for justice in that case."

When notified of the French dedication, Maureen Faulkner, widow of the victim, called it "disgusting."

"This is so unnerving for me to get this news," Faulkner said from Los Angeles, where she lives. "It's insulting to the police officers of Philadelphia that they are naming a street after a murderer."

The campaign to free Abu-Jamal has generated international attention, particularly among anti-death-penalty activists in France. At the dedication ceremony, Julia Wright, a translator in Paris and daughter of the late African American author Richard Wright, called Abu-Jamal "our Mandela."

Maureen Faulkner, on the other hand, urged Americans to boycott Paris.

"The people of Philadelphia should think if they have any trips to Paris this summer, to cancel those trips," Faulkner said.

Of the French support of Abu-Jamal, she added: "These are the people who sheltered Ira Einhorn" - a fugitive who was finally returned to Philadelphia and convicted of killing his girlfriend, Holly Maddux.
0_o

Crazy French

What you're failing to recognize, OP, is that Mumia Abu-Jamal is widely recognized, internationally, as a symbol for wrongful imprisonment and abuse of powers in America today.

Didn't someone else confess to this in like 1999?

Didn't someone else confess to this in like 1999?

Who?

Maureen Faulkner, on the other hand, urged Americans to boycott Paris.

"The people of Philadelphia should think if they have any trips to Paris this summer, to cancel those trips," Faulkner said.

Heh... It's not even happening in Paris, and Parisians have nothing to do with it, but... boycott Paris! Makes perfect sense! Silly American woman with her deplorable grasp of geography...

Oh, and... yay for more senseless generalisations based on nationality! Way to go, Lt_Cody. You've just made my list of "people not able to think outside ignorant generalisations".

What you're failing to recognize, OP, is that Mumia Abu-Jamal is widely recognized, internationally, as a symbol for wrongful imprisonment and abuse of powers in America today.
No way:eek:

Oh, and... yay for more senseless generalisations based on nationality! Way to go, Lt_Cody. You've just made my list of "people not able to think outside ignorant generalisations".

Cool, I'm on someone's list. Can I see who else is on there? :D

Who?

In 1999, Arnold Beverly confessed to killing Officer Faulkner. This confession is validated by a lie detector test administered by eminent polygraph expert Charles Honts.

So....extremely misleading title then?

Cool, I'm on someone's list. Can I see who else is on there? :D

Far too many people to list. But you're in good company. :p

Far too many people to list. But you're in good company. :p
If they're good company, why'd you black-list them? :D

In 1999, Arnold Beverly confessed to killing Officer Faulkner. This confession is validated by a lie detector test administered by eminent polygraph expert Charles Honts.
Yet he was STILL awating a review and appeal?

Hmm maybe the international community does have a point. I guess this is the first I have heard of it

If they're good company, why'd you black-list them? :D

*stops, and thinks about that*

*scratches his head*

Damn you! :p

Didn't someone else confess to this in like 1999?

arnold beverley. but his confession was more than a little suspect and was essentially brushed off once mumia got a different set of lawyers.

Heh... It's not even happening in Paris, and Parisians have nothing to do with it, but... boycott Paris! Makes perfect sense! Silly American woman with her deplorable grasp of geography...

Oh, and... yay for more senseless generalisations based on nationality! Way to go, Lt_Cody. You've just made my list of "people not able to think outside ignorant generalisations".

Jane you ignorant slut. :upyours: Generalizations like ignorant Americans.

Duh... Paris is the capital of France. Thus it is synonymous with France you nimwit.

Its like saying screw Washington in retaliation for some American offence. Beside who the hell takes their holiday specifically in St-Denis. So it not very effectual to call for a boycott of St-Denis. Yes, they do have a very nice church but still...:rolleyes:

I'm tired of this. This son of a bitch said "I hope that mother fucker dies!" when the policemen he had shot was brought to a hospital.

Philadelphia Inquirer (http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/14587429.htm)

0_o

Crazy French

Mumia Abu Jamal is clearly innocent. There never was any proof of the murder, only coerced witness who admitted being forced to lie afterwards. Even the bullet that killed the police officer was not of the same caliber than the gun Mumia had !

Mumia is recognized as "honorous citizen" is many cities of the world, including Montreal, Venezia, Paris, ... He has a street of his name in the city of Saint-Denis, in Paris' suburbs. Many human rights organisations, including Amnesty and HRW are asking for either a new trial, or his immediate release.

Paris is fighting against injustice, against death penalty, and against the death penalty used as political repression. By doing that, Paris is honoring its tradition, from the Revolution to the Commune to the Resistance.

i remember this article, It was just published after that guy shot Officer Skerski. I think the french justice system is partly to blame in this case but NOBODY should ever kill a cop. thats just wrong

I'm tired of this. This son of a bitch said "I hope that mother fucker dies!" when the policemen he had shot was brought to a hospital.

