Sunday, April 04, 2010

Mumia Speaks: When Judges Judge Judges



When Judges Judge Judges
[col. writ. 3/20/10] (c) '10 Mumia Abu-Jamal
    In Pennsylvania, as in many states, an institution exists, the purpose of which is to judge judges.

    Here in PA, it's the Judicial Conduct Board (JCB), a body created by statute under the PA Supreme Court, which consists of 12 persons who are judges, lawyers and non-lawyers, half named by the Supreme Court, and the other half by the Governor.

    Their job is to hear claims of judicial misconduct, and it has the power to discipline, retire or remove judges for violations of law and ethics (tit. 42 PA c.s. g 2101 et.seq)

    As judges of the states judges they are a powerful, albeit little known lot.

    So where were they when one of the most explosive judicial scandals in memory rocked the state?

    In a word, they were AWOL (Absent Without Leave)
    
    In 2004,2006, and twice in 2008 the JCB received detailed complaints against Luzerne County judges charging them with illegally sending hundreds of children to juvenile prison, while corruptly profiting from the scheme, and with palling around with local Mafiosi.  The JCB received these complaints, filed them, and tabled them.

    To 'table' something is a fancy way of saying they did nothing.

    Not only did they do nothing, they never referred it to another agency, State or Federal, for action.

    Nor did they investigate any of the charges.

    They did....nothing.

    So the judges who sent kids to jail illegally, without benefit of legal counsel, and often on the most trifling of charges, (for example, one girl was imprisoned for making an unflattering web site about her schools vice-principal), continued doing this -- for years.

    How many children suffered during those years of JCB inaction?

    Is this a PA thing?  Perhaps -- but I don't think so. 

    In essence, it's a political think; judges protecting other judges', or better --the system protecting the system.

--(c) '10 maj
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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

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 stacey@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!
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