"Jena 6" ~ News Updates Only ~

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Thousands Rally in La. to Support Jena 6

THE SENTINEL - By MARY FOSTER - Last updated: Thursday, September 20, 2007 11:58 AM EDT

JENA, La. - Thousands of chanting demonstrators filled the streets of this little Louisiana town Thursday in support of six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.

The crowd broke into chants of "Free the Jena Six" as the Rev. Al Sharpton arrived at the local courthouse with family members of the jailed teens.

Martin Luther King III, son of the slain civil rights leader, said the scene was reminiscent of earlier civil rights struggles. He said punishment of some sort may be in order for the six defendants, but "the justice system isn't applied the same to all crimes and all people."

The six teens were charged shortly after the local prosecutor declined to charge three white teens who hung nooses in a tree on their high school grounds. Five of the black teens were initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was reduced to battery for all but one, who has yet to be arraigned; the sixth was charged as a juvenile.

"This is the most blatant example of disparity in the justice system that we've seen," Sharpton told CBS's "The Early Show" before arriving in Jena. "You can't have two standards of justice."

"We didn't bring race into it," he said. "Those that hung the nooses brought the race into it." ..... cont.

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2007/09/20/ap/us/d8rp9gmg0.txt

[odette]

Thousands Rally in La. to Support Jena 6

-- Small Louisiana Town Gears Up for March in Support of 6 Black Teens Charged in School Fight --

ABC NEWS - By MARY FOSTER - Associated Press Writer - JENA, La. Sep 20, 2007 (AP)

Traffic jammed the two-lane road leading into the tiny town of Jena early Thursday as thousands of demonstrators gathered in support of six black teens initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said it could be the beginning of the 21st century's civil rights movement, one that would challenge disparities in the justice system.

"You cannot have justice meted out based on who you are rather than what you did," Sharpton told CBS's "The Early Show" Thursday. ..... cont.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3628653

http://i18.tinypic.com/6gv1yr4.jpg
Andrea Blalock, left, checks out a shirt for her husband Thomas Blalock,
both from Stockbridge, Ga. as they prepare for a march in support of the
Jena 6 in Jena, La., Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007. Hundreds of people dressed
in black, from college students to veterans of the civil rights movements,
boarded buses bound for Jena and a rally Thursday in support of six black
teenagers who were initially charged with attempted murder in the beating
of a white classmate. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Outrage grows over Jena 6

-- More than 400 turn out for a Hampton rally backing the high school students. --

DAILY PRESS - BY MATTHEW STURDEVANT - September 20, 2007

HAMPTON - The same symbol of racism that ignited racial tensions last year in Jena, La., is closer to home than some might think, the Rev. Richard Wills said Wednesday night.

Wills said his daughter was on a Hanover County school bus last year when students were tying nooses and flopping them over the top of seats to taunt black students.

"We're not talking about 1864. We're not talking about 1964. We're talking about 2006," Wills said. The pastor spoke to an audience of more than 400 people gathered at First Baptist Church of Hampton in support of the six black Louisiana teenagers who have come to be known as the Jena 6. ..... cont.


http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-26173sy0sep20,0,5475804.story?coll=dp-breaking-news

http://i18.tinypic.com/4ya4h29.jpg
Church members Linda Copeland, left, and Linda Poindexter hold hands
during a community prayer Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007, during a support
rally for the Jena 6 at the First Baptist Church in Hampton. The event
features speakers including local elected officials, choir selections and
other local clergy. (Diane Cebula, Daily Press / September 18, 2007)

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Thousands rally in Jena 'march for justice'

CNN - updated 43 minutes ago

JENA, Louisiana (CNN) -- Thousands of protesters gathered in Jena, Louisiana, on Thursday to show support for the "Jena 6," six black teens charged in the beating of a white classmate.

Thursday was the day Mychal Bell expected to find out his punishment for his alleged role in the beating at Jena High.

"This is a march for justice. This is not a march against whites or against Jena," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist and one of the protest organizers.

Sharpton called Jena the beginning of the 21st century civil rights movement.

"[The Rev. Martin Luther] King went to Selma. That wasn't the only place you couldn't vote. That was the point of action," Sharpton said. "They went to Birmingham. That wasn't the only place we didn't have public accommodations. It was the point of action.

"Jena is a point of action for the Jenas everywhere," Sharpton said.

"There's a Jena in every state," the Rev. Jesse Jackson told the crowd in Jena on Thursday morning. ..... cont.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/20/jena.six/?iref=mpstoryview

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Rally in support of Jena 6 draws hundreds to Temple

By Vernon Clark - INQUIRER STAFF WRITER - Posted on Thu, Sep. 20, 2007

Conjuring images of the 1960s and 1970s, about 600 students - mostly wearing all-black - raised their fists for six minutes of silence at a Temple University rally today in support of six black Louisiana high school students charged in the beating of a white classmate.

The so-called Jena 6 were initially charged with attempted murder in the beating after the local prosecutor declined to charge three white teens who hung nooses in a tree on their high school grounds.

Five of the black teens were initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was reduced to battery for all but one, who has yet to be arraigned; the sixth was charged as a juvenile. A rally at Jena today drew thousands of protesters and civil rights leaders.

