"Jena 6" Teen Free On Bail

Mychal Bell's Family Posts Bail For The 17-Year-Old Who Once Faced Attempted Murder Charge

(CBS/AP)  A black teenager whose prosecution in the beating of a white classmate prompted a massive civil rights protest here walked out of a courthouse Thursday after a judge ordered him freed.

LaSalle Parish Sheriff Carl Smith told CBS News that a bond of $45,000 had been set for the young man's release. Previously, the courts had declined to grant bail in this case.

"We still have mountains to climb, but at least this is closer to an even playing field," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who helped organize last week's protest.

"He goes home because a lot of people left their home and stood up for him," Sharpton said.

Mychal Bell's release came hours after a prosecutor confirmed he will no longer seek an adult trial for the 17-year-old. Bell, one of the teenagers known as the Jena Six, still faces trial as a juvenile in the December beating.

District Attorney Reed Walters' decision to abandon adult charges means that Bell, who had faced a maximum of 15 years in prison on his aggravated second-degree battery conviction last month, instead could be held only until he turns 21 if he is found guilty in juvenile court.

The conviction in adult court was thrown out this month by the state 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, which said Bell should not have been tried as an adult on that particular charge.

Bell is among six black Jena High School students arrested in December after a fight that left white student Justin Barker unconscious. Four were 17 at the time, and legally adults under Louisiana law.

Those four and Bell, who was 16, all were initially charged with attempted murder -- a charge that is on the list for which juveniles over the age of 14 may be charged as adults -- but the charge has been dropped to aggravated second-degree battery. One has yet to be arraigned. The sixth case is sealed in juvenile court.

Bell, the only one of the six tried so far, was convicted of the battery charge. But the state 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal said he should not have been tried as an adult on that particular charge.

Walters had said he would appeal that decision. On Thursday, he said he still believes there was legal merit to that decision but he decided it was in the best interest of the victim and his family to let the juvenile court handle the case.

"They are on board with what I decided," Walters said of the Barkers.

Publicity surrounding the case led an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 protesters to converge on the town last week in one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in recent years. Walters said the demonstration had no influence on his decision.

Walters credited the prayers of people in this small central Louisiana town with averting a "disaster" when the thousands of demonstrators descended on the town.

"The only way - let me stress that - the only way that I believe that me or this community has been able to endure the trauma that has been thrust upon us is through the prayers of the Christian people who have sent them up in this community," Walters said.

"I firmly believe and am confident of the fact that had it not been for the direct intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ last Thursday, a disaster would have happened. You can quote me on that."

When the Rev. Donald Sibley, a black Jena pastor, called it a "shame" that Walters credited divine intervention for the protesters acting responsibly, the prosecutor said, "What I'm saying is, the Lord Jesus Christ put his influence on those people, and they responded accordingly."

After the news conference, Sibley told CNN that Walters had insulted the protesters by making a false separation between "his Christ and our Christ."

"I can't diminish Christ at all. But for him to use it in the sense that because his Christ, his Jesus, because he prayed, because of his police, that everything was peaceful and was decent and in order - that's not the truth," Sibley said.

Critics accuse local officials of prosecuting blacks more harshly than whites. They note that no charges were filed against three white teens suspended from the high school for allegedly hanging nooses in a tree on campus -- an incident that was followed by fights between blacks and whites, including the attack on Barker, often described as a schoolyard fight.

[iceman_1960]

"I agree - but why aren''t there white rallies in support? This should be a hate crime as well, don''t you think?"
- Posted by CFScreamer at 09:57 AM : Sep 29, 2007

Apparently there were -- your posted videos shows that packed church.

As for a hate crime, it may well have been aggravated by racial animosity, compounding a robbery. It''s hard to know what goes on in crazy minds.

If the girl had been Black, I think she would have been killed just as quickly by these creeps.

Black people are statistically the most frequent victims of Black murderers.

[iceman_1960]

"Iceman_1960, good story very interesting and puzzling.."
- Posted by kailumego1 at 11:12 AM : Sep 29, 2007

Thanks. It''s a cautionary tale for those who are always talking about their absolute right to self defense.

Mike Mette was chased down a street by an angry drunk and attacked three times before he threw a punch to defend himself.

Now he''s facing five years in prison.

[kailumego1]

Iceman_1960, good story very interesting and puzzling..

[kailumego1]

CFScreamer, now you''re being ridiculous, this is no hate crime, simply three black vicious thugs who had a repeatedly long criminal history of B&E murdered this young girl because she was at home.

This could have happened in their own neighborhoods, which it often does, without the media "hoopla".

While this is a "horrible" story, it hap[pen''s quite frequently in "black" neighborhoods, so why are you only pointing out the incident involving someone white are you a "racist"...


I guarantee these three thugs have done this before, but didn''t get caught, it''s only at this incident involving a young white girl forges all the outrage, I''m glad to see this "trash" taken off the streets unfortunate it''s at the expense of someone''s life...

Why are all the white folks posting stories about "black on white crime", as an "afterthought" of this case "Jena Six, when it''s "black on black crime" that is truly the problem...

What is this a "*** for a tat", this is so juvenile???

