Today, December 17, 2014, at 9 AM, Amistad Law Project Legal Director Ashley Henderson and Policy Director Nikki Grant participated in a lawyer-led “Die-In” at Philadelphia's Criminal Justice Center.
The following is their statement about the event this morning and about the #BlackLivesMatter Movement.
For Immediate Release: January 8, 2015
Attn: News Desk
Continuing the Fight Against the Silencing Act, Prisoners and Advocacy Groups Seek Injunctive Relief to Stop Enforcement NOW
A motion for a preliminary injunction was filed today in the ongoing lawsuit, Abu-Jamal v. Kane, challenging a Pennsylvania censorship law intended to silence Mumia Abu-Jamal and others convicted of personal injury crimes.
For Immediate Release: November 10, 2014
Attn: News Desk
Prisoners and Advocacy Groups Sue to Prevent Censorship After Passage of “Revictimization Relief Act”
A lawsuit challenging a Pennsylvania censorship law intended to silence Mumia Abu-Jamal and others convicted of personal injury crimes was filed today, less than one month after outgoing Governor Corbett signed the bill into law.
By Carey Shenkman
Any state legislature would have a hard time dreaming up a more unconstitutional measure than the one outgoing Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett recently signed into law. The so-called Revictimization Relief Act allows victims of personal-injury crimes to sue convicts to silence any speech that allegedly "perpetuates the continuing effect of the crime" or causes "mental anguish."
Posted: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 1:00 am
Larry Miller Tribune Staff Writer
A coalition of prison inmates rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on Monday seeking to overturn a recently enacted law that allows the victims of violent crime to institute legal action against a convicted person whose actions are perceived to perpetuate the continued effects of the crime.
Gov. Tom Corbett signed Senate Bill 508 into law immediately after its passing last month. The law known as the Crime Victims Act was amended on October 2, 2014 to include language for re-victimization relief. Under the amendment, which is called the Re-Victimization Relief Act, a victim of a personal injury crime could take civil action against an offender for conduct that perpetuates the continuing effect of the crime. The term conduct which perpetuates the continuing effect of the crime on the victim includes conduct which causes a temporary or permanent state of mental anguish.
In addition the language of the statute allows district attorneys or the state attorney general may also institute a civil action against an offender for injunctive relief for conduct which perpetuates the continuing effect of the crime on the victim.
