The Philly cops have put out so many whoppers about Mumia Abu-Jamal that they ought to work for Burger King. Having gotten as much mileage as they can out of their first BIG LIE (see Factsheet No. 1), the Philly FOP is now pushing a new lie.
In a series of attacks on Mumia, the Philly FOP has utilized Maureen Faulkner, the widow of the cop that Mumia was falsely accused of shooting. Each of her appearances is carefully scripted by the FOP to have maximum tear-jerker appeal, while putting out utter falsehoods. From long working experience, the FOP knows that the establishment media will accept anything the cops say, and print it as if it were fact.
The New York Post deserves the Golden Pinocchio Award for printing the following in an editorial attacking supporters of Mumia:
One person who isn't taking part in the merry-making is Maureen Falkner, the widow of the cop Abu-Jamal gunned down in Philadelphia 13 years ago. She was only 25 when she lost her husband. To this day, Mrs. Faulkner remembers the moment during Abu-Jamal's trial when a ballistics expert held up her dead husband's bloody shirt to display five bullet holes: Abu-Jamal turned around and smiled at her. "Does an innocent person turn and smile at the widow when the bloody shirt is held up?" she now asks.
Right away we should smell a rat, since the cops' previous story was that Officer Faulkner was shot once in the back and once in the face. Was he wearing his shirt over his face? Did the bullet go back and forth several times to make five holes?
Then when we look at the record, we find that, as with the previous lies about Mumia, this alleged incident in the courtroom never occurred.
We should note that all the new attacks and allegations against Mumia come at a time when tremendous support for him is building accross the country, and at a time when Mumia himself is forbidden to speak to reporters by Pennsylvania prison authorities. This gives the Philly cops carte blanche to trot out the widow of Officer Faulkner, knowing full well that Mumia sits gagged in his cell, prohibited from telling his side of the story.
While Mumia may be gagged by prison officials, his attorney Leonard Weinglass is not. Here Mr. Weinglass sets the record straight:
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Jamal was not in the courtroom at the time the criminalist displayed Officer Faulkner's shirt, having been removed from the court by Judge Sabo and electing to remain outside the courtroom until he had a chance to consult with his legal aides.
The criminalist for the City of Philadelphia, Charles Tumosa, testified as the first witness on June 26, 1982. The trial record reveals that prior to his testimony Mr. Jamal was brough into the courtroom and asked if he wished to return to the courtroom from which he had been banished the day before (June 25, 1982, p.8.15). Mr Jamal replied that he wished to confer with his legal representative before returning (June 26, 1982, p.8). The trial then resumed in his absence with Mr Tumosa testifying on direct (June 26, 1982, p.13-36). It was during his direct testimony that the criminalist removed Officer Faulkner's shirt and jacket from the property envelope and displayed them to the jury, describing the bullet holes. The Court then recessed for ten minutes. Thereafter, Mr. Jamal returned to the courtroom after consulting with his representatives. The trial continued with the criminalist being questioned on cross examination. However, the record reflects there was no further display of Officer Faulkner's jacket or shirt.
It would seem like the cops would know better than to put out a lie that is so easily refuted by the record. But what they understand all too well is that the pro-cop media will print the lie - not the written record.
SOURCES: New York Post and the transcript of the trial of Mumia Abuu-Jamal
Arm yourself with the truth. Get the full set of Mumia Fact Sheets from your local Free Mumia Coalition or from Refuse & Resist!
Download a 120K PDF file of this Fact Sheet use Adobe Acrobat to print a 300 dpi repro quality version to a PostScript printer.
Mumia Index | Mumia Events | R&R Main Page
Contact Refuse
& Resist!
305 Madison Ave., Suite 1166, New York, NY 10165
Phone: 212-713-5657
email: info@refuseandresist.org