Muslin Leaders are Asked to Join the Petition to Stay the Execution of Kevin Cooper, Impose Moratorium on the Death Penalty in California

Los Angeles, December 19 – Human Rights Alert (NGO) and Joseph Zernik, PhD, have asked Director of Religious Affairs Jihad Turk of The Islamic Center of Southern California, and President Salam Al-Marayati of MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Center) to join the petition [1] to stay the execution of Kevin Cooper and impose a moratorium on the death penalty in California.

The requests followed MPAC's stated mission of "promoting the Islamic values of mercy, justice, peace, human dignity, freedom, and equality for all."

In its request Human Rights Alert has stated that by endorsing the petition, these Muslim leader would substantially strengthen the petition, and demonstrate the ongoing commitment of the Muslim community to Human and Civil Rights in California and the United States.

Tikkun Magazine’s Rabbi Michael Lerner and UCLA Hillel’s Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller have recently endorsed the petition. Rabbi Seidler-Feller also described the petition as “important efforts”.

As detailed in the petition itself, reasonable doubts remained regarding the guilt of Kevin Cooper in the case that led to the death sentencing. Five U.S. Judges have previously expressed their concern regarding the conviction in this case.

Corruption of the California courts has been repeatedly documented for over a decade in official, expert and media reports.

A recent United Nations Human Rights Council report referred to “corruption of the courts and the legal profession in California”.

Under such circumstances the petition called upon Governor Scharzenegger to stay the execution of Kevin Cooper and impose an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in California.

LINKS:

[1] PLEASE JOIN THE PETITION:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-cooper-execution-end-death-penalty-in-caifornia/

Human Rights Alert is dedicated to discovering, archiving, and disseminating evidence of Human Rights violations by the justice systems of the State of California and the United States in Los Angeles County, California, and beyond. Human Rights Alert focuses on the unique role of computerized case management systems in the precipitous deterioration of the integrity of the justice system in the United States.

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WHAT DID THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES?

* "On July 26, 2010, Laurence Tribe, Senior Counsel for the United States Department of Justice, Access to Justice Initiative, delivered an important speech to the Conference of Chief Justices, challenging them to halt the disintegration of our state justice systems before they become indistinguishable from courts of third world nations."

Prof Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law School (2010), per National Defender Leadership Institute

http://www.nlada.net/library/article/national_dojspeechto%20chiefjustice07-26-2010_gideonalert

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WHAT DID THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA?

* "Innocent people remain in prison"

* "...the LA Superior Court and the DA office, the two other parts of the justice system that the Blue Panel Report recommends must be investigated relative to the integrity of the system, have not produced any response that we know of..."

LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel Report (2006)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24902306/

* "...judges tried and sentenced a staggering number of people for crimes they did not commit."

Prof David Burcham, Dean, Loyola Law School, LA (2001)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29043589/

* "This is conduct associated with the most repressive dictators and police states... and judges must share responsibility when innocent people are convicted."

Prof Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Irvine Law School (2001)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/274339

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WHAT DID THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SAY ABOUT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA?

* "...corruption of the courts and the legal profession and discrimination by law enforcement in California."

http://www.scribd.com/doc/38566837/