Abu-Jamal, a well-known Black journalist and activist, was convicted in 1982 on frame-up charges of killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.

In late October, U.S. District Judge William Yohn Jr. granted a stay of execution for Abu-Jamal, which set aside the death warrant of December 2 signed by Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Ridge. On December 2, Abu-Jamal supporters organized what was described as an "emergency international press conference" broadcast on WHAT radio and on the Internet. Attorney Leonard Weinglass outlined the expected scenario in federal court, which would lead to a court hearing with Abu-Jamal present no earlier than March of next year.

"Our basic premise is that Mumia never had a trial," explained Weinglass. With 11 qualified Afro-Americans struck from the jury, with the judge having been a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, and with the court-appointed attorney acknowledging he conducted no investigation, it had only the "trappings" of a trial, he said.

Although hampered by the 1996 federal law making it easier to carry through the death penalty, the defense argues for Judge Yohn to grant Abu-Jamal an evidentiary hearing. This would mean setting aside decisions of the judge in the original trial, who basically allowed all witnesses from the prosecution and threw out all testimony from the defense.

Weinglass reported he has now received 15,000 letters from around the world addressed to Judge Yohn, which the defense has agreed to hold and present to the judge at a future date.

In addition to rallies on December 11 in Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, a November 20 national planning meeting initiated plans for a conference early next year and a spring mobilization tied to the court dates.  
 
 
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