1 Teen's conviction tossed in La. beating 2 Jena 6 National Day of Action -- ColorOfChange.org
===================================================== 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 ===================================================== Teen's conviction tossed in La. beating <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070914/ap_on_re_us/school_fight> AP By JANET McCONNAUGHEY, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 14, 6:52 PM ET NEW ORLEANS - A state appeals court on Friday threw out the only remaining conviction against one of the black teenagers accused in the beating of a white schoolmate in the racially tense north Louisiana town of Jena. Mychal Bell, 17, should not have been tried as an adult, the state 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal said in tossing his conviction on aggravated battery, for which he was to have been sentenced Thursday. He could have gotten 15 years in prison. His conspiracy conviction in the December beating of student Justin Barker was already thrown out by another court. Bell, who was 16 at the time of the beating, and four others were originally charged with attempted second- degree murder. Those charges brought widespread criticism that blacks were being treated more harshly than whites after racial confrontations and fights at Jena High School. Bell's attorney Louis Scott said he didn't know whether his client, whose bond was set at $90,000, would get out of jail immediately. "We don't know what approach the prosecution is going to take -- whether they will re-charge him, where he would have to be subjected to bail all over again or not," Scott said. Civil rights leaders, including the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, had been planning a rally in support of the teens for the day Bell was to have been sentenced. "Although there will not be a court hearing, we still intend to have a major rally for the Jena Six and now hopefully Mychal Bell will join us," Sharpton said in an e-mailed statement. Said Jackson: "The pressure must continue until all six boys are set free and sent to school, not to jail." Jena is a mostly white town where racial animosity flared about a year ago when a black student sat under a tree that was a traditional gathering place for whites. A day later, three nooses were found hanging from the tree. There followed reports of racial fights at the school, culminating in the December attack on Barker. The reversal of Bell's conviction will not affect four other teenagers also charged as adults, because they were 17 years old at the time of the fight and no longer considered juveniles, said attorney George Tucker of Hammond. Prosecutors have the option of appealing to the state Supreme Court. District Attorney Reed Walters did not return a call Friday. Judge J.P. Mauffray had thrown out Bell's conspiracy conviction, saying it was not a charge on which a juvenile may be tried as an adult. But he had let the battery conviction stand, saying Bell could be tried in adult court because the charge was among lesser charges included in the original attempted murder charge. Teenagers can be tried as adults in Louisiana for some violent crimes, including attempted murder, but aggravated battery is not one of those crimes, the court said. Defense lawyers had argued that the aggravated battery case should not have been tried in adult court once the attempted murder charge was reduced. The case "remains exclusively in juvenile court," the Third Circuit ruled. ===================================================== 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 ===================================================== ColorOfChange.org Jena 6 National Day of Action - will you join us? September 20th marks a pivotal point in the Jena 6 case. Thousands of people from across the country will descend on Jena in a major show of support for Mychal Bell and the other five young men. But you don't have to go to Jena to make a difference--you can make a major impact on the 20th by taking action in your own community. We're organizing a National Day of Action on the 20th to raise awareness about the Jena 6 situation, increase pressure on Governor Blanco, and make it clear that folks all over the country will not let this injustice stand. Whether you have a few minutes to call Louisiana officials, a half-hour to pass out flyers in your neighborhood, or an hour or so to host or attend a rally or vigil, you can play a key role. Our tools and materials make it easy. Click here to learn more or to sign up now: http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/action.html?id=1517-305617 Almost 200,000 of us have taken action online in support of the Jena 6. Imagine if even 50,000 of us take time on Thursday to go further. Our power is in our numbers. Together we can force the hand of Louisiana's governor and ultimately achieve justice for the Jena 6. Thank you for what you've done so far and for whatever you're able to do on the 20th. Thank You and Peace, -- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, Mervyn, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team September 14th, 2007 _____________________________________________ Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left that will help them to interpret the world and to change it. Submit via email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe Account assistance: portside.org/contact Search the archives: portside.org/archive __________ NOD32 2530 (20070914) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __________ NOD32 2530 (20070914) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com John Johnson Change-Links Progressive Newspaper [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://change-links.org Subscribe to our list server. Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] (818) 782-1412 Cell (818) 681-7448. === -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.487 / Virus Database: 269.13.19/1008 - Release Date: 9/14/2007 8:59 AM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
