Mumia Abu-Jamal, the man who has sat on death row for almost 20 years while activists argued for and against his release, had his sentence overturned in December.

Penn State students have seen and participated in many events surrounding Abu-Jamal's case, from the creation of a student group to fight for his freedom in 1992 to speeches on campus by free-Mumia activist Ramona Africa and Abu-Jamal's lawyer during the past few years.

Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulker. Although the death sentence has been overturned, his conviction stands and he remains behind bars.

Students weigh in on both sides of the issue.

Justin Wade, chairman of Penn State Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), said there is a lack of new evidence in the case.

"It's kind of upsetting really," he said. "Just the death sentence was overturned, but he's still in prison for life now — I mean, what does that prove?"

Although Wade was not speaking for an overall position of YAF, he said other members shared the sentiment that Abu-Jamal should remain on death row.

"I can't think of one offhand that would be happy that he is not getting the death sentence," Wade said.

On the other side, Jeffrey Martin, president of Students and Youth Against Racism, thinks the trial itself constituted a racial injustice riddled with constitutional errors and that new evidence discovered since the trial should be enough to throw out the ruling.

"We want a retrial, but we think he should be released," Martin said.

He said that U.S. District Judge William Yohn's decision was the minimum possible for Abu-Jamal.

"It's something, but it's very small," Martin said. "It's the least he could've done."

Doug Grane, coordinator of Penn State's chapter of Amnesty International, said Abu-Jamal's trial did not meet basic international human rights standards.

"Everyone is entitled to due process and a fair trial and from what I've read . . . there is no way this was a fair trial," Grane said. "Regardless of any circumstance, you definitely need to have due process."

Grane said that even if Abu-Jamal is found guilty in a new trial, he should not receive the death penalty, adding that the death of Daniel Faulkner was still a terrible loss.

He said he knows the victim's family is suffering, but it still does not justify the death penalty.

"Murder is gruesome no matter how you look at it," he said, "whether it's done by people on the street or by the state of Pennsylvania."

Yohn's decision came about a week after the 20-year anniversary of the murder.

Abu-Jamal and his lawyers had requested a new trial, claiming more witnesses and that the original trial and sentencing had been unfair.

The judge refused the new trial requests but granted the new sentencing, which in essence saves Abu-Jamal from the death penalty unless the district attorney appeals. The ruling came from a technicality in how the jury was instructed to weigh factors in deciding whether or not to call for the death penalty.

Supporters of Abu-Jamal, who is black, argue that he is the victim of a racist justice system, while supporters of Faulkner argue that the conviction stands and the evidence is overwhelming.

Many actors and actresses as well as foreign public officials have spoken in support of Abu-Jamal, holding him up as a symbol of all that is wrong in the American criminal justice system. Anti-death-penalty activists have also taken up his cause.