[Freethe SF8] The San Francisco 8 - No More! by Mumia Abu-Jamal

[SF-8 case]

The San Francisco 8 -- No More!
[col. writ. 7/15/09]  (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal


     It's been 2 1/2 years since the San 
Francisco 8 -- eight former members of the Black 
Panther Party -- were cast into California jails 
and threatened with life sentences stemming from 
the 1971 shooting of a cop.

     Perhaps the State figured the post - 9//11 
paranoia and mania would make this an easy 
case.  Perhaps the government thought that 
because many of the accused were men of advancing 
age, decades away from their prime organizing and 
activist days, it would be a cake walk.

     The 8 men fought with dignity, principle and 
unity -- and several days ago -- charges for 4 of 
them were dismissed altogether: Ray Boudreaux, 
Richard Brown, Hank Jones and Harold Taylor.

     New York's Jalil Muntaqim pled no contest to 
conspiracy -- and got time served in San 
Francisco County Jail -- almost 2 1/2 years -- with 3 years probation.

     Herman Bell -- another New York former 
Panther --  took a similar deal earlier in July.

     One ex-Panther, Francisco Torres, faces a 
hearing next month, where most observers expect 
all charges to be dropped.  Another, John Bowman, 
died before trial. The last, Richard O'Neal, was cleared pre-trial.

     From the very beginning, back in the '70's 
-- several of the men were brutally tortured by 
police in Louisiana to elicit false confessions 
(thus we see that Abu Ghraib really was nothing new).

     The cases were dismissed decades ago -- on that basis alone.

     That the prosecutions were reinstated at all 
is due more to the politicized Justice Department 
under John Ashcroft and George Bush -- where 
torture was a tool of state --than anything 
else.  Also implicated?  The political ambitions 
of California Attorney General Jerry Brown, seeking the governorship.

     No charges should've been brought in the 
first place -- or if contemplated, dismissed under double jeopardy principles.

     As it is -- even the state admits -- 
dismissal is valid due to insufficient evidence.

     These results are due, in large part, to the 
solidarity of the men themselves, and some 
excellent, aggressive lawyering by assorted 
defense counsel, among them J. Soffiyah Elijah of Harvard Law School.

     Several years ago, in a statement calling 
for support for the San Francisco 8, I implored 
supporters to fight for them now -- before they 
fell into the clutches of the state containment system -- instead of after.

     Many took up that fight -- leading to many of the most recent results.


-- (c) '09 maj
=======================

  The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!

URGENT Need for Petition Signatures 
at: 
<http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition/>http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition/

Audio of most of Mumia's essays are at: 
<http://www.prisonradio.org/>http://www.prisonradio.org

<http://mumiapodcast.libsyn.com/>http://mumiapodcast.libsyn.com/
Mumia's got a podcast! Mumia Abu-Jamal's Radio 
Essays - Subscribe at the website or on iTunes 
and get Mumia's radio commentaries online.

Mumia Abu-Jamal's new book -- JAILHOUSE LAWYERS: 
PRISONERS DEFENDING PRISONERS V. THE USA, 
featuring an introduction by Angela Y. Davis -- 
has been released!  It is available from City 
Lights Books: 
<http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100448090>http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100448090

If you are planning to organize an event or would 
like to order in bulk, you can also receive a 45% 
discount on any bulk orders of 20 copies or more. 
The book retails for $16.95, for orders of 20 
copies or more the discounted price would be 
$9.32 per book, plus shipping and 
handling.  Prepayment would be required and books 
are nonreturnable.  If you or your organization 
would like to place a bulk order, please contact 
Stacey Lewis at 415.362.1901 or 
<mailto:stacey at citylights.com>stacey at citylights.com
Let's use the opportunity of the publication of 
this brilliant, moving, vintage Mumia book to 
build the momentum for his case, to raise the 
money we desperately need in these challenging 
economic times, to get the word out – to produce 
literature, flyers, posters, videos, DVD's;  to 
send organizers out to help build new chapters 
and strengthen old ones, TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT IN 
THE STREETS 
 all the work that we must do in 
order to FREE MUMIA as he faces LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE OR EXECUTION!

Please make a contribution to help free Mumia. 
Donations to the grassroots work will go to both 
INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF 
MUMIA ABU-JAMAL and the FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION (NYC).

WWW.FREEMUMIA.COM

Please mail donations/ checks to:
FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL COALITION
PO BOX  16, NEW YORK,
NY 10030
(CHECKS FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS PAYABLE TO:  FMAJC/IFCO)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
215 476-8812
212-330-8029
Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:

Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370

WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!

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