When cops kill


“Critical dialogue can create discomfort, as it may challenge people's thinking.” Dr. BLR

 

Listening to my favorite podcast, Democracy Now, this morning, I heard a segment profiling Mumia Abu Jamal, a convicted cop killer. Jamal, an award-winning journalist and former Black Panther, was accused of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. He’s been imprisoned for 49 years, 29 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. Jamal was placed on Death Row, but in 2012, he was returned to the general population after a federal appeals court cited that the prosecutors in the case presented improper instructions to Jamal’s jury. 

I believe that regardless of your stance on those convicted of killing a police officer, everyone should be treated fairly by the criminal justice system, which many see as unjust, especially if you’re a minority. I’ve followed Jamal’s case over the years to see how he would be treated. I am not shocked that he’s not receiving the justice he prefers. However, a death is a death, and all who commit murder should be treated similarly. Or should they?

Back in the 80s and 90s, I knew a few New Jersey State Troopers who were convicted of murder, but their prison sentences puzzled me. I never worked with any of them, so I can't say much about them beyond what they were convicted of. I learned about two of them early in my career and was privy to some details about their cases. One killed a drug dealer during a drug deal gone wrong. The other killed his wife after discovering she might have been having an affair with another state trooper. Both of these cases left an indelible mark on my mind because they involved Black males. 

I could have just left it there and moved on, but I was curious about their respective prison sentences. To my utter astonishment, both of these convicted murderers received about ten years each. Pump the brakes! If you’re reading this essay, you might be shocked by this unusually light sentence for a murderer. Well, don’t be. It seems the criminal justice system has a soft spot for those who’ve worn a police uniform. But the two I mentioned committed those crimes while they were off duty, which makes it more of a mystery. 

I did a Google search on this topic, and according to Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor who studies police convictions, police officers typically serve about 21.7 years in prison, compared to civilians who serve around 48.8 years. It could be argued that police officers must make quick decisions and should be given the benefit of the doubt or face lighter punishment. I am conflicted about my stance because I honestly understand why, but I also know many innocent people have been wrongfully imprisoned for murder, only to discover they are actually innocent. You can't get back lost time, and no amount of money can make up for framing an innocent person. The mental, physical, and emotional damage, along with the impact on their families, is irreversible. Still, I am human, so I will say publicly that the criminal justice system needs to be dismantled and replaced with a new one, although I realize that might be overly idealistic. 

So, let’s revisit Mumia Abu Jamal’s case. From the outset, Jamal has claimed his innocence. There have been allegations of conflicts of interest, withholding evidence, and racial bias. Based on this information, he should have received a new trial, but he remains a convicted murderer of a police officer, and the criminal justice system has not granted one. Wait a minute, shouldn’t all lives matter? Did the family of the convicted state trooper murderers have the right to justice or even a voice in the punishment?  Maybe they did, via a family impact statement, but it must not have been taken into consideration. 

It seems that multiple criminal justice systems may exist—one for the privileged, one for law enforcement, and another for everyone else. While I wasn’t at the scene of the murders mentioned earlier and can’t speak to the evidence shown to juries that led to their sentencing, I’m open-minded enough to see that we, as a society, are deluded if we believe the system will ever be truly fixed. Many believe it was designed this way, so there's no point in complaining. Jamal still sits in a prison in Pennsylvania, likely his final home. The two state troopers, who have been out of prison for many years, are, from what I’ve heard, doing well. One runs a car service business, and I met the other when he gave a presentation at Saint Peter’s University—small world.  

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