>From: "Gloria I Rubac" <GRUBAC@prodigy.net>
>Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 01:59:12 -0500
>
>Press Conference to Announce Recent Rulings On Cases of
>Innocent Death Row Prisoners Seeking Justice
>
>The Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement(TDPAM) and Houstonians United
>for Mumia(HUM) will have a joint press conference Tuesday, October 12,
>1999, in front of the Federal Courthouse at 515 Rusk Street to announce
>recent court rulings on three men on death row and the current status of
>their cases. They are Mumia Abu-Jamal, Shaka Sankofa(Gary Graham) and
>Domingo Cantu. Sankofa and Cantu are on Texas death row while Abu-Jamal is
>on Pennsylvania's. All three men have adamantly proclaimed their
>innocence.
>
>The US Supreme Court has just refused to consider the petition for a writ
>of certiorari for the former Black Panther and radio journalist from
>Philadelphia, Mumia Abu-Jamal. One effect of this denial is that Governor
>Tom Ridge of Pennaylvania is expected to sign a new death warrant. The
>"cert" petition was only the opening shot in Abu-Jamal's appeals in federal
>court even though media is reporting this as the end of the line.
>Activists and supporters here and around the world are gearing up for
>massive protests should an execution date be set.
>
>A Dallas judge has approved a DNA test for Native American Domingo Cantu,
>who has spent 14 years on Texas' death row, in what could be the first case
>affected by last week's recommendations of the National Commission of the
>Future of DNA Evidence. The commission supported DNA testing to resolve
>cases of innocence. Cantu's execution is set for October 28 and the DNA
>results are expected to be available by October 21, according to David
>Sergi, Cantu's attorney. Favorable results for Cantu should stop his
>execution.
>
>Attorney Mandy Welch expects to hear from the US Supreme court today on
>whether they will review Shaka Sankofa's appeal. Sankofa has exhausted all
>other appeals and is asking the Supreme Court to decide whether the 1996
>Anti Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act applies to him. Sankofa is
>asking to be allowed to go back into Federal Court and present all the new
>evidence that no court has yet to hear. The 5th circuit Federal Appeals
>court refused to hear the new evidence last year, saying that it was
>prohibited by the 1996 law.
>
>If the Supreme Court says they will not consider this appeal, an execution
>date could be set for Sankofa after 30 days. Supporters will mount a
>massive campaign to pressure the "compassionate conservative" Governor
>George Bush to stop the execution.
>
>Details of these three serious cases will be discussed by community
>activists and death penalty experts at Tuesday's press conference.
>
>
>TEXAS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION MOVEMENT
>3903 Almeda Road Houston, TX 77004 713-224-5421 / 713-521-0629
>Fax 713-521-1185 tdpam@juno.com
>.
>Contacts:
>Njeri Shakur 713-224-5421
>Renee Feltz 713-863-8390
>Gloria Rubac 713-503-6233
> -30-