The Federal AEDPA of 1996: A “Bill-of-Attainder” Quietly Directed at Mumia Abu-Jamal?

I’ve recently been spending time reviewing the “prosecution” of Mumia Abu-Jamal.

While reviewing the facts of the case I noticed something interesting: the primary sponsor and six of the eight members of the United States Senate who co-sponsored the Anti-Terrorism and “Effective” Death Penalty Act of 1996 bill have what appear to be ties to the Klu Klux Klan:

Sen Dole, Robert J. [KS] (Primary sponsor)
Sen Gramm, Phil [TX]
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT]
Sen Kyl, Jon [AZ]
Sen Nickles, Don [OK]
Sen Simpson, Alan K. [WY]
Sen Thurmond, Strom [SC]

Examine for a moment a portion of the timeline of Mr. Abu-Jamal’s “prosecution”:

– In 1995 Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge [R] signs a death warrant against Mr. Abu-Jamal.

– In 1996 the aforementioned members of United States Senate (with alleged ties to the KKK, Google it yourself) are successful in changing the federal jurisdictional rules to make it harder for Mr. Abu-Jamal (a member of the Black Panther Party) to remain alive.

See where I’m going with this?

From everything I’ve learned thus far, Mr. Abu-Jamal’s “prosecution” was more of a persecution involving just about every level of government possible.  Is this really acceptable in “the land of the free?”

To all of you in law enforcement who undoubtedly find this issue to be a very emotional one, please take a step backwards and look at this objectively.  In reviewing the transcripts and other procedural issues having to do with his “trial,” it is very obvious to me that Mr. Abu-Jamal’s constitutional rights were flushed down the toilet.

You swore an oath to the system, a system that often allows the guilty to walk free.

Even if he was guilty of the crimes for which he was charged, Mr. Abu-Jamal is an American citizen who is entitled to all of the same rights that badge carrying LEO’s are.

People who unjustly kill law enforcement officers should be held legally and constitutionally accountable.

I say “unjustly” as even my favorite New Hampshire recognizes the right to disarm a police officer who is behaving outside-the-law (section III.).  Maybe Officer Faulkner was in-the-right when he was killed, maybe he was wrong…  I wasn’t there, so I really don’t know.

What I do know is this: Mr. Abu-Jamal’s trial was vile.