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March 6, 2014

Senate Rejects Obama Nominee over Legal Defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal 
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A group of Senate Democrats has broken ranks with President Obama to
block a key nominee. In a 52-to-47 vote, the Senate rejected the
nomination of Debo Adegbile to head the Department of Justice's Civil
Rights Division. Adegbile is a widely respected lawyer who has argued
before the Supreme Court on voting rights issues. The confirmation fight
focused almost solely on his role in the legal defense of imprisoned
Black Panther Mumua Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a
Philadelphia police officer. Adegbile was part of a team of lawyers at
the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who successfully argued the trial judge's
jury instructions violated Abu-Jamal's rights. Seven Democrats joined
with Republicans to defeat Adegbile's bid. In a statement, President
Obama called the vote "a travesty based on wildly unfair character
attacks against a good and qualified public servant." We'll have more on
this story after headlines.

 

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