Legal documents, press releases and other updates on the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal

Pennsylvania’s Anti-Mumia Gag Law and the Right to Freedom of Speech
3 January 2013


PA Department of Corrections harassment of Mumia
29 June 2013


Judge Dembe denies Mumia's post-sentence motion
5 October 2012


Mumia illegally sentenced to life without parole
21 August 2012


Mumia moved out of administrative custody into general population
1 February 2012


William Dale Singletary, Witness of Mumia's Innocence
Obituary received from Rachel Wolkenstein, a former co-counsel for Mumia (31 December 2011)


Mumia still held in solitary confinement
Legal update 24 January 2011


For Labor Action to Free Mumia!
Excerpts from a statement published in February by the San Francisco Bay Area-based "Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal" on recent developments in the case (from 1917 No. 32)


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 22 September 2010


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 30 July 2010


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 9 June 2010


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 19 January 2010


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 18 January 2010


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 6 June 2009


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 8 February 2009


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 15 December 2008


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 22 July 2008


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 8 July 2008


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 10 June 2008


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 30 May 2008


Legal Update by Robert R. Bryan - 11 April 2008


Statement by Robert R. Bryan - March 10, 2008


Statement by Robert R. Bryan, lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal, on Thursday, March 22, 2007

Dear Friends:

Attached is our Legal Update (PDF) regarding the upcoming oral argument in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia.

Your interest is appreciated.

With best wishes,
Robert

============ ============
Robert R. Bryan
Law Offices of Robert R. Bryan
2088 Union Street, Suite 4
San Francisco, California 94123
Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal


Statement by Robert R. Bryan, lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal, on November 16, 2006

Dear Friends:

Recently some Philadelphia politicians contacted officials in France demanding that Paris revoke Mumia Abu-Jamal's honorary citizenship. The letter, sent by a lawyer in France who is not even licensed to practice law in that country, contained misrepresentations and outright lies. It is a fraud.

Attached are letters that Mumia and I, as his lead attorney, sent on November 7 to both the Mayor of Paris and the City Council of Paris (PDF). In three decades of specializing in defending people facing the death penalty, I have not seen a case in which the authorities want so desperately to kill a client. Officials know that as long as Mumia is alive he will continue being outspoken against governmental wrongs. They are trying to silence the pen and voice of this great journalist by killing him. We must not let that happen.

Your concern and support is appreciated.

With best wishes,
Robert

============
Robert R. Bryan
Law Offices of Robert R. Bryan
2088 Union Street, Suite 4
San Francisco, California 94123
Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal


Statement by Robert R. Bryan, lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal, on July 23, 2006 - including the July 20, 2006 Brief of Appellee and Cross Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia (PDF 5.4mb).


Statement by Robert R. Bryan, lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal, on December 6, 2005.


Statement by Robert R. Bryan, lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal, on June 2, 2005.

"Since the relief sought in our Dec. 8, 2003 habeas corpus (PCRA) petition was rejected, I will be filing a reconsideration motion by June 16, 2005. If denied, this will be appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Memorandum & Order received by Mumia's legal team on 27 May 2005 from the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas announcing the intention to dismiss the habeas corpus (PCRA) petition of December 2003 (PDF 605k)


Memorandum on the effect of Commonwealth v. Johnson, 863 A.2d 423 (Pa. 2004), 2004 Pa. LEXIS 3118 (Dec. 20, 2004), on the pending PCRA petition. Filed with the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia on February 15, 2005 (PDF 333k)


Habeas corpus (PCRA) petition filed with the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia on December 8, 2003 (PDF 203k)


Press release - "112 Questions for Attorney Leonard Weinglass" (23 May 2003)


"Remand Motion to take testimony from Attorney Leonard Weinglass and Remand Motion with Offer of Proof" filed with Pennsylvania Supreme Court on 23 May 2003 (Word 119k)


Press release - "Yet Another Witness Exposes Police Frame-Up Of Mumia Abu-Jamal." (2 May 2003)


Amicus brief filed by Attorney Mike Yamamoto in Pennsylvania Supreme Court on 27 August 2002 on behalf of the following trade unions: (Word 52k)

  1. International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 (San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.)
  2. National Association of Letter Carriers Golden Gate Branch #214 (San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.)
  3. National Union of Journalists (U.K.)
  4. Independent Local Unions "Zahyst" and "USPIH" (Ukraine)
  5. International Longshoremen's Association Local 1422 (Charleston, South Carolina U.S.)

Appeal filed by Mumia's lawyers on 27 August 2002 with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania challenging a ruling by state court judge Pamela Dembe that the accused in a criminal proceeding has no right under the Pennsylvania Constitution or the Fifth or Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution to an impartial judge at a jury trial or in a post-conviction hearing (Word 182k)


"Friend of the court" brief by eminent Californian attorney Michael Yamamoto filed in the federal court of appeals in Philadelphia. Yamamoto's independent review of the evidence reveals that Mumia was "wrongfully convicted based upon the testimony of unreliable witnesses, all of whom were either inherently suspect at the outset or subsequently shown to be testifying falsely." (11 March 2002) (Word 39k)


Mumia's response to the prosecution's opposition to his motion to certify additional issues for appeal in the Federal Court and to be relieved of any page limitations on this response (11 March 2002) (Word 192k)


Press release by Mumia's attorneys (11 March 2002) charging the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office with faking the death of key prosecution witness Cynthia White


Motion For Certification Of Additional Issues For Appeal by Mumia's attorneys (6 February 2002) (Word 141k)


Press release by Mumia's attorneys (8 January 2002) outlining their appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over the State Judge's refusal to hear the confession by Arnold Beverly.


Judge Yohn's full judgement ordering a new sentencing hearing for Mumia in Word (407k) or zipped (117k) (12 December 2001)


Mumia's response to Judge Demby's ruling (PDF) (10 December 2001)


Judge Demby's ruling to dismiss the instant Post Conviction Relief Act Petition (PDF) (10 December 2001)


Press release by Mumia's attorneys (5 November 2001) comparing his case to that of Sacco and Vanzetti in the 1920s, urging Judge Yohn to "ensure that history does not repeat itself ... with an innovent man being executed while the confession of the real murderer is ignored"


Report by the Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal of two forums it organized in San Francisco and Berkeley on 12 and 13 October 2001 with Eliot Grossman, a member of the new team of lawyers representing Mumia, including the full text of a statement Mumia sent to the forums.


Mumia's attorneys' amended writ of habeus corpus as presented to the court on 6 August 2001 (Zipped Word format (409k - unzipped Word file is 1.48mb)


Press release by Mumia's attorneys (2 August 2001) detailing the filing of the 30 July motion


Motion filed in federal court by Mumia's attorneys asking Yohn to reconsider his denial of their request to take the deposition of Arnold Beverly (30 July 2001) (Word 388k or zipped 108k)


Judge William H. Yohn, Jr.'s ruling denying the request to depose Arnold Beverly (19 July 2001) (300k PDF file of scanned document)


Post Conviction Relief Petition filed in Pensylvania Court of Common Pleas 3 July 2001, revealing a theory of what happened that night at 13th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia and details how Mumia's former attorneys acted as de facto members of the prosecution (3 July 2001). (Word document 637k or zipped word document 181k)


Amicus Brief filed by the For Chicana/Chicano Studies Foundation (June 28, 2000). (PDF 267k)