July 24-25, 2017, marks the date that Kempis “Ghani” Songster will have a highly-contested resentencing hearing in a Philadelphia courtroom, and we are calling every Woman, Man, and Child, to appear at the Courthouse in support of Mr. Ghani [and] in protest of Philly’s Court judges administering resentencing hearings.
The City of Philadelphia has the most children serving Life-Without-Parole (LWOP)/Death-By-Incarceration (DBI) sentences, at 386, the most in the State of PA, in America, and in the World! Yet, Philly is the most obstinate, cantankerous, and rebellious. city in America for its Criminal Injustice System’s refusal to obey the U.S. Supreme Court’s dictate in Miller v. Alabama, that child offenders only should be given a LWOP sentence in the most rarest of cases.
But, try telling that to Philly’s panel of 3 judges administering resentencing hearings whom have continued to legally lynch child offenders to a resentence of 35 years to Life imprisonment, contrary to the decision in Miller v. Alabama, and without any State statutory law to do so.
On July 24-25, 2017, Child Lifer prisoner Kempis “Ghani” Songster will be the first person serving a DBI sentence to appear before a Philly judge to undergo a contested resentencing hearing, since the U.S Supreme determined the retroactiveness of Miller in the case of Montgomery v. Louisiana in January 2016.
Philly’s criminal court judges and District Attorney’s Office have ‘predetermined’ that all child offenders appearing before their 3-judge panel for resentencing, will ‘automatically’ receive a 35-year-to-Life sentence, thereby undermining a constitutionally substantial due process and fair hearing, despite the Supreme Court’s dictate in Miller and of having absolutely no state statutory law to impose such a sentence.
Mr. Ghani’s upcoming contested resentencing hearing will be the ‘test’ case for the Court that will determine the type of sentences subsequent Child Lifers will receive from the Philly judges at their contested resentencing hearings. And make no mistake, Folks, the judges plan to stick with their “tough-on-crime” legal doctrine and deliver the harshest prison sentence to Brother Ghani as possible yet again! Consequently, we must do everything in our power to prevent injustice from happening to Ghani.
This is a matter of extreme urgency. We urgently need a healing justice system and an end to a hanging justice system. And on July 24-25, we must let that be resoundingly heard with our presence and voices. “WE NEED A HEALING JUSTICE SYSTEM NOT A HANGING JUSTICE SYSTEM!!!” The time is now to let Philly’s political establishment know that we believe in the human capacity for and right to redemption. We must let them know that we are so serious about this, that we would seek to remove them from their offices and benches at the next political and court elections.
So, bring your entire families. Let’s remind the court judges that the real power is in the people, and We The People will not let injustice reign in Philly’s courtrooms any longer.
From the Belly of The Beast, I am Shakaboona. Thank for Listening.