Mumia Abu-Jamal Challenges Life Sentence

Mumia Abu-Jamal filed a last minute challenge to his sentence of life without parole (LWOP), which was imposed by a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge in secret and without him being notified or even present on August 13. He filed the challenge yesterday, August 23. He is challenging his LWOP sentence on the grounds that it is unconstitutional due to the state of Pennsylvania holding him in torturous conditions of solitary confinement on death row for 30 years based on an unlawful sentence of death. He is also challenging LWOP itself as unconstitutional under the 8th amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. In other words, he is now challenging the legality of The Other Death Sentence.

Here is an article by Linn Washington on the story

Here is an update from Prison Radio with interviews

This is a significant development for all those challenging the death penalty and the existence of death row, LWOP, and solitary confinement.

This update is from Bret Grote of HRC.