[cfscreamer]

""""""Because it''''s an open-and-shut case, and the accused murderers will be going down for a long time; might even get the death penalty.

Nobody is out there demonstrating on behalf of these three punks.

The sooner they''''re dead, the better."""""

I agree - but why aren''t there white rallies in support? This should be a hate crime as well, don''t you think?

[iceman_1960]

"Why won''t the mainstream media talk about this one?"
- Posted by CFScreamer at 10:01 PM : Sep 28, 2007

Because it''s an open-and-shut case, and the accused murderers will be going down for a long time; might even get the death penalty.

Nobody is out there demonstrating on behalf of these three punks.

The sooner they''re dead, the better.

[cfscreamer]

Why won''t the mainstream media talk about this one?

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/1861211/
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1858887/

[erasmus6]

I say that we need better parents. Start holding them responsible for not knowing where there kids are and what they are doing.

If parents leave their kids unattended and they are hurt or kidnapped, throw them in jail.

If parents let their kids out late at night and they get into trouble, throw them (parents) in jail.

If parents are teaching their kids to hate and be racists, throw them in jail.

This world is full of lazy parents who don''t mind spitting out kid after kid but can''t get off their lazy a-s-s-e-s to look after them and teach them right from wrong. Of course a lot of them aren''t capable of teaching them right from wrong because they are idiots. Like I said in another post, if you want to be parents you should have to write a COMMON SENSE TEST and if you fail it, YOU CAN''T HAVE KIDS!

[iceman_1960]

And while all eyes are on this case...

In Dubuque, Iowa, Mike Mette has been sentenced to five years in prison for defending himself from a belligerent drunk who attacked him with his fists.

After trying to walk away, Mette finally defended himself. Now he''s going to prison for five years.

(Mike Mette is white and a Chicago cop.)

What''s up with that ?

Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/28/chicago.cop/index.html

[gabriellio]

Hate is learned As a child i chose not to accept racism in my life, I was blessed with wide range of friends i learned a lot about how we come with thought of others as people and if we were to think on our own not as a group we may be able to care for each other as we should but i dont see this happening any time soon if we as parents keep the hate up on all sides of this issue of who hates who more and who can show the hate more to each other more than the other. We talk but we talk of all the wromg things. who has the last say. I watched the boys go free from jail but what did we really see?did we see concern with what really is going on or just one side against the other as to who won this round.Both were wrong in the actions and this has to be addressed with the parents.I have been called names "CRACKER? WHITE HO?" but i think it''s them that has the problem but i don''t think retaliate because i know this is not how all feel. raising my children not to judge others get''s judged for being white.They are judged before knowing them,my granddaughter is threaten by a girl with a past already having hurt someone with a brick to there face. police watch this child at school because of what she has done and what she will do. Where did such hate come from what we are leaving to our children when we are gone will the hate in our hearts will go with us our causes no closer to an answer because we don''t want answers then we''d have to get along what a concept.

[kailumego1]

In the Jena Six case, although I painfully have to agree with Klingon69, we don''t know the entire circumstance of the "party incident", Bell and others may have been trying to "crash" the party uninvited and were physically thrown out, which is understandable.

But I vehemently don''t agree with the "non-violent turn the other cheek approach" if attacked by someone white, and if this had simply been a case where Bell had been targeted by a gang of white hoodlums for no particular reason and beaten up, and the white perpetrator was spotted alone by Bell and his friends, which they retaliated and returned the gesture, then all is "fair in love and war"...

I''m not an advocate for the "passive Negro philosophy", this is the reason why "racism" has been allowed to "run rapid" and unchecked for many years.

While I don''t agree totally with a lot black folks of their defense for these six black youths, I certainly don''t agree with some white folk''s contradictions, bringing up King as a reminder of keeping black folks "a passive Negro"...

[kailumego1]

marcodele, although I don''t agree with all the attention this case has gotten considering, the aggravating circumstances surrounding these six defendants, there are a lot more incidents of racism with "teeth" that should have been addressed..

I also find it typical of someone white to mention Martin Luther King''s non-violent approach whenever black folks are confronted with aggressive behavior from whites, which is a "crock"....

Although I admired King, I never agreed with his "turn the other cheek" philosophy, considering, the relationship between blacks and whites has never been "reciprocitious", meaning I don''t see white folks doing the same under any circumstance..

I always find it paradoxical whenever whites refer to King''s non-violent approach, considering, from the beginning white folks called King a "rebel-rouser" , a communist, and a troublemaker, it wasn''t until Malcolm X came on the scene that "poof" white folks accepted King. And that was because Malcolm X believed in "fighting" aggression with aggression, as oppose to turning the other "cheek", which white folks, personally, have never contended with that philosophy...

[klingon69]

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Eddie Jordan, the District Attorney was found guilty of race discrimination for firing 43 career workers because they were white in his first week on the job. A federal district court jury ruled so, the district court affirmed, and the 5th circuit court of appeals affirmed the verdict. These people were suddenly out of jobs in post-Katrina New Orleans where they had little or no chance of getting a similar job.

Why didn''''t Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson march for the
equal rights of the "Jordan 43?"

