Cynthia McKinney demands justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal

The following June 19 letter was sent by former Congressperson Cynthia McKinney to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to request that the Justice Department conduct a civil rights investigation of the case of death-row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Attorney General Holder:

I am writing to ask for your personal and immediate intervention to put an end to a grave injustice. Anyone who has read the reports, as I have, including briefs and opinions of the courts, knows that Mumia Abu-Jamal was tried and convicted amid sensationalism and hysteria that, at its core, constituted a racial frenzy. Indicting words from the Judge, himself, point to racism and prejudice even inside the courtroom. The “Batson Issue” should be of real concern to everyone interested in justice. Sadly, Mumia was convicted amid the very racial cowardice of which you, yourself, have spoken.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is known for, among other things, having said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Ignoring any instance of racism inside the courtroom leads to injustice that threatens us all.

There is no statute of limitations on the U.S. Constitution, and I therefore request that you do all within your power to review the totality of the circumstances as they are now known in 2009 in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal and ensure that his Constitutional rights (in the form of racially tinged prosecutorial and judicial misconduct) were and are not abridged. The imperative for a civil rights investigation is clear, and I specifically request that of your office.

I am prepared to meet with you or anyone you designate for the purpose of engaging in a dialogue on this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Please accept this request within all applicable rules and regulations.

Sincerely,

Cynthia McKinney