No Death Penalty for Mumia Abu-Jamal

Philadelphia prosecutors drop the death penalty case against cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has dropped the death penalty in the case against Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced to death for killing Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Faulkner in 1982. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing for Abu-Jamal after finding the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading.

"The four dishonest cowards who presided over my husband's case, are the fixers," Faulkner's widow, Maureen, said on Wednesday, referring to the judges.

Williams said he was left with two options -- either spend money putting on a new trial for a sentencing hearing after nearly thirty years, or to allow Abu-Jamal to stay in prison for the rest of his natural life.

"The survivors of Danny Faulkner have suffered enough," Williams said.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in on the racially-charged case in October, forcing prosecutors to decide if they want to again pursue the death penalty or accept a life sentence.

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Maureen Faulkner said she would do everything humanly possible to make sure that Abu-Jamal gets no special treatment when he's removed from death row.

"I will not stand by to see him coddled, as he's been in the past," Faulkner said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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