Again, racism is wrong no matter what color the perpetrator is. I wish Jesse and Al would remember
Dr. King''''s words instead of making a career of crying race.
Posted by marcodele at 09:55 AM : Sep 28, 2007

Don''t forget the mayor of New Orleans, wanting a "choclate city". Does that mean he wants to run all the whites out of NO? Is that racism? Oh, no it can''t be, because he is black. Tell you what, take those nooses, put all the kids necks in them, and eliminate the whole problem.

[klingon69]

Where is your activism? If you think the 13 year old is being unjustly treated, why don''''t you do something about it? Because you''''re "white"? The injustice we protest happens to everyone, but since the numbers show that it happens disproportionately to "Black" people, we protest. If you were really concerned, you might start by helping to protest it wherever, and to whatever "group" it occurs rather than deriding those trying to protect "their own".

I am amazed given the history of your posts, that you think anything the government does is unjust, usually you simply post disjointed attempts, such as the one I currently rebut, to rationalize the injustice.
Posted by brianbwb at 07:10 AM : Sep 28, 2007

Maybe the lack of activism is because we have to work. How does Sharpton manage to get thousands and thousands of protesters? Do these people not have jobs? I guess they get time off because their employers are afraid they will use the old race card if they are denied. My mother-in-law worked for the Govt at a Army Ammunition Plant. She was constantly looked over for promotions, awards...etc. Ususally it went to a black woman, who did only what she had to, no extras. When she questioned about it, she was told that the govt made them give awards to the black woman, because of racial quotas. So don''t insult me by saying we don''t because we are white. Somebody has to work to pay the taxes so these protesters can march.

[deedee234-2009]

I don''t know much but about the criminal justice system, but from everything I''ve heard the punishment these young men received is unusually severe based on the circumstances. If that is the case, then something does need to be done. Justice needs to be vetted out equally, but it is abhorrent for us as black people to try to lift these guys up like victims. To me, it is a slap in the face every real civil right victim like Rosa Parks and "Little Rock 9" who in the face of violent threats, provocation, and racism remained firmly opposed to violence until they secured justice and fairness. I''ll repeat, they are NOT monsters but they ain''t Emmitt Till either. After being agiatated and angered for weeks, if you seek violence, that''s your choice, but after that you are no longer a victim. As black people, lets focus on the real issue, unfair justice, and stop comparing these individuals to real civil rights victims like the "Little Rock 9."

[klingon69]

We need "REFORM SCHOOLS" to be brought back. These
kids in Jena, black & white need the old reform school.
Posted by usmcvn at 01:12 AM : Sep 28, 2007

AMEN to that

[klingon69]

A bunch of Jena white kids DID beat the krap out of a Black kid and got ''''slap on the wrist''''!

They, the white gang, were not charged with Attempted Murder as the Black kids are for SIMILAR bad behavior!
Posted by Agnim at 10:58 PM : Sep 27, 2007

The attack on the black guy occurred at a party, we still don''t know all the particulars behind that attack. Nobody may ever know. Was it a private party? Was the young man told to leave? Was the party held on school grounds? Lots of holes there. However the attack on the white student was cowardly, hiding in wait, waylaying, knocking unconcious, and then to stand around with 5 of your buddies and kick and stomp? That''s where most dissenters have their reasons to complain.

[twood001]

Apparently the white teenager brought a gun to school and said a racial slur to Bell as he was hit on the head with a glass bottle from a group of white teenagers.

They all deserve punishment but locking away Bell for 15 years and charging him as an adult for a school yard fight is entirely too severe.

Those of you that think that putting a noose on a tree wasn''t a big deal are kidding yourselves. Look what happened as a result.

[deedee234-2009]

The main issue for most black people like myself here is really the systematic, unfair dispension of justice in this country. Unfornuately what many of us are trying to do is address this issue with the Jena 6 case, but it''s not going to work here. These boys, I don''t think are monsters, but they savagely beat someone to unconciousness and continued to beat him until a third party intervened. They are by NO means the "Little Rock 9", Emmitt Till, or any other civil rights poster child. They were justifably angry based on the preceeding events that lead up to this, but their are still and will always be attackers and not victims. As black people we have to pick are battles and heros carefully.

[marcodele]

I have black friends who roll their eyes anytime anyone mentions Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

Racism is wrong where ever it arises. But Sharpton and Jackson seem to forget what Martin Luther King Jr. was saying and what he stood for: peaceful change, non-violence and judgment by content of character, not the color of skin.

The nooses were racist and wrong. Six black kids beating a white kid unconscious for it is racist and wrong.

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Eddie Jordan, the District Attorney was found guilty of race discrimination for firing 43 career workers because they were white in his first week on the job. A federal district court jury ruled so, the district court affirmed, and the 5th circuit court of appeals affirmed the verdict. These people were suddenly out of jobs in post-Katrina New Orleans where they had little or no chance of getting a similar job.

Why didn''t Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson march for the
equal rights of the "Jordan 43?"

Again, racism is wrong no matter what color the perpetrator is. I wish Jesse and Al would remember
Dr. King''s words instead of making a career of crying race.