Please read the latest Jena Six post here.
KATC – One of Jena 6 found guilty in high school beating
JENA, La. (AP) – A black teenager who once faced attempted murder and conspiracy charges in the beating of a white schoolmate amid growing racial tension at their high school was convicted Thursday on lesser, but still serious, felony charges.
After the attempted murder charges were reduced by a prosecutor earlier this week, an all-white six-member jury found Mychal Bell, 17, guilty of the new charges: aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery. Those charges could lead to a sentence of more than 20 years for Bell, who would have faced decades more in prison on the attempted murder counts.
“The appellate court now gets a chance to set this right,” defense attorney Blane Williams said. Sentencing was set for July 31.
Once the verdict was read, Bell’s family and the family of beating victim Justin Barker, also 17, remained quiet. After court was recessed, Bell’s father, Marcus Jones, rushed angrily from the courtroom and slammed a door. Deputies detained in the courthouse lobby briefly but released amid pleas from his family.
“The best thing, if you’re black in this town is to stay out of the system, because once they get you, you’re done for. You’re not getting out,” Edna Thompson, a longtime friend of the Bells, said later.
Indeed. However, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Similar Case Vacated by LA Supremes, this will very likely be vacated as well. Click through to read about the other case, it’s very similar. Additionally, the ACLU, and race-baiter Al Sharpton will be on this like white on race. As much as I detest Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton, he does tend to attract media. This case certainly can bear continued public scrutiny.
I THINK ITS MESSED UP FOR THE JENA 6 THOSE PEOPLE CAN’T DO THIS TO THEM!!!!!IF IT WAS A WHITE PERSON THEY WOULDN’T PROBABLY DO ANYTHING!!!
Agreed with Jacob. I dont know why people think there is no such thing as racial injustice these days. It still lives.
These guys deserve jail time. If the roles were turned and it was 6 white guys beating down 1 black kid because he was black. It would be a “hate crime”. They atatcked this kid for one reason. Racial tensions were high in the town and he was white. Thats it. he had nothen to do with the previous events. They just attacked him because he was white. That in it’s self is racist. They deserve what they get.
Chris, a group of white guys beat Robert Bailey. Only one was charged, and that was with a misdemeanor. In fact, that was one of the things that led up to Justin Barker’s beating – Justin and his little noose-hanging buddies were mocking Bailey for having his “ass whipped” and calling the rest of the Jena 6 “niggers.” You should READ before you post – those facts are ALL OVER the archives for the Jena 6 on this blog.
I’m sorry Laura I did not realize that calling someone a “nigger” and hanging a noose from a tree made it legal for you to get jumped. I should have read more into the law before I posted. I just assumed it was illegal to knock someone out and kick them while they are unconcious. He may have deserved what he got for the things he did. However, deserving or not the law is clearly broken and letting them off scott free would not be good. Robert Bailey got beat up. Was he kicked in the head numerous times while he was unconcious? Barker being knocked out meant the fight was over. Once you start kicking someone in the head you dont mean to win anymore. You mean to cause serious injury or death. Again, they deserve what they get.
You should have read more before you posted all that sarcastic garbage; now you just look silly. I have never said that the Jena 6 didn’t deserve some kind of punishment – only that the charges are WAY out of proportion to a high school fight. As to whether Justin Barker was kicked in the head/stomped – his injuries do not support those allegations. The witnesses couldn’t agree on what happened, and the DA relied on photos, not medical testimony, to gain the conviction. Had you studied this case at all you’d know these things.
I have studied these things. I live 20 miles from where it happened. There is no way I can avoid it. Murder charges are extreme. Aggrivated Battery is not. Stop calling it a fight. 6 on 1 is not a fight. People act like these 6 kids were good kids. They acted like thugs, and are now going to be held accountable for there actions.
Tennis shoes are a weapon? Please… give it a rest. You act like Justin Barker was an innocent bystander. He and his little noose hanging buddies acted like KKK thugs, and they’re NOT being held accountable for their actions. Do I excuse the beating? No. There should be punishment for it. But it should be appropriate punishment, not spending most of their adulthood in prison for a high school fight that was deliberately provoked.
