Mumia

[Horatio_Hellpop]

@Cisco

France is two thousand miles from Philadelphia? :dubious:

I flew from Paris to Pittsburg and I seem to remember it taking about 8 hours, while a three thousand mile trip to California takes more like 5.

I stand corrected. Philly to Paris: 3,705 miles; Philly to San Francisco: 2,525 miles.

[Horatio_Hellpop]

@Cisco

I’ve seen an overwhelming amount of evidence against Mumia, while the best case that pro-Mumia’ers seem to be able to make is "Well, he’s, he’s…black! And the cops are white!

I say bad trial, but still guilty.

It also helps him that he’s so darn cute. Funny how you never see t-shirts for “Free Ernest Borgnine!”

[John_Corrado]

I wouldn’t take Ernest Borgnine even if for free. How do I know if he’s housebroken?

[NurseCarmen]

Free Mumia!
Limit one per customer. While supplies last.

[NurseCarmen]

I personally am convinced that Mumia is guilty. What I find to be a more interesting case is that of Leonard Peltier. Leonard is a bit scummy, but I don’t think he pulled the trigger. I think his buddy, who got off scott free, did. Leonard should have been imprisoned, but I consider his time spent has surpassed that of others convicted of the same crime.

It gets me how so many activists love to hitch their wagon to obviously guilty folks. The facts are clealy against Mumia. Not so much for Peltier or the Memphis 3.

[Mr.Miskatonic]

Rank me as another Philadelphia who thinks Mumia is guilty, and the signs that his trial was unfair are weak, at best. Most of the evidence for Mumi’s innocence is mythmaking.

A Philadelphian from the Green Party has also stated Mumia is guilty. (Warning that site gets flakey from time to time).

I don’t know all that much about the Peltier case, but as I understand it, the basic argument is that Peltier didn’t get off while his buddies did. Peltier has said he fired at the FBI agents, which means he would probably be in the same prison sentence if he was the executioner or not. Doesn’t make for a great arguement. I don’t think he’s on death row, is he?

The WM3 is a much better case. I think there were several cases in Texas that would have served as better fodder for anti-death penalty arguments. But I guess a mentally retarded man is not as charismatic as a failed journalist/poet.

[ouryL]

Oh?

What did Mumia testify to at the trial? Did he say happened? What did his brother testify to? What did he say happened?

As I understand it, both refused to say anything.

[minty_green]

Cecil’s take on the case, plus follow-up.

[pravnik]

@manhattan

What’s the status on his sentence these days? Did Pennsylvania appeal the overturn of his death penalty or are we going to have to hear about this cop-killing fucker from the left forever?

A federal judge ruled in 2001 that Mumia’s sentencing was flawed and that he should either be given a new sentencing hearing or have his death sentence commuted to life in prison, with no further appeals. Both sides appealed the decision and that appeal is sill pending.

[DrDeth]

And look at it this way- even someone who was solidly and completely guilty would love to get a retrial after 25 years. Evidence may be missing, witnesses dead or they may no longer remember.

Bad idea all around.

[Little_Nemo]

The hard part is finding such a person. It tends to be the case that, the instant genuine evidence of factual innocence comes to light, the convict is released. The appeals process works, in other words, and despite dark accusations by defense attorneys, the system has no real motive to railroad the innocent, even if he is black.

Once someone has been convicted the burden of proof falls on them. They are assumed to be guilty unless they can prove they are innocent. So it’s not enough to show they were “probably” innocent - even something as apparently conclusive as a confession by another person may not suffice. And the process is hardly instantaneous.