Finally, some Justice in Jena

Ahead of demonstrations expected to draw tens of thousands to the tiny town of Jena, LA, Mychal Bell of the now famed Jena 6 has had his conviction vacated and may go free as early as this evening.

News is breaking from Louisiana as we speak.  The Associated Press filed a story about an hour ago as defense attorneys revealed news about the successful appeal of Bell's aggravated battery conviction for fighting a white student after a string of racist violence at his high school. 

It seems that the appeal, which focuses on the dramatic misstep in charging Bell, then 16, as an adult, has been won outright.  From the AP:

A state appeals court Friday tossed out the aggravated battery conviction that could have sent a black teenager to prison for 15 years in last year's beating of a white classmate in the racially tense north Louisiana town of Jena.

Mychal Bell, who was 16 at the time of the December beating, should not have been tried as an adult on the battery charge, the state Third Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles ruled late Friday.

Bell is one of six black Jena High School students charged in an attack on fellow student Justin Barker, and one of five originally charged as adults with attempted second-degree murder.

Bell's sentencing, originally set for Thursday, was set to bring tens of thousands to tiny Jena, LA and has attracted international attention.  ColorofChange, one of the lead convenors of that action, is releasing their statement on the successful appeal within the hour.  We should know more then about the Bell case, the plans for the Sept. 20 protests and hopefully some sense of how this ruling will affect the other 5 students still awaiting trial and sentencing.

It's a victory.  A big one.  But one that we should never have had to fight for in the first place. 

Comments

[African American Political Pundit]

Good looking out on the quick posting on this partial victory.

[Jessie Gibson-Eldridge]

Hi Michael.

I have been listening to your program every since it came on in Detroit, Michigan. I am very proud for you and what you do for the old school and the young school listeners.

However, I think that you and your committees should still stay on the Jena 6 Case because this should not happen anywhere in the United States. Keep up the good work.

God Bless.

[J.R.]

Did you know?

Jena is pronounced JEE-nuh.

[Dita]

Wow! That is a MUCH better outcome than I ever expected. What good news. Thanks for posting this.

[Linda Flores]

While this is an important victory, it is only a PARTIAL victory -- let's not let them lull us into complacency. Here are some important things to note:

-- Mychal is still in jail! (And, as the article below states, he will not, it seems, be released until at least Monday, if not longer -- and it's not clear if he could or could not be released if new charges were filed.)

-- The DA has the option of filing charges again, and things seem to indicate he will;

-- This decision does not apply to the remaining four defendants.

In other words, we are so not done here -- the fight is still on.

Check below for this update/analysis:

At the same time, as we go to press, Mychal Bell is still in jail and STILL under the threat of continuing prosecution. And, the other five Black youth of the Jena 6 are still facing charges that could put them behind bars for years. AP reports that, according to attorney George Tucker, the reversal of Bell’s conviction will not affect the four other teenagers also charged as adults, because they were 17 years old at the time of the fight and no longer considered juveniles. PEOPLE STILL NEED TO COME TO JENA ON SEPTEMBER 20 TO DEMAND THAT THE JENA 6 MUST ALL BE FREE!

The overturning of Bell’s conviction is an important victory for the people. It would not have come about without the courageous stand of people in Jena and the growing mass political movement across the country to free the Jena 6. THIS SHOWS THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE. BUT THE STRUGGLE TO FREE THE JENA 6 IS FAR FROM OVER.

An article in The Jena Times quoted District Attorney Reed Walters saying, “I will ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to review the decision of the court of appeals.” And reported: “Bell will remain in jail until the issue is clarified by the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court agrees with the appeals court, Walters can choose to try Bell in adult court for attempted second-degree murder as originally charged or try him for a multitude of charges in juvenile court including the second-degree battery charge.”

Bell's legal team plans to go before the 28th District Court on Monday, September 17. Bell’s attorney Louis Scott stated, "We don't know what approach the prosecution is going to take — whether they will re-charge him, where he would have to be subjected to bail all over again or not."

People have been making plans to come to Jena on September 20 for a mass rally to support the Jena Six. And now it is even more important that thousands, from all over the country, GET ON THE BUS AND GET DOWN TO JENA ON SEPTEMBER 20 TO DELIVER A POWERFUL AND EVEN MORE DETERMINED MESSAGE THAT: WE WILL NOT BE SATISFIED AND WILL NOT STOP FIGHTING UNTIL the charges against ALL OF THE JENA SIX are dropped and THEY ARE ALL FREE!

[runescape gold]

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