Widow of Murdered Police Officer Outraged After Cop-Killer Mumia Abu-Jamal Granted Appeal

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

The widow of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner was outraged Thursday after a judge granted convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal the opportunity to appeal his 1981 murder conviction.

Philadelphia Judge Leon Tucker granted Abu-Jamal an appeal for his conviction for the death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. The convict has spent three decades on death row until his death sentence was thrown out over flawed jury instructions, according to Fox.

“I’m absolutely outraged with Leon Tucker. Tucker has no merit on this judgment. [Castille] had nothing to say about Mumia Abu-Jamal, he had no prejudice,” Maureen Faulker told Fox & Friends Sunday. “This is going to open the door for so many murderers to be able to do this and appeal this.”

Mrs. Faulkner said she hopes Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner appeals the ruling.

“Mumia Abu-Jamal shot my husband between the eyes, he executed my husband,” Faulkner added. “I’m never going to let this go. All over the country, they’re reducing sentences on murderers, they’re allowing them out of prison, and it’s wrong. It’s so wrong.”

“To Judge Leon Tucker: I hope you can sleep at night with the decision you made, because you know it was not the right one,” Faulkner concluded.

Abu-Jamal’s sentence was changed to life without parole, but his final appeal of the conviction was denied by the state Supreme Court in 2012.

On Thursday, Judge Tucker ruled that former Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castille should have recused himself because he had made statements as a prosecutor about cop killers that could indicate his bias.

Abu-Jamal was convicted for murdering officer Faulkner by shooting him in the back and then in the face after the officer got in a confrontation with Abu-Jamal’s brother during a traffic stop.

The convict has enjoyed rabid support from leftists who have spent years trying to get him freed despite his murder conviction.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.