I agree with both sides. This kid definately had it coming, but what these kids did was wrong, no matter how you look at it. Violence is not protected in the bill of rights, free speech is. This kid definately had it coming, but it should have stoped once he was unconscious, and it should have been one-on-one, not six-on-one. As soon as you continue to kick someone’s head after he is out, your intentions become very clear. That is the only reason why I can agree with the attempted murder charge. If you shoot at someone and miss or graze them, it’s still attemted murder. It’s sad that these kids were not smart enough to fight this punk one-on-one. I’m sure there had to be one of them that could have whooped him without the help of 5 friends. They definately deserve about 4-5 years, then the opportunity for parole with good behavior. I’ve been in plenty of high school fights, and I’ve never seen anyone continue to beat someone after they were unconscious, let alone six people. This is probably the reason that this hasn’t gotten the attention some people wish it would. People need to stop rushing to the defense of bad people, or if they do, they should not be so outraged. Every website/article supporting the Jenna 6 never mention that these kids should be sent to jail for a few years. I think that turns a lot of people off, when they hear this outcry for criminals who committed a criminal act. I agree 100% that the punishment does not fit the crime, but they definately derserve a strict punishment, so next time they decide to gang up and stomp a defenseless person, they will think twice, and use there minds to retaliate.
James, I disagree with you that 4-5 years is an appropriate punishment. A fight like this can go down very quickly – I would be surprised if the whole thing took more than a moment or two. I doubt they realized immediately that he was unconscious. I also doubt – based on his actual injuries, which were minor – that he was “kicked and stomped” in the head as some have testified. Reality just doesn’t support that view. Being kicked and stomped in the head – especially by athletes who are fit and strong – would have resulted in injuries like a broken nose, broken teeth, fractured facial bones, etc. I also disagree with you that Barker deserved the beating. No one deserves a beating, even racist punks.
James:
The kid had it coming? He wasn’t even involved with the noose hangers, only a friend of them.
…and there is conflicting accounts saying whether or not he called them the “n” word. It’s extremely easy for someone to just throw that word in the equation and make it suddenly seam alright for someone to be beaten.
I think this case should be looked at for what it is, unfair. Regardless of which fight happened when if you punish the “Jena 6″ with jail time, then give the other youths and adults that used bottles in the attack the same sentence. Kids will always fight and the fights won’t always be fair. But to suggest that jail time is appropriate for a high school brawl is ridiculous. There are seasoned criminals who are receiving less time than these teenagers. Maybe that city’s justice department needs a complete overhaul. I think you should acquire people who are not born and bread in that town and add a fresh, and legal approach to our nation’s laws.
What people are forgetting is that this is a child, who once put in the system can never regain his childhood or that lost innocence
Kay:
The attack with the beer bottle was never mentioned in any statement made by any black or white people involved in the fight, INCLUDING Robert Bailey. It was only months later, AFTER this case gathered media attention, that he mentioned this. There is no police statement or medical report to back his claim.
I suggest that jail time IS appropriate for a group beating (NOT a “schoolhouse brawl”).
Do you have a son or daughter, Kay? Picture him/her (we’ll use “he” in this example)…walking out of a school building. He walks out with his girlfriend in front of him. He sees several guys he’s had words with several minutes ago looking at him. He walks around them, turns the other cheek. Next thing you know, he gets punched in the back of the head (from behind) and falls to the ground. His head hits concrete and he is rendered unconscious. Then six of the attacker’s friends step in WHILE your son is unconscious and beat him. Meanwhile some of the guy’s friends are holding doors closed so teachers can’t break up the fight.
Now, what would YOU want to happen to these people?
If you think a small slap on this wrist is called for, I can’t help but question your sanity.
“What people are forgetting is that this is a child, who once put in the system can never regain his childhood or that lost innocence”
Mychal Bell lost his innocence a long time ago. He has four prior violent criminal acts before this one. He has violated parole numerous times and has ignored the law and school rules.
Think about what his next door neighbors will think if you release him now. Would THEY agree with you?
Kay I would not be surprised given the town if every black citizen did not have some sort of conviction. I mean given the fact that it will be and all white jury and the obvious sentiment in the town. C’mon how hard do you think it would be to get four violent felonies in jenna. Scenario four white kids jump 1 black kid and district attorney charges black kid with four counts of felony assault while he is still in the hospital. This is not a stretch at all in your —neck of the woods. It always amuses me how people who live in a racist town try and count the misdeeds of the victim of racism against them. Its like they think the world believes that all of a sudden you became racist did this happen overnight, if not them why do you people think that previous convictions in a racist town have any merit. Its disgusting make a better life for yourself and then the highlight of your life will not be remembering the high school championship, expand your minds a little and realize how small your positions are. I know I know, your daddy and his daddy before him and so on and so on but when its all said and done you will still be living next door to people you cant stand. I know people have a right to dislike ethnicities,countries or the whole world for that matter. When you cant stand someone that much though, instead of trying to hold them under your thumb why dont you just do better for yourselves so you can go out and buy that private estate or island and not have to deal with it, I guess that would be to hard though. You people wow get a clue advance yourselves already jeez.