At Temple, Courtney Anderson of the Temple Black Student Union looked over the crowd gathered around the bell tower and said: "It touches my heart to see a sea of people for this event. I believe we reached our goal of raising awareness. Now, we should go home with a message for family and friends, and spread it."

Quoting Martin Luther King, she said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Additional rallies were planned today in the region: In Trenton, Mayor Doug Palmer was to issue a statement this afternoon, and at 5 p.m. NAACP groups from Bucks County and New Jersey were to march across the bridge known for its "Trenton Makes, The World Takes" slogan. Students at Stockton State College were scheduled to protest at 4 p.m.

Rally in support of Jena 6 draws hundreds to Temple (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20070920_Rally_in_support_of_Jena_6_draws_hundreds _to_Temple.html)

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The U.S. Conference of Mayors Issues Statement on the Jena 6 Case

Author : U.S. Conference of Mayors - Posted : Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:29:59 GMT

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer made the following comments concerning the Jena 6 case, "The Jena 6 refers to six young people from Jena, Louisiana who were charged with various crimes stemming from a racially charged episode at the local high school. Though the incident involves both black and white students, the consequences of each group have been gravely different.

"What this case tells us is that unequal justice is clearly alive and thriving in the United States. The small town of Jena has been thrust into the national spotlight reminding the entire world of the deplorable days when African Americans had limited civil rights and were subjected to random acts of violence without provocation.

"The point that some seem to miss is that the students were given jail time for being involved in a simple high school fistfight. I am not advocating violence, but we should not miss this opportunity to teach children how to properly resolve conflicts and the importance of understanding cultural differences. The long-term implications of allowing the justice system to punish youthful indiscretions hurt us all and deny these young men an opportunity to positively contribute to society. .....

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http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,182468.shtml

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Local students, adults rally today in support of Jena 6

AJC - By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS - Published on: 09/20/07

Jena 6 supporters showed their colors at local rallies today, including events at Atlanta City Hall and the Atlanta University Center.

"I figured it's time to speak out for justice for our people," said Keron Walton, 67, of Lawrenceville, who took two of her nine grandchildren to City Hall.

"We have dropped the ball. We've been waiting for someone else to do what we should do."

About 20,000 people are expected in Jena, La., today to protest what they see as an egregious example of racial injustice.

In an event reminiscent of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, people across the nation are boarding buses and traveling through the night. Hundreds of Atlantans from Atlanta University Center's historically black colleges and local churches made the 10-hour trip.

Concern over the Jena 6 case cuts across racial lines.

Mary McLaughlin, who is white, considers it yet another example of what she sees as a racial imbalance in how teens are treated in the educational and criminal justice systems.

"It's a huge, huge issue, " said McLaughlin, who appeared outside City Hall dressed in all black. "The response to this shows that." .....

continued
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/09/20/jena6_0920.html

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Old-fashioned Southern justice in modern South

insidebayarea.com - Article Last Updated: 09/20/2007 10:35:27 AM PDT

AS YOU go about your day, think about Mychal Bell, the 17-year-old who finds out his fate today in a Jena, La., court. Bell, part of the Jena 6," faces what can be best described as injustice run amok.

Jena, whose population is roughly 3,000, garnered national attention after Bell was convicted, facing 22 years in prison for his part in a racially motivated altercation at the local high school. Bell, 16 when the incident occurred, had been tried as an adult.

Last week, Bell had a portion of his charges dropped. Judge J.P. Mauffray threw out a conspiracy conviction against Bell, granting a defense motion that Bell's June trial was improperly held in adult court and instead should have been conducted as a juvenile proceeding.

But Mauffray let stand Bell's conviction on aggravated second-degree battery, for which he still faces up to 15 years in prison. The good news for Bell is the possibility that his maximum sentence has been reduced by seven years. The bad news is that he still faces sentencing today. .....

continued
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/oped/ci_6946382

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Thousands rally to support Jena 6

KVUE - 12:17 PM CDT on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - Associated Press

ENA, La. - Thousands of chanting demonstrators filled the streets of this little Louisiana town Thursday in a massive show of support for six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.

Throngs of black-clad protesters jammed the grounds of the local courthouse and a nearby park while thousands more marched along city streets in what at times took on the atmosphere of a giant festival _ with people setting up tables of food and some dancing to the beat of a man playing a drum.

The crowd broke into chants of "Free the Jena Six" as the Rev. Al Sharpton arrived at the local courthouse with family members of the arrested teens.

Martin Luther King III, son of the slain civil rights leader, said the scene was reminiscent of earlier civil rights struggles. He said punishment of some sort may be in order for the six defendants, but "the justice system isn't applied the same to all crimes and all people." .....

continued
http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/092007kvuejena6midday-cb.f1d93d1f.html

[odette]

Jena Update: Crowds, Activism and Outrage

NYTIMES - By Maria Newman - September 20, 2007, 2:03 pm

Richard G. Jones, a reporter for The New York Times, is in Jena, La., today, where protesters have converged in support of the six black youths arrested for beating a white classmate.

Their numbers are overwhelming the little town, he reports. There are crowds gathered peacefully at the city’s courthouse, at a nearby park, and at the high school that was at the center of the incident whose aftermath drew them here.

They came from far and near: Many of them rode buses all day and all night to get to this town where there was something called “the white tree.'’