That's just a plain lie.

What is true is that the judge said "I'll help to fry the ******" before the start of the trial... that's fair justice, sure.

Mumia Abu Jamal is clearly innocent. There never was any proof of the murder, only coerced witness who admitted being forced to lie afterwards. Even the bullet that killed the police officer was not of the same caliber than the gun Mumia had !

Mumia is recognized as "honorous citizen" is many cities of the world, including Montreal, Venezia, Paris, ... He has a street of his name in the city of Saint-Denis, in Paris' suburbs. Many human rights organisations, including Amnesty and HRW are asking for either a new trial, or his immediate release.

Paris is fighting against injustice, against death penalty, and against the death penalty used as political repression. By doing that, Paris is honoring its tradition, from the Revolution to the Commune to the Resistance.

If I remember correctly, the commune had close to 250,000 Frenchmen executed by guillotine :eek: during the French revolution. Some tradition.

Cute. A cop dies, a scapegoat is found and when that scapegoat gets some homage for fighting his increasingly apparent status as a scapegoat, the people that pay such homage are the ones to blame. What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason!

If I remember correctly, the commune had close to 250,000 Frenchmen executed by guillotine :eek: during the French revolution. Some tradition.
The Commune abolished the guillotine (and it was in 1871, not 1789 when the Revolution took place) so I'm afraid that's factually incorrect. Good luck to the people of Saint-Denis and their Communist controlled council who have made an excellent decision in honouring Mumia Abu Jamal.

What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason!
Reason eh? Watch your back, man...

Reason eh? Watch your back, man...

For trying to use reason with conservatives that will seize any opportunity they can find to bash any place that disagrees with them?

For trying to use reason with conservatives that will seize any opportunity they can find to bash any place that disagrees with them?

Yup. To a conservative reason is what people use when they're clearly wrong. Lawyers and politicians try to use reason and you see how much they lie. The only politicians you can trust are the ones that don't make any sense, like George W. Bush. And the only lawyers you can trust are the ones carrying the noose.

Yup. To a conservative reason is what people use when they're clearly wrong. Lawyers and politicians try to use reason and you see how much they lie. The only politicians you can trust are the ones that don't make any sense, like George W. Bush. And the only lawyers you can trust are the ones carrying the noose.
Yeah... close enough for jazz.

If he's innocent, why did the PA supreme court uphold his conviction in '98?

The sentance being overturned in '01 was based on technicality, which alleges that sentencing instructions to the jury were unclear, not innocence.

http://www.danielfaulkner.com/

The Commune abolished the guillotine (and it was in 1871, not 1789 when the Revolution took place) so I'm afraid that's factually incorrect. Good luck to the people of Saint-Denis and their Communist controlled council who have made an excellent decision in honouring Mumia Abu Jamal.


Whoops, Revolution.

Mumia Abu Jamal is clearly innocent. There never was any proof of the murder, only coerced witness who admitted being forced to lie afterwards. Even the bullet that killed the police officer was not of the same caliber than the gun Mumia had !

Mumia is recognized as "honorous citizen" is many cities of the world, including Montreal, Venezia, Paris, ... He has a street of his name in the city of Saint-Denis, in Paris' suburbs. Many human rights organisations, including Amnesty and HRW are asking for either a new trial, or his immediate release.

Paris is fighting against injustice, against death penalty, and against the death penalty used as political repression. By doing that, Paris is honoring its tradition, from the Revolution to the Commune to the Resistance.

MYTH #1

Those who support Mumia Abu-Jamal often allege that the bullet removed from Officer Faulkner's brain was .44 caliber. Jamal's gun -- found on the ground next to him at the crime scene -- was a .38 caliber revolver. Therefore, his supporters argue, Jamal couldn't have fired the shot that killed Officer Faulkner.

When asked to provide proof to support this allegation, Jamal's supporters point to a handwritten note made by Assistant Medical Examiner, Dr. Paul Hoyer. Dr. Hoyer's note said, "shot 44 Cal".

Dr. Hoyer testified at the 1995 PCRA Hearing and explained that his 1981 note merely reflected his speculation at what caliber the bullet might be, made when he first saw the wound and before he started the autopsy. The note was written on a piece of scrap paper, and was not a part of (and was never intended to be a part of) his professional findings.

Some of Jamal's supporters, including his attorneys, have now altered this ".44 caliber" myth, and now argue that that there may be several fragments of the bullet "missing," and that if these fragments were the correct size and weight, they would prove that the bullet was .44 caliber. They have never offered any evidence, of any kind, to support this theory.




