by Our Foreign Desk

ANGOLA THREE inmate Albert Woodfox remains jailed in the US despite an order for his release as he faces a third trial for the same murder.

An appeals panel ruled on Friday that Mr Woodfox must stay in prison until it hears arguments from the state prosecutor in late August on his retrial for the 1972 killing of guard Brent Miller at Louisiana State Penitentiary — known as Angola.

Mr Woodfox won a court ruling last week ordering his immediate release from 43 years of solitary confinement. He has twice been convicted of the killing, but both judgements have subsequently been overturned.

Supporters of Mr Woodfox and fellow Angola Three inmates Robert King and Herman Wallace said that their murder charges and extraordinary spells in solitary confinement were motivated by their membership of the Black Panther Party and work in organising prison protests.

Judge James Brady took the unusual step of barring a third trial for Mr Woodfox, saying that a fair hearing would be impossible.

Lawyers broke the news of the appeals panel’s ruling to Mr Woodfox, who is being held at the West Feliciana Parish Detention Centre, as reporters and family members of the dead guard gathered outside.

“He was stoic and remains hopeful,” said lawyer George Kendall.

Outside the jail, about a dozen members of the guard’s family had been waiting for a ruling.

“Whenever you murder somebody or do something wrong, you pay the price,” said one of Mr Miller’s sisters, Wanda Callender. “Two juries said he was guilty. I would love for him to stay in prison the rest of his life.”