Fanon Brown, 16, is one of them: He told Mr. Jones that he left Philadelphia at 3 a.m. Wednesday and got to Jena 27 hours later. He is here, he says, not just for the six black boys who were arrested for beating a white classmate after a series of incidents in the town, but for the larger things he said the case represents about race and justice in America:

I can’t believe that after all these years we still have deformities in our justice system. We have to free the Jena Six but we’ve got to go home and take care of this racism thing.’ .....

continued
Jena Update: Crowds, Activism and Outrage (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/jena-update-crowds-activism-and-outrage/?hp)

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Local response to 'Jena 6' protest

-- The situation in Jena, Louisiana has ignited a nationwide response. --

(Tri-State - WABC, September 20, 2007) - In the tri-state area, hundreds of students in Stamford, Connecticut staged a protest this morning. High school students dressed in black and gathered under the school's American flag.

In Brooklyn, a protest and march is underway. Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson is live in Downtown Brooklyn.

The rally is just wrapping up as protestors are preparing to march across the Brooklyn Bridge, headed to Manhattan's City Hall. Since earlier this morning local protestor have been gathering in Borough Hall. At some point, the crowd swelled to about several hundred people.

Like the massive rally going on in Jena, this is a very diverse crowd; young students are in attendance, old people are here too. The local protestors say it's about standing strong and watching developments in Louisiana. The plan is to hold rallies until all of the charges against the "Jena 6" are dropped.

Protestors say it's their duty and responsibility to show the country they are committed to change and ending what many call, racial disparity in the justice system.

An older protestor said, "everything that has to do with our children, has to do with all of us. This is a family affair for everybody because this involves the children. The children are the next generation of this world."

While a younger protestor said, "the problems that are facing the people in Jena are basically here in New York....We need to stop this now, and that's why it's more important than ever that people, localist, come up and say you know what, 'I'm not gonna let my fellow brothers be treated as criminals' ". .....

continued
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=nation_world&id=5666954

http://i14.tinypic.com/6f940fs.jpg

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'Jena Six' Rallies Held in Atlanta

11-ALIVE - Reported By: Jon Shirek - Last Modified: 9/20/2007 2:13:20 PM

Students, professors, politicians, and ministers marched in Atlanta Thursday in support of the massive rally for the Jena Six taking place in Louisiana (see related story).

The protesters spoke out at the historic Rush Memorial Church on the Clark Atlanta University campus in support of the defendants in Jena, La., as they called for a new civil rights revolution.

The so-called Jena Six is a group of black teenagers who were initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.

The demonstrators chanted "Free Jena Six" as they marched in Atlanta, wearing black to show their solidarity.

"It has to be the start point. We can't let it end because it's going to continue to exist if we don't do anything about it," one speaker said. .....

continued
http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=103402

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Denver Jena 6 rally tonight

DENVER POST - By John Ingold - Denver Post Staff Writer - 09/20/2007

Diana Williams isn't much of an activist.

In fact, until Wednesday, the Denver woman had never organized a protest against anything. But something about the story of the Jena 6 — six black Louisiana youths many feel were charged unfairly with attempted murder after beating a white student — stirred her heart. She started calling and e-mailing friends, trying to figure out what she could do and settled on holding a march.

"I just said, 'OK, I'm going to go for it,'" she said. "I've never done anything like this. But I said I'm going to go out and march, even if it's just by myself." .....

continued
http://www.denverpost.com/snowsports/ci_6947172

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Stamford students, faculty protest in support of Jena 6

WTNH - NEWS 8 CHANNEL - by News Channel 8's Crystal Haynes - Posted Sept. 20, 2007 - 2:15 PM

Stamford (WTNH) _ Students and faculty in Stamford are taking are standing up for six students at the center a national issue about race and justice.

Dressed in black, the number six worn proudly across their chests, Stamford High School students are making a stand for the civil rights of their counterparts thousands of miles to the south.

"Being here today, we are making a difference and we hope to spread the word to every other state and make a difference not only here but throughout the whole world," says Stamford High School student, Charles Air.

They join a grassroots movement supporting six black Jena High School students initially charged with attempted murder for beating a white classmate.

Protests are being held across the country after church and community leaders spread the word to their neighbors.

Stamford High School English teacher, Crystal Perry, joined the movement after her father, a local Baptist minister, sent out a chain email. She told her students and they sprung into action.

"When I look at them, I see the six young men. They are very similar and if we allow this to happen there, it can happen anywhere in our nation," says Perry.

Stamford High School students want to make sure racial tensions never reach the height they have in Jena, Louisiana.

"Something like this should never happen. We shouldn't allow it to happen. It's not about black and white, it's
about wrong and right and only we can do something to stop it," says Air.

"This is not black and white," Crystal Webb, another student, "we just wanted to let everybody know that we're aware as much as everybody else in the world."

Stamford joins other Connecticut towns like New Canaan and Bridgeport also planning their own protests.

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=7105263&nav=3YeX

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Thousands rally in La. to support black teens known as Jena 6

KATC3.COM

JENA, La. -- Thousands of chanting demonstrators filled the streets of this little Louisiana town Thursday in a massive show of support for six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate. .....

EXCERPT: Thursday's protest had been planned to coincide with Bell's sentencing, but organizers decided to press ahead even after the conviction was thrown out. Bell remains jailed while prosecutors prepare an appeal. He has been unable to meet the $90,000 bond.

"We all have family members about the age of these guys. We said it could have been one of them. We wanted to try to do something," said Angela Merrick, 36, who drove with three friends from Atlanta to protest the treatment of the teens.

EXCERPT: "This doesn't offend me. I'm glad they're doing it. I believe in people standing up for what's right," one white resident, Ricky Coleman, 46, said as he watched the rallies. "What bothers me is this town being labeled racist. I'm not racist."

"I don't think these folks have a clue what's happened here," said Kenny Robertson, 50. "This is a good town. I was born and raised here. We're not racists," Robertson said. "When all you foreigners get out of here, things will go back to normal."

EXCERPT: Elizabeth Redding, 63, of Willinboro, N.J. said she marched at Selma, Ala., when she was in her 20s.

"This is worse, because we didn't get the job done," she said as she trudged up a hill leading to the park rally. "I never believed that this would be going on in 2007."

continued
http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7104439

[Athena]

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals today ordered a bond hearing for Mychal Bell in the "Jena Six" case.

Bell's adult conviction for aggravated second-degree battery was overturned Friday.

The appellate court today ordered the hearing for Bell to be held within 72 hours, according Bob Noel of Monroe, one of Bell’s attorneys. Although the conviction was overturned, Bell was still being held at a LaSalle Parish prison.

The order came just hours after thousands of people from across the United States began a series of rallies and marches in support of Bell.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070920/BREAKINGNEWS/70920024

[odette]

Thousands descend on town to support 'Jena 6'

-- The case of black teenagers hit with heavy charges after beating a white classmate has attracted national attention. --

LA TIMES - By Jenny Jarvie and Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers - September 21, 2007

JENA, LA. -- -- In a scene reminiscent of civil rights protests of decades past, thousands of protesters descended on this small Southern town Thursday to peacefully decry what they said was the unfair treatment of six black teenagers charged with beating a white schoolmate.

The case of the Jena Six, as the defendants have come to be known, attracted a cast of famous black leaders, but many said the crowd was called by fresh chorus of voices -- among them bloggers, black radio personalities and Web-networked college students.

Organizers said the crowd swelled to 50,000; state police said it was too spread out to count. As the visitors began pouring into this mostly white central Louisiana community of 3,000 at daybreak, they encountered a ghost town: The courthouse, the high school and almost all the businesses -- from the barber to the bail bondsman -- were closed. .....

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Thousands descend on town to support 'Jena 6' (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-jena21sep21,1,3856604.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&track=crosspromo)

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PROTEST | Obama's absence noted as no-trespassing signs, Confederate flags greet demonstrators

CHICAGO SUN TIMES - MARY MITCHELL marym@suntimes.com - September 21, 2007

JENA, LA. -- The rally in support of six African-American teens who faced attempted-murder charges for a schoolyard fight drew thousands of black Americans and a smattering of whites from across the nation to a small Southern town, where some residents strung Confederate flags and no-trespassing signs across their lawns to welcome the out-of-towners.

The estimated 3,000 residents, about 85 percent of whom are white, had braced for the convergence by closing up businesses and emptying the streets.

Most of the people who showed up in Jena were too young to have marched in Selma or Montgomery, but their energy and spirit were reminiscent of earlier protests against segregation led by another generation.

"There is a lot of democratic energy here for the righteous cause," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said. .....

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http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/568065,CST-NWS-mitch21.article

[odette]

Tens of thousands rally for Jena 6

PETER WHORISKEY - The Washington Post - Friday, September 21, 2007

JENA, La. - Thousands of people from around the nation converged early Thursday on this rural town to protest what they consider the overzealous prosecution of six black high school students charged with beating a white schoolmate.

The impetus for the rally at this small town and at smaller vigils across the country was the anger demonstrators feel over the charges - that at one point included attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder - leveled against the so-called Jena 6. But many participants said they also wanted to make a statement about what they believe is unequal treatment black people receive from the criminal justice system everywhere.

"There's Jenas in Atlanta, there's Jenas in New York, there's Jenas in Florida and there are Jenas all over Texas," the Rev. Al Sharpton told a raucous crowd Thursday morning.

As demonstrators poured into town in buses, cars and on foot, there was also a sense of nostalgia for the huge civil rights marches of a generation ago and a hope that the response to the Jena controversy might rekindle the movement.

"It has been a long time since we had a march like this, and people knew it was making history," said the Rev. Kevin Domingue, 42, of Rockville, Md. He was reared about 150 miles from Jena, and he flew to New Orleans and drove to the rally.

The outrage over the Jena 6 arose initially after the teenagers involved were charged .....

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http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/wire.ssf?/base/news/1190363955103370.xml&coll=2

[Athena]

Court has refused to release Michael Bell nor change the original Judge that handled the case:

JENA, Louisiana (CNN) -- Mychal Bell, the sole defendant who remains behind bars from the group of teens known as the "Jena 6," will not be released Friday, a court decided.

Bell's attorneys also had hoped to get the judge, J. P. Mauffray, removed from the case Friday.

But a judge from a neighboring parish ruled after hearing arguments that Mauffray would stay on the case.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/21/jena.hearing/index.html

[odette]

FBI Probes Anti-Jena 6 Web Page

ASSOCIATED PRESS - By BECKY BOHRER – 1 hour ago

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The FBI is reviewing a white supremacist Web site that purports to list the addresses of five of the six black teenagers accused of beating a white student in Jena and "essentially called for their lynching," an agency spokeswoman said Saturday.

Sheila Thorne, an agent in the FBI's New Orleans office, said authorities were reviewing whether the site breaks any federal laws. She said the FBI had "gathered intelligence on the matter," but declined to further explain how the agency got involved.

CNN first reported Friday about the Web site, which features a swastika, frequent use of racial slurs, a mailing address in Roanoke, Va., and phone numbers purportedly for some of the teens' families "in case anyone wants to deliver justice." That page is dated Thursday.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement Saturday that some of the families have received "almost around the clock calls of threats and harassment," and called on Gov. Kathleen Blanco to intervene.

A Blanco spokeswoman said the governor had asked law enforcement — primarily state police — to investigate.

"These people need more than an investigation. They need protection," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said. He said his organization would be in touch with President Bush's nominee for attorney general, Michael Mukasey.

"This is a test for the disposition of the Department of Justice to serve as an intervenor and a deterrent" to hate crimes and discrimination, Jackson said. He said federal marshals should protect the families.

Carolas Purvis, whose number was among three listed on the Web site, said she did not feel in danger. Purvis is the aunt of Bryant Purvis, who has yet to be arraigned. She said she has received a number of calls, some from people who say nothing, others to let her know that her number had been put on the site. One, Friday night, used the N-word to her young son, she said.

A dispatcher for the LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Department said no one in the office Saturday could say whether any threats had been reported.

Of the two other numbers listed as "active" on the Web site, one was not answered Saturday; the other yielded a constant busy signal. .....

continued
FBI Probes Anti-Jena 6 Web Page (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g_B895UEtV38cUvZWav9zg08hh3Q)

[odette]

Jena protest ends but tensions are simmering

USA TODAY - By Abbey Brown, The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk - Posted 8h 11m ago

JENA, La. — Thousands made the journey to Jena on Thursday to show their support for the "Jena Six." While the day may have remained peaceful during the rallies, the days since have been anything but.

First, it was the two teens who were arrested Thursday night after driving a pickup through downtown Alexandria, where ralliers had gathered, with nooses hanging off the back. Both allegedly had been drinking, and a gun and brass knuckles were found in their truck.

The next day, the FBI announced it was keeping tabs on a neo-Nazi activist in Roanoke, Va., who had posted the names and addresses of the Jena Six on his website proclaiming "Lynch the Jena 6," the Roanoke Times reported. William A. White also listed the phone numbers of the six, urging his readers to "Get in touch, and let them know justice is coming." .....

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-22-jena-tensions_N.htm

[Athena]

FBI investigates anti-Jena 6 Web page

Updated: 9:42 a.m. ET Sept 23, 2007

NEW ORLEANS - The FBI is reviewing a white supremacist Web site that purports to list the addresses of five of the six black teenagers accused of beating a white student in Jena and "essentially called for their lynching," an agency spokeswoman said Saturday.

Sheila Thorne, an agent in the FBI's New Orleans office, said authorities were reviewing whether the site breaks any federal laws. She said the FBI had "gathered intelligence on the matter," but declined to further explain how the agency got involved.

'Threats and harassment'
The Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement Saturday that some of the families have received "almost around the clock calls of threats and harassment," and called on Gov. Kathleen Blanco to intervene.

A Blanco spokeswoman said the governor had asked law enforcement _ primarily state police _ to investigate.

"These people need more than an investigation. They need protection," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said. He said his organization would be in touch with President Bush's nominee for attorney general, Michael Mukasey.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20928901/

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Roanoke white supremacist says FBI is monitoring his website

WDBJ7 - September 24, 2006

Even though the FBI is reviewing his web site, a Roanoke man says the agency will never shut him down.

Bill White is a white supremacist. He lists five of the six addresses for the Jena 6 defendants on his web site. The FBI is now looking to see if White violated any federal laws.

On his web site White essentially called for the lynching of the six black teens accused of beating a white student in Louisiana. He says he hasn't broken any laws.

Bill White has turned heads and raised eyebrows with his protests and literature since his arrival in the Star City nearly four-years ago.

Now, the neo-Nazi is garnering national and FBI attention by listing the addresses and phone numbers of the Jena gina 6 and asking for retribution.

White said today, "There's a big difference between them reviewing something and me doing something wrong. They have been reviewing, reviewing and reviewing it for years and years and years. We have been publishing. We will continue to publish."

White, who is the commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party, says the FBI has not contacted him.

He says he decided to post the addresses to show people that his group is "not going to tolerate black on white racial crime." .....

continued:
http://www.wdbj7.com/global/story.asp?s=7121821

http://i20.tinypic.com/mv6b2q.gif
Bill White says the FBI is monitoring his website.

[Athena]

This will be out of order but I just recently came across this and had never read it before:

Williams had rested his case Wednesday without calling any witnesses, a decision criticized by some of Bell's supporters but one he defended Thursday. "People who watched this whole trial saw that it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt on these two charges," Williams said.

Williams told the jury that Walters had failed to prove that Bell had even taken part in a crime, much less an attack with a weapon. A day earlier Barker had testified that he was struck from behind and immediately went unconscious; there was conflicting testimony from witnesses as to whether the initial attacker was Bell and whether that attacker was wearing a green hooded jacket or a red shirt.

Williams also sought to raise doubt about Barker's testimony that he still suffers headaches and forgetfulness since the beating. He noted a nurse's testimony that Barker had a history of migraines before the fight. "If I say I have memory loss, can anybody know if I have it?" Williams asked.

As for the conspiracy charge, Williams said high school students usually congregate in the same, cliquish groups all the time. That does not constitute a conspiracy, he argued.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19488285/

[Athena]

Interesting essays written by Eddie Thompson, one of the few white people who spoke out during this case:

How a small, southern town was sacrificed for America’s national sin. The author, quoting a term often used by supporters of the "Jena Six" to illustrate another sort of prejudice and injustice perpetrated against an entire community, gives "the other side of the story" in an effort to shed insight into the mindset of the citizens of Jena, Louisiana.

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=17296&id=32967

[Athena]

3rd Circuit Court of Appeal

Press Release

Opinions Rendered Dealing with STATE VS. MYCHAL D. BELL

http://www.la3circuit.org/opinions/2007/09/092107/STvsMYCHALBELL.htm

[Athena]

DA of Jena speaks out / NY Times:

Op-Ed Contributor
Justice in Jena

By REED WALTERS
Published: September 26, 2007

I cannot overemphasize how abhorrent and stupid I find the placing of the nooses on the schoolyard tree in late August 2006. If those who committed that act considered it a prank, their sense of humor is seriously distorted. It was mean-spirited and deserves the condemnation of all decent people.

Last week, a reporter asked me whether, if I had it to do over, I would do anything differently. I didn’t think of it at the time, but the answer is yes. I would have done a better job of explaining that the offenses of Dec. 4, 2006, did not stem from a “schoolyard fight” as it has been commonly described in the news media and by critics.

Conjure the image of schoolboys fighting: they exchange words, clench fists, throw punches, wrestle in the dirt until classmates or teachers pull them apart. Of course that would not be aggravated second-degree battery, which is what the attackers are now charged with. (Five of the defendants were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder.) But that’s not what happened at Jena High School.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/opinion/26walters.html?n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/Louisiana

[Earlybird7]

This after a meeting tonight.

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/NEWS01/70926052

[accordn2me]

DA of Jena speaks out / NY Times:

Op-Ed Contributor
Justice in Jena

By REED WALTERS
Published: September 26, 2007

I cannot overemphasize how abhorrent and stupid I find the placing of the nooses on the schoolyard tree in late August 2006. If those who committed that act considered it a prank, their sense of humor is seriously distorted. It was mean-spirited and deserves the condemnation of all decent people.

Last week, a reporter asked me whether, if I had it to do over, I would do anything differently. I didn’t think of it at the time, but the answer is yes. I would have done a better job of explaining that the offenses of Dec. 4, 2006, did not stem from a “schoolyard fight” as it has been commonly described in the news media and by critics.

Conjure the image of schoolboys fighting: they exchange words, clench fists, throw punches, wrestle in the dirt until classmates or teachers pull them apart. Of course that would not be aggravated second-degree battery, which is what the attackers are now charged with. (Five of the defendants were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder.) But that’s not what happened at Jena High School.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/opinion/26walters.html?n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/Louisiana

Excellent Op-Ed contribution!

[One2Snoop]

Sep 27, 2:08 PM EDT


DA won't challenge 'Jena 6' ruling

By DOUG SIMPSON
Associated Press Writer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The prosecutor in the "Jena 6" cases said Thursday he had decided not to challenge a ruling that sent 17-year-old Mychal Bell's case to juvenile court.

LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters said he spoke with the beating victim and legal experts in the state before making the decision. He earlier had said he would appeal the state appeals court's decision to set aside Bell's second-degree battery conviction on the grounds that Bell should not have been tried as an adult.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, with Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton at her side, had announced on Wednesday that she had asked Walters to reconsider pushing to keep the case in the adult system.

snip
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JENA_SIX?SITE=OKTUL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[dallasvic]

Stranger Posted Bond for One of 'Jena 6'

Saturday, September 29, 2007

NEW ORLEANS — When a 17-year-old at the center of a civil rights controversy in a small Louisiana town left jail, he had a stranger to thank.
Dr. Stephen Ayers, who lives about 135 miles away, said he felt compelled to help the family of Mychal Bell by posting the teen's bond and allowing him to go home for the first time in 10 months.
Bell is one of six black teenagers accused of beating a white classmate in the central Louisiana town of Jena, where more than 20,000 demonstrators gathered last week to protest what they perceive as differences in how black and white suspects are treated.
Ayers, 42, of Lake Charles in southwestern Louisiana, said Friday that he isn't politically active and isn't usually one to "get into things like this." But then a patient whose feet hurt after the march gave him a report on the event, in which Ayers did not participate.
"I was concerned about what was going on up there and thought the district attorney was a bit harsh in his treatment of Mr. Bell," said Ayers, who is black but added that his race was not his motivation. "I really thought it was overkill."
Continued:
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Sep29/0,4670,JenaSix,00.html

[dallasvic]

JENA'S QUIET
Posted: Friday, September 28, 2007 7:21 PM

JENA, La.– Looking for the mood in Jena is like looking for
the truth – it all depends on who you talk to.
The day after 17-year-old Mychal Bell was released on $45,000 bail (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21000774/), things are quiet. But, of course, in a town of just 3,000 it’s almost always quiet.
The satellite trucks, with the exception of our own, have shut down their generators, folded their dishes and moved on. Across the street from the LaSalle Parish Courthouse at the McCartney Slay GMC dealership the cars are back on the lot. When we were here last week for the large demonstration, the owner had moved them, fearing the worst.
Now that Bell’s out on bail, there is a sense of relief.
continued :
http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/28/386338.aspx

[One2Snoop]

Highlighted on the Montel Williams show today.....

Race On Trial - The Jena 6

Today's show will focus on the "Jena 6" - the controversy surrounding six black males who face serious criminal charges for fighting with a white classmate in their hometown of Jena, Louisiana. Robert Noel, an attorney for Mychal Bell, one of the teens who is charged, will update us on the case that has called national attention to the flaws in our justice system and the racism that quietly plagues our country. Griffin Scott, a local news reporter from KTVE-TV, will fill us in on how the town of Jena is handling all the media attention. While Billy Fowler, a school board member, will attempt to dispel notions of racism in Jena. We'll also hear other shocking stories of how race still divides our country. Shaquanda, an African American teenager, claims she unfairly spent one year in a youth prison for "assault on a public servant." Find out what happens when Nikki, a white high school student, spends the day at the home of Jasmine and Kim, a black family, to see if some of her pre-conceived notions about black people are true. Plus, most people will be surprised to know that there are still segregated proms in the South. You won't believe what Jay and Amanda did to desegregate theirs.

http://www.montelshow.com/show/today/tuesday/

[Athena]

Motions for two other defendants Robert Bailey Jr. and Theo Shaw also were expected to be heard this afternoon but have been continued. Shaw's motion hearing is now scheduled for Jan. 8, while a date has not yet been set for Bailey's.
Among the motions that were to be heard before 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray were a change of venue, recusal of Walters and a continuance. Bailey's trial is still scheduled for Nov. 26, although a motion for a continuance hasn't yet been ruled on.

Details about Beard's case are unknown as it is being handled in juvenile court, though he is back at Jena High and participating in athletics.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbc...D=2007711070323

[Athena]

JENA — The last of the "Jena Six" to be arraigned pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to reduced charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy.

According to court documents, Barker on Dec. 4 was hit from behind, knocked unconscious and then kicked repeatedly by a group of students. He was treated for his injuries at a local emergency room.

Purvis' attorney, Darrell Hickman, contends that Purvis wasn't involved in the assault.

After his arraignment Wednesday, Purvis spoke to a group of more than 20 reporters gathered on the lawn of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse. He said little about his case or the cases of the other defendants.

Purvis is now a senior at a Dallas-area high school where he also is playing basketball, Jones said.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbc...D=2007711080326

[FDInLaw]

JENA -- Attorneys for Mychal Bell and his mother, Melissa Bell, say, according to a recent court filing, that the Dec. 4, 2006, attack on Justin Barker was his own fault.

According to a response filed Feb. 29 to the civil lawsuit the Barkers brought in November, the Bells and their attorneys contend that on Dec. 1, 2006, a passenger in Barker's pickup truck pointed and pumped a shotgun at Mychal Bell.

They also claim that during lunch on the day of the attack, Barker insulted Bell with racial epithets, a tomato was thrown at Bell's lunch table from Barker's lunch table, and then -- just before Bell hit Barker -- Barker insulted him by cursing at him.

Henry Lemoine Jr., attorney for the Barkers in their lawsuit against the "Jena Six" defendants, their parents and the LaSalle Parish School Board, said claims of events leading up to the attack on Justin Barker aren't founded on any kind of fact.
"No one testified to that," he said. "No one heard that. (Mychal) Bell himself did not take the stand. And later he entered into a plea agreement."

Lemoine said the recent statements appear nowhere in the plea agreement. Instead, he said, they show up for the first time during civil litigation -- in response to the suit seeking monetary damages for, among other claims, past and future mental and physical pain; loss of future wages and the ability to learn job skills due to injuries; and permanent physical damage.

"I don't think there's any reliable evidence to that effect," Lemoine said, referring to the series of events laid out in the Bells' answer to their suit. "I don't doubt he didn't tell his lawyers that. ... But I don't think that it shows up anywhere else. It is self-serving and serves only Mr. Bell."

Not only are the attorneys for the Bells claiming that the attack wasn't Mychal Bell's fault -- although he pleaded guilty to his part in the incident -- they also are filing a counter-suit against the Barkers and the LaSalle Parish School Board for, respectively, intentional emotional distress and allowing the fight to happen.

"Our defense in regards to their suit against us is that it was Justin Barker's fault," said Carol Powell-Lexing, an attorney for the Bells. "... The whole cause of the whole incident was Justin Barker and his antics, for lack of a better word."

She later said the School Board "breached their duty for failing to supervise and protect" the students from any type of harm or injuries. Lexing said the School Board was well aware of several fights and threats of violence at the school leading up to the attack and that more security should have been in place.

"The School Board knew that the students were highly tensed," Lexing said of the atmosphere at the school before the Dec. 4 attack.