BRIEF REBUTTAL

Official ballistics tests done on the fatal bullet verify that Officer Faulkner was killed by a .38 caliber bullet, not a .44 caliber bullet. The fatal .38 slug was a Federal brand Special +P bullet with a hollow base (the hollow base in a +P bullet was distinctive to Federal ammunition at that time). It is the exact type (+P with a hollow base), brand (Federal), and caliber (.38) of bullet found in Jamal's gun. Additionally, tests have proven that the bullet that killed Officer Faulkner was fired from a weapon with the same rifling characteristics as Jamal's .38 Caliber revolver. Further, Jamal's own ballistics expert, George Fassnacht, conceded in his 1995 PCRA testimony that the fatal bullet was not .44 caliber, and that it was most "likely" a .38. Although the D.A.'s officer offered in open court to let Jamal's attorneys test the fatal bullet, they refused this offer, and have never offered any alternative test results to counter the above evidence. Dr. James Hoyer's handwritten notation on a piece of scrap paper certainly does not constitute such evidence. Dr. Hoyer, a medical doctor who has had no formal ballistics training, has never claimed that he was able to determine the caliber of the bullet. He plainly testified in 1995 that what he wrote was a "guess." Furthermore, Dr. Hoyer testified that, after writing this guess, he had measured the bullet with a standard ruler. Although he acknowledged that this was not the accepted scientific method by which to gage the caliber of a bullet, his rough measurement was consistent with the slug being .38 caliber, and not a .44. Finally, Dr. Hoyer testified that, at the time he made his .44 caliber guess -- while looking at the horrendous wound to Officer Faulkner's head -- he was unaware that the killer had been using high-velocity +P ammunition. Had he known this, he would not have assumed that the slug was of an unusually large caliber.

So maybe the gun the police produced as evidence against Jamal was thrown there in order to frame him? No. The gun had been legally purchased by Jamal years prior to the shooting, and was registered in his name.


________________

How infinite in faculty.

0_o

Crazy French

Yeah, crazy...Now find them on a map.

Yeah, crazy...Now find them on a map.

http://www.traveldocs.com/images/europe_b.jpg

It's the one that looks like a boot, amirite?

http://www.traveldocs.com/images/europe_b.jpg

It's the one that looks like a boot, amirite?

No, the boot people are the ones that named a street after that evil commie Ghandi.

No, the boot people are the ones that named a street after that evil commie Ghandi.

Liberal bastards...whatever happened to the days when the worth of a man was determined by the color of his skin and not his actions?

Liberal bastards...whatever happened to the days when the worth of a man was determined by the color of his skin and not his actions?
Curse those slender devils! Shoot them all and let god sort them out!

What 25 year old gets pwnd by a guy in his fifties?
n00b

http://www.traveldocs.com/images/europe_b.jpg

It's the one that looks like a boot, amirite?
That Italy, genius.

Yeah, crazy...Now find them on a map.

*points to map*

There they are, right next to, uh...Norway and Poland?

That Italy, genius.

You mean...that's Italy!? Hah, you made a minor grammatical error which means I win and am 100% correct!

You mean...that's Italy!? Hah, you made a minor grammatical error which means I win and am 100% correct!

Yeah you win ...And besides, anyone who calls the boot country ITALY must be a nazi communist!

Philadelphia

Heh... It's not even happening in Paris, and Parisians have nothing to do with it, but... boycott Paris! Makes perfect sense! Silly American woman with her deplorable grasp of geography...


Didn't the original post say it was a suburb of Paris?

Didn't the original post say it was a suburb of Paris?
What? Like the Lionel Richies brat?

i remember this article, It was just published after that guy shot Officer Skerski. I think the french justice system is partly to blame in this case but NOBODY should ever kill a cop. thats just wrong

Its also wrong to wrongfully imprision, hence the name of the act...wrongful imprisonment. That is of course if Mumia is actually innocent.

Oh, and NOONE SHOULD KILL ANYONE, EVER. Why do cops get special treatment?

i remember this article, It was just published after that guy shot Officer Skerski. I think the french justice system is partly to blame in this case but NOBODY should ever kill a cop. thats just wrong
i always wondered about this. why is killing a cop any worse than killing any other human. murder is murder. killing a cop is probably most to occur during an exchange of fire when it is kill or be killed. not that i'm condoning cop killing but i don't see why it should be worse than killing anyone else. in my mind it's only worse for the killer, not morally, but because the retribution will be more harsh and blindly vindictive.

Didn't the original post say it was a suburb of Paris?yep.
Paris suburb names street for cop-killer Abu-Jamal
By Jennifer Lin
Inquirer Staff Writer

As Philadelphians cope with another police slaying, news comes that a suburb of Paris has named a street for Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted of the 1981 murder of Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

What 25 year old gets pwnd by a guy in his fifties?
n00b
no no undelia

he is 52 NOW. he was born in '54.

What 25 year old gets pwnd by a guy in his fifties?
n00b

Ambush, that and Samuel Colt made all men equal.

Of all the people who get a bad rap and need support, this guy is the worst possible choice. The evidence is mounted against him.

I don't support the death penalty, but this is not the poster child for its opposition.