Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 20

Thread: Seifullah Abdul-Salaam - Pennsylvania

  1. #1
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534

    Seifullah Abdul-Salaam - Pennsylvania



    Officer Willis Cole






    Summary of Offense:

    Abdul-Salaam was convicted in the shooting death of Officer Willis Cole during an armed robbery in New Cumberland in 1994.

    Abdul-Salaam was sentenced to death in Cumberland County on March 24, 1995.

  2. #2
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    No. 05-1210 *** CAPITAL CASE ***
    Title:
    Jeffrey A. Beard, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, et al., Petitioners
    v.
    Seifullah Abdul-Salaam
    Docketed: March 22, 2006
    Lower Ct: United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    Case Nos.: (05-9005)
    Decision Date: November 14, 2005
    Rehearing Denied: December 12, 2005

    ~~~Date~~~ ~~~~~~~Proceedings and Orders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Mar 10 2006 Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 21, 2006)
    Apr 21 2006 Brief of respondent Seifullah Abdul-Salaam in opposition filed.
    Apr 21 2006 Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent.
    May 2 2006 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 18, 2006.
    May 22 2006 Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent GRANTED. Justice Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of this motion.
    May 22 2006 Petition DENIED. Justice Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/05-1210.htm

  3. #3
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    February 22, 2011

    Man on death row appeals for fourth time

    A man who is on death row for killing a Cumberland County police officer in 1994 has his case headed to the State Supreme Court for review for the fourth time.

    The case is headed to the State Supreme Court for the fourth time because the accused man is once again appealing the ruling in his case.

    The murder happened back in 1994. New Cumberland Police Officer Willis Cole was attempting to arrest a man for robbery when another suspect in the case, Seiffulah Abdul-Salaam, shot and killed the officer.

    The two men drove away from the scene but were caught a short time later. Abdul Salaam, currently on death row for the fourth time appealed the ruling in his case yet again, claiming evidence about blood found on the steering wheel of the getaway car was withheld from the defense.

    A Cumberland County Judge denied the appeal; it will now go on to the State Supreme Court.

    http://www.whptv.com/news/local/stor...YtLLoiNkg.cspx

  4. #4
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    Judge denies appeal of convicted cop killer, says evidence overwhelming

    The Harrisburg man awaiting execution for killing a New Cumberland police officer in 1994 has lost his federal appeal.

    U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III Thursday stated several times in a 183-page opinion the evidence was overwhelming Seifullah Abdul-Salaam shot Officer Willis J. Cole following a coin shop robbery.

    Jones noted it has been two decades since the fatal shooting and his decision will not end the legal maneuvering that seeks to overturn the guilty verdict and sentence.

    While admiring the zealous advocacy and work of the attorneys who have represented Abdul-Salaam, he wrote “they are bottom gaming a system and erecting roadblocks in aid of a singular goal” of keeping their client alive.

    During the 12 years the appeal has been before him, Jones said “we have given Abdul-Salaam every courtesy and due process, perhaps even beyond what the law affords.

    “And yet for the family of Willis Cole, and indeed Abdul-Salaam and his family as well, there has been no closure. Rather they have endured a legal process that is at times as inscrutable as it is incomprehensible.”

    Jones defends the right of criminals to have fair and open trials with protections afforded them by the Constitution but, he said "we fear that a process has evolved that in reality is based on a goal of perfection rather than constitutionality.”

    “There are no perfect trials, and Abdul-Salaam’s was no exception. However, at the end of the day, this court is fully convinced Abdul-Salaam was afforded a trial and sentencing that did not violate the Constitution of the United States in any single respect.”

    “We are studying the opinion and considering next steps,” Abdul-Salaam’s attorney, Michael Wiseman, said Friday. They will include asking the 3rd. U.S. Court of Appeals for permission to appeal Jones’ decision, he said.

    Three times a governor has set an execution date for Abdul-Salaam but they passed because of his various appeals.

    Jones denied a request for a certificate of appealability because, he wrote, “jurists of reason would not debate whether the court properly resolved the issues presented.

    Abdul-Salaam had raised several issues in his appeal including ineffective counsel, suppression of evidence and failure to explore mental health issues.

    Cumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Jamie Keating had argued defense lawyer Michael Wiseman ignored testimony of eye witnesses and evidence that included bloody clothes found at Abdul-Salaam’s house, his fingerprints in the getaway vehicle and his attempt to blame co-defendant Lynwood Scott Anderson.

    In one of its rulings, the state Supreme Court also found there was overwhelming evidence to conclude Abdul-Salaam killed Cole on Aug. 18, 1994, as the officer was attempting to subdue Anderson.

    Anderson was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a life prison sentence.

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...laams_mur.html

  5. #5
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Fact's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    486
    Wow, that is strongly worded.

  6. #6
    Superfandango
    Guest
    Think the rope is wearing very thin for Salaam. The judge certainly appears to have had enough

  7. #7
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    Convicted cop killer claims judge misapplied law in denying appeal

    The Harrisburg man awaiting execution for killing a New Cumberland police officer in 1994 claims federal judge misapplied the law in an April opinion denying his latest appeal.

    Seifullah Abdul-Salaam makes the claim in a motion filed Wednesday that asks U.S. Middle District John E. Jones III to reconsider his denial of a certificate of appealability of that order.

    The motion also asks Jones to reconsider certain aspects of his opinion in which he found there was overwhelming evidence Abdul-Salaam shot Officer Willis J. Cole following a coin shop robbery.

    That included eye witnesses, bloody clothes found at Abdul-Salaam's house and his fingerprints in the getaway vehicle.

    Cumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Jamie M. Keating said he was not surprised by the latest developments in the case.

    "We're prepared to respond to it," he said. "We'll continue to do so until the end."

    As in previous appeals, defense attorney Michael Wiseman raises the possibility that the police investigation was flawed and exculpatory evidence was suppressed.

    He claims trial counsel failed to tell jurors of Abdul-Salaam's history of trauma and mental disturbances that could have resulted in a life prison sentence.

    Wiseman questions whether his client was at the scene, claiming an individual overhead co-defendant Scott Anderson planning the coin shop robbery with another person.

    His expert determined only Anderson's blood was on the steering wheel of the getaway car, the document states. Anderson was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a life prison sentence.

    "Had the jury learned of the suppressed and fabricated evidence, it would have likely found all aspects of the commonwealth's case suspect," Weisman wrote.

    The state Supreme Court in one of its rulings found there was overwhelming evidence to conclude Abdul-Salaam killed Cole on Aug. 19, 1994, as the officer was attempting to subdue Anderson.

    Governors three times have issued execution warrants only to have them stayed by a judge.

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...aims_judg.html

  8. #8
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    Cumberland County prosecutor says cop killer's trial wasn't unfair 'in any single respect'

    By John Beauge
    The Patriot-News

    The Cumberland County district attorney's office says it is time for the appeal of a Harrisburg man awaiting execution for killing a New Cumberland police officer in 1994 to move to the next level.

    First Assistant District Attorney Jaime M. Keating Wednesday in a brief filed in U.S. Middle District Court claims Seifullah Abdul-Salaam was afforded a trial and sentencing that did not violate the Constitution "in any single respect."

    Keating was replying to a defense motion that claimed Judge John E. Jones III misapplied the law in an April opinion denying Abdul-Salaam's latest appeal.

    Abdul-Salaam also wants Jones to reconsider his denial of a certificate of appealability of that order.

    Keating claims lawyers for Abdul-Slaam are trying to rehash issues that were clearly presented and rejected.

    A reconsideration motion should not be used as an opportunity to re-litigate the case but to correct manifest errors of law or fact or to present newly-discovered evidence, he wrote.

    In response to an allegation Jones did not fully consider the allegation that blood evidence was fabricated, Keating pointed out the state Supreme Court thoroughly analyzed and addressed all issues in the case.

    The brief supports Jones' decision not to issue a certificate of appealability stating there has been no showing Abdul-Salaam was denied his constitutional rights.

    Courts have found there was overwhelming evidence to support the guilty verdict of first-degree murder, Keating wrote. That includes eyewitnesses, bloody clothes found at Abdul-Salaam's house and his fingerprints in the getaway vehicle, he said.

    Abdul-Salaam was convicted of killing Officer Willis J. Cole following a coin shop robbery on Aug. 19, 1994. The shooting occurred as Cole was trying to subdue co-defendant Scott Anderson who was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

    Governors three times have issued execution warrants for Abdul-Salaam only to have them stayed by a judge.

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind..._appeal_t.html

  9. #9
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Killer of New Cumberland police officer loses another appeal

    A Harrisburg man has lost another bid to avoid execution for killing a New Cumberland police officer in 1994.

    U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III Wednesday denied the motion of Seifullah Abdul-Salaam who sought reconsideration of orders related guilt and sentencing phases of his 1995 trial in Cumberland County.

    Abdul-Salam also wanted to Jones to reconsider his denial of a certificate of appealability.

    In denying the motion, Jones found Abdul-Salaam did not offer new evidence, there was no error of law or fact and there has been no change in the law.

    The judge cited another court ruling that stated a motion for reconsideration is not to be used as a means to reargue matters already argued and disposed of or as an attempt to relitigate a point of disagreement with the court.

    Cumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Jamie Keeting had argued against reconsideration claiming as did the state Supreme Court in one of its rulings there was overwhelming evidence to support the first-degree murder verdict.

    Keeting cited eye witnesses, bloody clothes found at Abdul-Salaam's house and fingerprints in the getaway vehicle.

    Abdul-Salaam was convicted of killing Officer Willis J. Cole following a coin shop robbery on Aug. 19, 1994.

    The shooting occurred as Cole was trying to subdue co-defendant Scott Anderson who was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

    In a previous order Jones stated Abdul-Salaam was afforded a trial and sentencing that did not violate the Constitution "in any single respect."

    Governors three times have issued execution warrants only to have them stayed by a judge.

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...l#incart_river
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  10. #10
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    Convicted killer of New Cumberland cop continues execution fight

    The appeals continue for a Harrisburg man seeking to avoid execution for killing a New Cumberland police officer in 1994.

    Seifullah Abdul-Salaam Monday asked the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III, who affirmed the conviction and sentence and refused to issue a certificate of appealability.

    The request to the circuit court comes less than a week after Jones refused to reconsider an earlier order in which he wrote Abdul-Salaam was afforded a trial and sentencing that did not violate the Constitution "in any single respect."

    In refusing to reconsider that decision, Jones said Abdul-Salaam did not offer new evidence, there was no error of law or fact and there has been no change in the law.

    Cumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Jaime Keating had argued against reconsideration, saying there was overwhelming evidence to support the first-degree murder verdict.

    Keating cited eye witnesses, bloody clothes found at Abdul-Salaam's house and fingerprints in the getaway vehicle.

    Abdul-Salaam was convicted of killing Officer Willis J. Cole following a coin shop robbery on Aug. 19, 1994.

    The shooting occurred as Cole was trying to subdue co-defendant Scott Anderson who was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

    http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...ew_cumber.html

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •