No bail for `Jena Six' teen

[BushOut06]

Source: AP

JENA, La. - A relative of one of the Jena Six said a judge denied bail Friday for Mychal Bell, the only one of the teens who is jailed in the beating of a white classmate.

Attorneys would not comment because juvenile court proceedings are secret. But the father of one of Bell's co-defendants said Bell's bail request was rejected.

Bell's mother left the courthouse in tears and refused to comment.

Bell is the only one of the group known as the Jena Six to have been tried so far in the December beating of a white classmate.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070921/ap_on_re_us/jena_six_protest

---

The disparity being shown here is simply disgusting.

[Trillo]

1. I wonder why there was no bail?

Wouldn't most cases of battery get bail?

[Courtesy Flush]

11. It might not be a first offense

I work with (not for) the juvenile justice system in Louisiana. Juvenile records are sealed, so there's a chance this kid was known to the court, maybe already on probation, and the press wouldn't have that information.

I'm not saying that's what happened, but it's the kind of thing I see in court that would result in denial of bail. With sealed records, there's no way to tell.

[NOLALady]

26. Juvenile records are sealed.

But this child's records were revealed.

[Triana]

41. Might not be a first offense...

...I don't have a link but others I've conversed with said that he has a record. Might not be true or might be, I don't know the facts - just what I've heard.

[Courtesy Flush]

45. You know more than I do

For the record, I'm not sating he has a prior offence. Just speculating on reasons bail might be denied.

[BronxBoy]

58. The real question is..

Why was he denied bail in this circumstance?

Same judge and DA granted bail for the trial of this individual as an adult. Parents couldn't make it so he's been in jail.

Now the same judge says he's not eligible for bail?

The same juvenile convictions were present when bail was granted the first time around and bail was granted.

So I'm with you, I wonder why there was no bail.

[jimnasium]

2. Grrrrrrr...

It's not like he a fucking flight risk or anything.

Had this been your average white person who got in a fight, it's a fine, perhaps some litter pickup - and the record gets expunged after a few years.

[Lance_Boyle]

3. WTF?

I thought his "adult" conviction was thrown out, and the judge that threw that decision out ordered him released by next Monday? Is this the juvenile court case? How has this case begun when the suspect is still in custody for adult-court charges in which the decision was overturned and release pending Juvy trial ordered?

[BronxBoy]

59. I'm not a lawyer

Maybe one will weigh in. But from what I've heard, his bail on the adult trial went away once the case was kicked back to juvenile court.

He was granted a $90K bail bond when he was undergoing trial as an adult. When the appeal court kicked the case back to juvy, the bail conditions went away so it was up to his lawyers to petition the court for a new bail order and it was denied.


I hope I explained that right.


Anyway, all of the people going on and on about Bell's previous convictions seem to miss the obvious point that the same judge granted him bail in the preceding legal process. What has changed to now cause the same judge to say that Bell is such a risk that bail cannot be offered in the juvenile proceedings. He's been in jail since last December and as far as I know there hasn't been any talk, none at all, of any misbehavior while in custody.

I'll hazard a guess, they've been exposed for the racist assholes they are and this is their way of exacting revenge. A lot of Black talk radio had immediate coverage once the decision was announced. Several of them have close ties with the attorneys for Bell and the rumor is that they were pissed because the cops and some white people in attendance seemed almost gleeful when the decision was handed down.

[tom_paine]

63. Of COURSE it was revenge, and shoving in the injustice in people's faces

That is what Bushmerika is all about. It is ALL the Bushies are about. Like sending MORE troops to Iraq after the American People voted for reduction.

It is as simple as that. Murderous thugs and criminals now rule our nation, and their evil is trickling down to the rest of us, as it always does.

The Bushies are much more open now because they are almsot fully in control, and the Imperial Subjects of Amerika have bent the knee.

Why should it matter that these Bushies have been exposed for what they are? That sort of thing only works in Free Countries, not where we live.

This was cold and brutal revenge, one of the few things that Bushies excel at, beside lying, fraud, and grand larceny.

[Thothmes]

68. revege

This is rural Louisiana. I suspect that it would have have this way when Jefferson Davis was president, or Theodore Roosevelt, or Franklin Roosevelt, or Bill Clinton. These people have never even heard of the emancipation proclamation.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. But O.J. was given bail and he's a flight risk.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. No immediate release story here....

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

[nofurylike]

6. shocking. disgusting. shocking............... sickened. eom

[Grandrose]

7. What the hell is going on?

Incarcerated for 9 months, this is beyond injustice!:grr:

[midlife_mo_Jo]

23. You think?

He shouldn't have been tried as an adult, but if some group of kids kicked my son until he was unconscious, you can bet I would expect them to get some jail time. I think people are thinking of the attack as just another school fight, but it wasn't. They kicked the victim until he was unconscious.

[NOLALady]

25. The only eyewitness of the kicking was one of the youths

who was involved with the hanging of the noose. I would have a problem with his credibility.

There was a possibility that he was knocked unconscious after he hit the pavement.

[Grandrose]

29. Yes I Do Think!

Well if your son was treated and released the same day and was well enough to attend a function that night...we have a big difference of opinion.
I guess some of us believe the punishment should fit the crime!:think:

[flashl]

30. You must be getting your info about the

Justin was struck once and his injuries reflects this. If he was beaten badly when he was down as everyone suggested, the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology say that a victim of a vicious stomping will have facial fractures, patterned and bodywide contusions, and abrasions.

Justin was conscious and standing when the ambulance arrive at the school and he was released after a CT scan of his eye injury. He went to a party after he was released.

If we are seeking justice for incidents such as this, then every parent that sends their child to school with tennis shoes can look to have their children charged with attempted murder. Because don't you know tennis shoes was the deadly weapon in the Jena case.

[tblue37]

70. My son was beaten and kicked into unconsciousness like that

when he was not quite 16. He was unconscious for 2 days. He had a concussion and fractured ribs, his face looked like raw meat, and his teeth were chipped. His eyes were swollen shut for a week, and he was not able to walk quite straight for weeks afterward. He also was not able to feed himself or go to the bathroom without help for over a week. He couldn't even stand or walk.

That white boy was not beaten the way they say he was beaten. The beating they describe is like the one my son suffered. I assure you that he would not have been out having fun that night!

[flashl]

72. My hope is that your son is better and healing

That was what I hoping to convey. If he was "beaten" and "kicked" as they suggest, he would still be needing a different level of care.

Further investigation reveals that Justin was struck once and fell onto a concert barricade.

[tblue37]

74. He is almost 28 now and doing fine--

although I will say tht this Jena 6 thing has caused him to react very emotionally. To him, the boy who was knocked down and kicked by the 6 Black kids represents him, so he can't see any nuance to the situation at all. He wants all of the Jena 6 to be tried as adults and put away for life. He can't see that it isn't the same sort of situation as what happened to him. He was jumped, entirely without provocation, by a group who beat him unconscious, kicked, and strangled him, leaving him for dead.

[flashl]

76. I respect his feelings

and I sincerely hope that one day he heals emotionally. I pray that he learns that until he release that horrific time it will control him for the rest of his life. His nightmarish experience shouldn't be a life sentence for him.

[tblue37]

78. I agree. Unfortunately, the young men who jumped him were

not white. Three were Native American and one was Black. This definitely had an impact on him. I raised him with my progressive values, and for the most part he still adheres to them, but in his response to a situation like this, I can see that the incident created for him a substratum of racism that he is hardly even aware of, but that definitely affects his response when events have similarities that remind him of his own victimization.

[flashl]

79. I had hopes at one time

that in my life time I would witness true peace. Then I witness the ravages of life and my hopes fade. There is so much pain. Each day, I do what I can to mend a wound here and there.

[LisaL]

81. I've seen his photo on TV. He had one eye swollen shut.

[LisaL]

80. He had one eye shut and blood in his ears.

[pitohui]

24. this is a repeat violent offender

he had his chance, his multiple chances as a football star and all that crap, and he just continued to beat down on people

suggest you volunteer to move this guy to your state and see how much bail he gets

[Grandrose]

31. I wish the guy was in my state!

As a matter of fact I wish all 6 were in my state, I doubt it's the state but that David Duke loving town!
Btw if he is so bad, why is he now being treated as a juvenile? :shrug:

[pitohui]

36. he's being treated as a juvenile because of his age and because his victim did not die

altho the young man kicked unconscious in the head will likely have lifelong disability as a result, he lives in a rural area where it will be too late before he wakes up and realizes he can't keep up and his life is ruined

are you willing to be kicked unconscious in the head and see your attacker walk free? are you willing for this to happen to your child?

or is it only okay when it happens to people who live in rural louisiana, where you will take care to never go?

[BronxBoy]

56. How do you know he was kicked in the head? n/t

[LisaL]

84. Who are you talking about? If you are talking about the boy

who got beat up, it's obvious he was hit on the head because that's where his injuries were.

[Courtesy Flush]

46. Serious cases are also handled in juvenile court

Denial of bail is pretty mild compared to sending the case to adult court. I've been in juvenile court during attempted murder of a police officer trials, and aggravated rape cases (in Louisiana). Not all serious cases are sent to adult court.

[flashl]

47. Now that we have had an opportunity to see how "justice" function in Jena

I hope that someone review just how this justice system in Jena was able to obtain these other charges against Bell.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson wrote an interesting article:
Jena Six Case Shows Black Teens Get Short End of Stick

Four years before an indifferent, drowsy press and public finally fumed at the news that a prosecutor and judge tossed the book at six black teens in a small Louisiana town for beating up a white teen following a racially charged incident, a Louisiana legislative investigating team sternly warned that the state's juvenile justice system was horribly mangled.

It found that the state couldn't lock up juveniles fast enough for mostly non-violent crimes. The team noted that the sentences slapped on them were wildly out of proportion to their crimes, and that the kids had almost no access to counseling, job and skills training, and family support programs that could ensure that they didn't wind up back in the slammer.

Though alternative sentencing programs are far more cost effective than jailing, they are scarce and under-funded, and Louisiana officials have resisted calls to increase funding and resources to boost these programs.

The investigators also found unsurprisingly that black teens were hit with far stiffer sentences than white teens for the same crimes. It made no difference whether the whites had a prior history of criminal or bad behavior and the black teens were altar boys and had a squeaky clean record. The blacks still got harsher sentences. Countless studies show that a black teen is six times more likely to be tried and sentenced to prison than a young white, even when the crimes are similar, or even less severe than those committed by white teens.

There is a need for correction within the correction system before anyone can rely on convictions levied against one group of individuals. In a system where "it made no difference whether the whites had a prior history of criminal or bad behavior and the black teens were altar boys and had a squeaky clean record" using previous history is a farce.

[Sukie1941]

8. Apparently we jail them for 9 months instead

of having a trial by jury. And don't even offer bail.

[LisaL]

85. He did have a trial. He was convicted. Just recently his conviction

was overturned.

[Lance_Boyle]

9. OK, OK, I RTFA...

4 juvenile offenses, 2 of which were other assaults. Maybe WRT the Jena Noose case Mychel Bell has been wronged. But I also see some reason for doubting that he should be released immediately. This is strike #5. Not even fantasy baseball gives you 5 strikes. Were all four other cases merely veiled racism by the DA? This guy ("kid" if you must) has a violent history. Prove the crime in #5, sure. But there may actually be reason not to let the guy free in the interim.

[spotbird]

12. Do you have a link?

If this case is any indication, the others could have been abuse of power as well.

[seriousstan]

17. Try this

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070825/NEWS03/708250353/1062/NEWS03

Three months prior to that attack, Bell committed two violent crimes while on probation for a battery Christmas Day 2005, according to testimony. Later that same week, he led the Jena Giants to a shutout victory in a football game against the Buckeye Panthers. Bell was adjudicated — the juvenile equivalent to a conviction — of battery Sept. 2 and criminal damage to property Sept. 3, said Cynthia Bradford, LaSalle Parish deputy clerk.


LaSalle District Attorney Reed Walters pointed out that Bell was placed on probation until his 18th birthday — Jan. 18, 2008 — after an incident of battery Dec. 25, 2005. After being placed on probation, he was adjudicated of three other crimes, the two in September and another charge of criminal damage to property that occurred on July 25, 2006.

[spotbird]

19. Funny, his criminal past

wasn't a worry while he was a football star.

I wonder what he is supposed to have done.

[JeanGrey]

39. Ah, but you're forgetting the most important sentence.

He led the team to victory in football!!! Therefore, he is great. His previous violent history matters not.

[seriousstan]

40. sORRY. i DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR "PISS AND MOAN" KIND OF POSTS. tHANKS.

[Lance_Boyle]

87. The article linked by the OP has been edited over the weekend.

On Friday afternoon, that article included the information re: 4 priors.

[againes654]

13. I thought this kid

was headed to college on an athletic scholarship? How is it that he has 4 prior offenses, and we have heard nothing about it.

[Connie_Corleone]

14. He's a juvenile. Juvenile records are sealed.

[againes654]

15. So how is it a member of DU

knows how many times he has been arrested?

[seriousstan]

18. I guess some of us at the DU know how to use Google.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070825/NEWS03/708250353/1062/NEWS03

[againes654]

20. And the great media doesn't?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

49. not really, not after all the staff cuts

remember, news has to earn a profit, can't waste money on things like research, staff, or real journalists.

[LisaL]

83. Media is the one reporting on his criminal record. I guess you

don't watch TV.

[spotbird]

21. Looks like those

juvenile records are only sealed when it's convenient for the authorities.

[NOLALady]

27. Because the sealed records

are no longer sealed.

[LisaL]

82. Because it's being reported about his criminal record.

I guess his isn't sealed any longer.
I've seen photos of other juveniles accused of crimes plastered in newspapers. I am not sure what determines whether the record is sealed or not.

[flashl]

16. Question is was those other charges obtained in the same manner. n/t

[harpboy_ak]

42. To racist cops, defending yourself is assault

If I had been born black in the South, and had been harassed, attacked, and discriminated against by white racists all my life, I might have hit more than a few people, too. HOW MUCH DO THESE FOLKS HAVE TO TAKE OF THIS BIGOTED CRAP?

I've wanted to visit Louisiana to hear great music for a long time, but I'm not going there to spend ANY of my hard earned money. Lousiana, Texas, Florida, none of 'em get my travel dollars.

[Socal31]

75. So its ok to use violence

against verbal taunting?

[flashl]

77. How much do you know about the Jena 6?

Also, did you know that the "victim's" taunting Robert Bailey and othr black students with racial slurs and defending the noose-hanger” constitute as Ethnic Intimidation - a "hate crime" (a felony) and Inciting Riot (a felony)?

[Socal31]

86. I will defend a noose hanger all day, as far as the right to do so.

Just like I will defend an African-American using words like "Honkey" and "Cracka". There is a reason why the 1st amendment is 1st.

[BronxBoy]

62. But the same Judge

granted him bail during the adult trial . $90K Parents couldn't make it so he's still in jail.

So why would the same judge not grant it now?

[goclark]

10. There are no words to describe my feelings

It is simply in keeping with the mood of followers of GWB

[WeRQ4U]

22. I'm not sure we have enough information on this...

to make an educated decision as to its appropriateness. There are a lot of factors that courts take into account when determining bail. Criminal history, appearance record, ties to area, financial status, danger to person/property of self and others, mental status, employment, etc. Perhaps the Court knows something that we do not.

What I can't figure out, however, is how this case is taking as long as it has. If this is, indeed, a juvenile Court proceeding, I would think that there would be some time constraints as far as to when a petition must be heard. I'm a public defender in North Dakota and I can only speak to the way things work here, but we have significant time limitations for juvenile proceedings. Juveniles cannot be held in detention for longer than 60 days but for good cause shown. If they aren't brought before the Court in that amount of time, without an appropriate motion by the State and subsequent order of the Court, then the case is dismissed, period. The only other way to have a child placed in Detention is for him to actually be adjudicated, removed from the home, and placed there by the custodial agency (here it's the Division of Juvenile Services). However, if this is the case, then bail is not an issue because the juvenile will not be leaving the detention facility until his period of custody is terminated or the time runs out on juvenile Court's jurisdiction.

Another thing I would like to know is WHERE this kid is being detained. Is it a facility for juveniles, adults or both. In North Dakota juveniles adjudicated or being held in detention/shelter care cannot be placed in a facility with adults. It would be of concern if it were otherwise.

Finally, how is it that the Clerk of Court is speaking to this child's previous record? In North Dakota juvenile records are sealed and the information is only viewable by the parties. It is not available to anyone. Hearings are closed. No press releases are issued. In fact, as many know, decisions relating to the juveniles, that have gone to the appellate Court, are redacted and the names are replaced by abbreviations. You just cannot give out this information willy nilly in ND. Is it different where they live?

[NOLALady]

28. It seems that it is different Jena.

[BronxBoy]

44. I think I can answer some of your questions..

As far as the timing, it just got kicked to juvenile court. The bulk of the time in this case was tied up in the adult proceedings.

He was being held in an adult facility. I don't know if they have moved him since the disposition of his appeal last week.

As far as the divulging of a record, that's standard operating procedure when law enforcement doesn't have a solid case. Try to find any prior mis-doing by the accused and use that to buttress your case.

Giulani and the NYPD under his reign were masters at this. In every questionable police shooting, the first thing they would do would be to dig into the victim's background to see if he had anything and, I do mean ANYTHING, that they could run with to smear the victim and attempt to justify their behavior.

Read up on the Dorismond shooting if you want to see this tactic in action. There was even some talk of trying to disbar Rudy for releasing the man's juvenile (I think) record in an effort to justify that it was appropriate to gun him down when he got upset when one of The NYPDs' over-zealous officers kept trying to push drugs on him.

Yep, it's SOP.

So i gotta shake me head when DUers get all self-righteous about Bell's previous assaults. Maybe this kid (And yes he is a Kid) turned his life around. Not saying it's the case. Maybe he is an aggressive jerk. But it's interesting how some DUers are quick to jump on Bell's transgressions (percieved and otherwise) to weigh in on this case and absolutelky swallow, hook, line and sinker, the storeies promulgated by the white participants in this case without questioning their backgrounds.

One of the many sub-currents in this case was that right before he got lnocked out, the victim was taunting one of the accused by saying that he had got his Nigger ass kicked at a party a night or 2 below. So that would somewhat impact on the veracity of the "innocent white boy gets his ass kicked at random"

But we should only be concerned about Bell's porevious transgressions shouldn't we?

[WeRQ4U]

48. Not necessarily...

But it is most definitely something that the Court is going to take into consideration when making these types of decisions. Unless you have a copy of the order or transcript of the record, you don't know why the judge left him in there. And while it may be true that he could have "turned his life around" since then, I'm not sure anybody knows that.

I haven't made up my mind yet about this one for this very reason. And I won't...sorry.

[BronxBoy]

50. Fair enough

But why did the same judge grant him bail for the adult trial and rescind it now?

Wouldn't those same aggravating factors have been in play then? The only thing that has changed between that set of circumstances and the appeal is that the judge and the DA lost the appeal.

Just saying...

[nofurylike]

32. if justice were equally dealt, either mychal wouldn't be

where he is, or numerous of the white boys would be were he is.


either way, it's about things being Not Just.


and me? were i in his position? i'd be in prison for far worse by now.

CONTEMPLATE:
HANGMAN'S NOOSES!!!!!!!!

fuckin SHRIEK!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flashl]

33. This makes it worse

The witness no one called

Coach Benjy Lewis gave two statements immediately after the school incident in which he clearly states that Justin Barker was facing him when Malcolm Shaw (not Mychal Bell) struck Barker from behind. “I saw Malcolm Shaw hit Justin Barker with his right fist to the right side of Justin’s head, right around the temple,” Lewis wrote. “Justin went down face first, knocked out . . .” Most witnesses agree that a single punch knocked Barker out cold. The only adult who witnessed the punch says Mychal Bell didn’t throw it.

In a signed statement given immediately after the altercation at the school, student Jesse Beard stated that moments after the assault Coach Manning asked him where Malcolm Shaw was.

Do you get it? Mychal Bell didn't hit / beat Justin Barker!

[nofurylike]

34. unbearable!!! let those who have ANY doubt read that! to

hear that and know....

NOT CALLED?!

how......?!


stuttering


thank you for this information, flashl. o fu-----, how can we deal with this?!
we have so much so much so much to do!!! more keeps surfacing, and it's all been going on all this time....


what now? no word from the lawyers anywhere, is there? they said they can't comment on a juvenile court case...
waiting to hear what next on this.

and so many things.

please keep on, flashl. i will too.

solidarity!!

[pitohui]

37. no he didn't beat justin while he was still conscious, he beat him afterward

beating someone after they're already down is WORSE in my book, sorry

justin may be a racist scumbag, probably he is, but no one deserves to be beaten unconscious and then beaten more when they're helpless

you don't get to brain damage someone because they think you are a second class citizen, or i, as a female, would have cut off a hell of a lot of nuts by this time of century

[flashl]

38. Can you read? n/t

Justin was struck once and his injuries reflects this. If he was beaten badly when he was down as everyone suggested, the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology say that a victim of a vicious stomping will have facial fractures, patterned and bodywide contusions, and abrasions.

Justin was conscious and standing when the ambulance arrive at the school and he was released after a CT scan of his eye injury. He went to a party after he was released.

Justin was responsible for inciting racial violence by calling black students n*****s. He should be brought up on charges.

[BronxBoy]

57. Obiviously not....

I'm still not sure that we really know what happened. But everyone who is consistently parroting this "random white kid had his ass kicked and was viciously beaten when he was down, eith has some information that a lot of people are not privy to or has their head up their ass.

I vote for the latter

[BronxBoy]

55. Hey..

You keep parroting that line but what makes it true?

The only people I know who have asserted this have some very, very questionable motives.

At the end of the day, I don't really know what happened. But what makes you so rock solid, drop dead sure that this kid was beaten when he was down?

[BronxBoy]

51. I know...

But he has 2 previous convictions and all.

:shrug:

[flashl]

52. On the issue of character and credibility

This is larger than Bell’s prior bad acts. Why do you suppose that during Mychal Bell's trial no one stopped to ask a question about the character of the only person to identify Mychal Bell as Justin's attacker?

Did you know that the prosecutor's only witness at the trial to give testimony to identify Mychal was one of the noose hangers?

[BronxBoy]

53. Flash

Jeez: Take a chill pill.

Have you read any of my other posts on this thread?

I forgot my sarcasm thingy...

I'm with you: Just taking a poke at the posters who want to make his and ONLY his background a matter for consideration here.


I did not employ the proper usage of the sarcasm thingy.

I must now go pay penance by sitting by the pool and drinking vodka with a fresh squeezed lime off the tree of unmistakable sarcasm.

I'm a slow learner and stubborn to boot so it may take me a few fifths to truly repent!

But I'll promise I'll be back. And with a deeper understanding of the use of the sarcasm thingy.

:smile:

[flashl]

60. Sorry

I forgot to take the blue pill.:pals:

[BronxBoy]

61. Ohhh!!!

Which one?

I'm most interested in the one that requires the intense participation of a playmate......


Oh who am I kidding, my heart would probably explode if I took Viagra.

And my wife would not be happy!

:rofl:

[BronxBoy]

54. Convenient...

how everyone glosses over this.

To be fair...what little information people have about this case doesn't seem to include information that might clear the accused. But it's out there and it's a shame that people come to the conclusion that a trial was held and he must be guilty.

[spotbird]

64. Doesn't sound like he kicked him either. nt

[flashl]

73. No, it doesn't

This makes me wonder about his "other" aggressive charges.

[uppityperson]

35. k&r with disgust

[BronxBoy]

43. Oh fer Christ Sakes....

Let me see if I understand this...

Bell was tried and convicted as an adult, all the while having a a $90K bail. His parents couldn't post because they didn't have the money which is why he remained in jail.

Judge and DA get their ass handed to them in an appeal of the conviction and all of a sudden he's not eligible for bail?

So the same DA and Judge who didn't have a problem with bail while they were railroading this kid in an adult trial now implies he's too dangerous to have bail now that his case has been kicked to juvenile court.

I think I'm going to worry more about the pettiness of these 2 so-called officers of the law than Mychal Bell.

And for all of you who continue to parrot the line that the victim was knocked and kicked senseless-STOP IT!

There was at least one credible witness that says the victim was knocked out by a single blow from behind and that Mychal was NOT the person who threw the punch. There is a possibility that this kid didn't even do it. Not saying that he didn't. Just saying that the people who have asserted this have credibility problems to say the least.

[Socal31]

65. Come on people!

These kids CANT be guilty of anything, because the victim was WHITE! We all know that minorities can never do any wrong to people of European descent. (/end sarcasm)

RACISM GOES BOTH WAYS!

[JustAnotherGen]

66. Wait

If indeed he popped the Justin Bigot one - it's battery. It's not attempted murder. It's not a murder threat. Do I think IF indeed he was the one who hit the little bigot upside the head he should have a charge against him? You betcha. But he or Malcolm or whoever it was that hit Justin Bigot . . . was not trying to commit murder. And - if it was Mychal Bell - he was sixteen.

If Louisiana wants to start charging 16 year olds that put an ignorant, prejudiced Klans Man in the making in their place with the punch he had coming as ADULTS - the Louisiana legislature needs to enact a law that extends adulthood to the age of 16. Regardless of the color of the defendant's skin - or their victims. . . they need to make it law. A rogue D.A. shouldn't be making that decision on his own.


Look I'll be honest - I don't feel the least bit of empathy or sympathy for Justin Bigot. I don't. If that makes me evil - then so be it.

All I can say is - for three months in the third grade a white boy called me a nigger, an oreo, a zebra lover, called my mother a nigger lover . . .

After about three months - I hit first and asked questions later. Now here's a boy who got knocked flat on his back by a GIRL. My dad had to come into the school to put that kids father in his place and humiliate his FATHER because his 'girl' who was a head shorter put a whooping on the boy. Who . . . was a BIGOT. I didn't get suspended, I didn't get detention - it is what it is. Now 16 year old boys ARE INDEED different than a 70 lb 8 year old girl putting a whooping on a 100lb 9 year old boy (He'd been held back - ha ha!) . . . but at the end of the day -

If Justin Bigot dropped an n-bomb right before he got sucker punched - that Obese (have you seen this kid? He's a freaking monster) son of a bitch had it coming. He knew damn well what he was doing when he opened his mouth - and I'm sick and tired of his "Mummy coming on to TV to tell what a sweet innocent boy" he is. She's PART of the problem and had she raised him better (Yes, she's a sorry assed excuse for a mother to raise such a fat, s.o.b.) this wouldn't have happened.


So - no problem with a battery charge as a juvenile here - but something ain't right in Jena - and we all know it.

And I bet you - Just Bigot never opens his mouth to a black, hispanic, jew, catholic, etc. etc. and spouts off his religion of racism/ignorance/stupidity for the rest of his life!

[NOLALady]

67. Thank You for your honesty.

ITA. If you are evil, then so am I.
Fortunately, for me, no one has ever called me a N......
If it had ever happened, I probably would have been hung from one of the beautiful Magnolia trees in Louisiana.

BTW, September 20th was awesome.

[JustAnotherGen]

71. Ironically NOLA?

This was in Scottsville NY - a small town outside of Rochester in the early 80's. ;-)

[flashl]

69. Just watched CNNs SIU report on Jena 6

Why didn't they know ...

Questioning The Context Of The Story: Was This Really Six On One?

THE JENA SIX IS NOT a story about six African-Americans students assaulting one white student. It is a story about six African-American students allegedly assaulting one white student. During this avalanche of media coverage about the massive peaceful protest, this has been the one crucial point missing from many of the descriptions of an incident that the world is now talking about. For many, this may be a minor point, a rhetorical clarification, but in this case, it is important to remember, because the burden of proof is on the district attorney and not on the six young men accused of this crime.

During the past few days, CenLamar has received a number of comments from people who seem to take for granted that the six young men accused are all equally guilty of the crime of which they are accused (or at least all guilty of participating in the fight) , but they seem to forget the reason people are calling attention to this story is not merely because of the district attorney’s initial decision to charge all six students with second-degree attempted murder, it is also because the nature of the altercation, the context of the series of prior events, and the numerous conflicting eyewitness statements, none of which are able to identify all six students by name as participants in the fight. Again, the burden of proof belongs to the district attorney.

Pursuing Holiness gives this some perspective. It is not as if the fight occurred out of the blue. There is an issue of provocation, and moreover, simply because the DA is alleging that six young men were involved does not mean that the fight was actually six on one. There are some serious conflicts in the eyewitness reports, and at least three (excluding Bell, who is currently being tried, and another minor, who is being charged as a juvenile and to the best of my knowledge has not made any public statements) members of the Jena Six have publicly claimed to simply have witnessed the fight as bystanders.

After considerable reading, I have learned that Justin Barker's provocation, the use of the N-word and taunting, prior to the alledged fight (Jena 1), may be construed as Ethnic Intimidation - a "hate crime" (felony) and Riot (felony).