Jay:
I mean given the fact that it will be and all white jury and the obvious sentiment in the town.
Well don’t expect a PERCEIVABLY fair jury when nobody from your community cares to show up for jury duty. That is, assuming that only a fair jury includes people from your community / ethnicity
why do you people think that previous convictions in a racist town have any merit.
Uhhh…..because we have a judge and DA who’ve been doing their jobs for over twenty years?
Its disgusting make a better life for yourself and then the highlight of your life will not be remembering the high school championship, expand your minds a little and realize how small your positions are.
What the hell does this mean? Please explain.
I know I know, your daddy and his daddy before him and so on and so on but when its all said and done you will still be living next door to people you cant stand.
Actually, everybody here gets along pretty well, except for some bad seeds in the black & white community. You don’t live here so you don’t know.
When you cant stand someone that much though, instead of trying to hold them under your thumb why dont you just do better for yourselves so you can go out and buy that private estate or island and not have to deal with it,
Again, you don’t know SCHIT about Jena. You ever heard of Jason Hatcher? He’s from Jena, and he’s a pro football player. Did you know that the town of Jena has a JASON HATCHER DAY, dedicated to him. The entire town is proud of him, and YES, HE’S BLACK!! When they handed him the keys to the city last year, A WHOLE BUNCH of the white community showed up to support him. Sounds like your “holding people under your thumb” argument has some obvious loopholes. Mychal Bell had 4 violent criminal acts before this one, whether YOU believe in our local judicial system or not. Until his charges are proven frivolous, under the eyes of the law, this is a FACT. So think what you want. Don’t piss & moan because a guy who’s had NUMEROUS chances to redeem himself just kept breaking the law without regard to the consequences. Mr. Football Star thought he could get away with anything. Well, looks like he was wrong. Jason Hatcher didn’t go around breaking the law on a whim because he was a hot shot football player. No, he studied hard, went to Grambling, worked his ass off, and made it to the NFL.
I guess that would be to hard though. You people wow get a clue advance yourselves already jeez.
You are the perfect example of the kind of ignorant person that keeps my motivation up about this whole thing. I can’t wait to make you look even more ignorant.
Meanwhile, you believe what you want to believe with these news articles and such. I’ll keep pressing on trying to get the REAL information out.
Well, I’m surprised that some folks just don’t pay attention to what really happen and make this all about what they want to happen. First of all, I’m seeing things like, Mychal and the other kids were thugs and criminals and the other kids werent and didn’t deserve what happened them, etc.
Let’s just start with how this whole thing began. First of all, if the adults were handling things the way they should, none of this would have happened to begin with. Second, if the white kids hadn’t been harrassing the black kids all of this wouldn’t have happened. Third, I think the black kids showed amazing restraint. They were threatened with a gun, beaten up, verbally harrassed, treated as if this was practically pre-civil war days and they weren’t even actual US citizens, and then when they finally fought back, they were punished differently than the other kids.
As for them beating the kid til he was unconscious, I find that very difficult to believe. I saw a picture of what the medical report shows and I know that the kid went to a social function that night. I have been knocked unconscious before. The last thing you want to do is go out. You want to go home and sleep even though people try to keep you from it. And if he had been severely injured they would have kept him over night.
So, let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s punish the superintendant for not punishing the white kids for harrassing the black kids and also for allowing the “white tree”. Punish the student who had the gun at the store. Then we would not get to the point where these kids would be on trial. And as for Mychal having a criminal past, I’m sure no one knows why he was in fights in the past. We already know that this is a racist town. For all we know kids came after him and started a fight and he was charged with it. We don’t know the facts of those cases at all. Already knowing what the D.A. told those kids when he came to the assembly and how horribly Mychal was “represented” at trial, it wouldn’t surprise me if he did nothing wrong at all to give him a criminal record.
To Daneen
they were punished differently than the other
kids.
Yes, because they committed a different crime. The white kids only used there fists. That is simple battery (misdemeanor). Any time you use more than that, it becomes a felony in almost every state. It doesn’t matter if it’s brass knuckles, a shoe, or a small foam ball. It’s a felony battery.
I know that the kid went to a social function that night.
He went and got his class ring. He left early
For all we know kids came after him and started a fight and he was charged with it.
Yeah, he’s the innocent victim in every fight. Give me a break. He’s a violent person that has never gotten into trouble because he’s an athlete.
This Jena Six trial makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t believe how unjust states in America still are. The scare of slavery has defiantly cursed are people for a lifetime. I wonder what the Presidents think of this or if he even knows about it. Lord helps us all. My prayers go out to the families and young black men of the Jena six and hopefully justice will demonstrate justice someday soon.