An answer filed by the School Board denies any responsibility for the attack, saying it was not "caused, contributed to or otherwise permitted to occur by the LaSalle Parish School Board, its employees and/or its representatives."

The answer also said the board can't be held liable because it didn't have "actual or constructive notice of any disagreements, potential for altercations and/or complications between Justin Barker and any other student prior to the incident."

The board hasn't asked its attorney, Lottie Bash, to file a counter-suit against any of the parties involved, she said.

On Monday, 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray ordered that the board wouldn't be subject to a jury trial, Bash said. On Tuesday, she filed an answer to the Bells' counter-suit against the School Board that said the Bells have "no cause of action."


'Shocked, horrified and devastated'
LaSalle Parish Schools Superintendent Roy Breithaupt said Wednesday that the board is "surprised and disappointed" that Barker and his parents alleged that the board had any responsibility in the incident.
"On behalf of the School Board members, the school and its employees, I want the family to personally know that all of us were shocked, horrified and devastated that the incident even occurred," he said in a statement e-mailed to The Town Talk.

"Now we are all greatly saddened that Justin and his parents have decided to handle this matter by attacking the School Board. Although we are deeply saddened by the reaction of Justin's parents, the LaSalle Parish School Board looks forward to demonstrating to the Barkers and LaSalle Parish that it is not responsible for the sudden, unexplained actions of others."

Lemoine said the Barkers were reluctant to file suit but that they did so in the end as their son was hurt and deserves compensation for what happened to him.

(See link for complete article)






http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/NEWS01/803130337

[lorettalockhorn]

'Jena 6' figure shoots himself

...Mychal Bell was cleaning a gun when it accidentally discharged, shooting him in the shoulder, his attorney, Carol Powell-Lexing, told CNN. He had surgery Monday night at a hospital in Monroe, Louisiana, and has not yet been able to talk, she said...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/30/jena.shooting/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

[samanthajane13]

Lawyer: Jena Six teen shot himself out of despair
By KEVIN McGILL, Associated Press Writer Kevin Mcgill, Associated Press Writer – Tue Dec 30, 7:15 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – One of the central figures in the 2007 Jena Six civil rights case never gave up pursuing his football career, even after his well-publicized run-ins with the law.

Mychal Bell, an 18-year-old high school running back, clung to the hope that he could earn a college football scholarship. Then came another legal scrape this Christmas Eve.

After news broke of his arrest on a shoplifting charge, Bell shot himself in the chest Monday with a .22-caliber handgun. He remained hospitalized Tuesday but police said his chest wound was not life-threatening.

"When it was broadcast that he was charged with shoplifting he just felt that the whole year had been wasted and that he had worked all of that time for nothing," said Louis Scott, who represented Bell in the case where Bell and five other black teenagers were charged in the 2006 beating of a white classmate.

Bell's grandmother, Rosie Simmons, and mother, Melissa Bell, told police that "Mychal had made comments over the past two days that, because of the current media attention he had because of the shoplifting arrest, he didn't feel like he could live anymore," Monroe Police Lt. Jeff Harris said, reading from a police report.

Bell and the other members of the "Jena Six" once faced attempted murder charges in the beating at Jena High School, in north central Louisiana's Lasalle Parish. The charges for all the defendants were eventually reduced. But the severity of the original charges brought widespread criticism and eventually led more than 20,000 people to converge in September 2007 on the tiny town of Jena for a major civil rights march.

After being sentenced to 18 months following his guilty plea to juvenile charges, Bell moved from Jena to Monroe, where he was in foster care. He was released from state supervision on Dec. 4, said Bill Furlow, a spokesman for Reed Walters, the district attorney for LaSalle Parish.

A football star at Jena High until the Barker beating, Bell had hoped to play for Monroe's Carroll High School, where he is on track to graduate in the spring. But the Louisiana High School Athletic Association wouldn't grant him a fifth year of eligibility to play. Bell had spent 10 months in prison awaiting trial after his 2006 arrest in the beating case.

"He had kept his grades up and he had worked out the whole year even though he couldn't play. He had dealt with the fact that the state athletic association would not let him play high school ball," Bell's lawyer, Louis Scott said Tuesday.

It was unclear whether his dreams of a college football career were realistic. According to Scott, family members believed Bell was having encouraging discussions with the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

The school's director of football operations, Peter Martin, said in an e-mail that the school had not evaluated Bell as a prospective student-athlete and would not speculate on his potential at the college level.

Police said Bell's Christmas Eve arrest came after he allegedly tried to steal several shirts and a pair of jeans from a department store and fled when a security guard and off-duty police officer tried to detain him. After they found him hiding under a car, Bell "swung his arms wildly" and one of his elbows struck the security guard with a glancing blow, according to a police report. He was freed on $1,300 bond.

Scott said he believed the arrest likely resulted from a misunderstanding.

"I would be very surprised if he was shoplifting," Scott said. "I had seen him working out every day even though he knew he wasn't going to be able to play high school football."

Monday's shooting was reported at 7:40 p.m. According to the police report, Bell was staying at his grandmother's home and his mother was visiting at the time. Melissa Bell told police she and Simmons heard a gunshot coming from Mychal's room. They found him on his bed, wounded in the chest. It was not clear Tuesday who owned the gun.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081231/ap_on_re_us/jena_six

[RayStar]

I wish him well. I hope someone will get him some much needed help.