For months, black talk radio hosts and bloggers raised awareness of disparities in the juvenile justice system. But then Barack Obama captured everyone's imagination and attention.
Now a motion has been made on behalf of the Jena 6 to remove a bias judge from their cases. ...
Jena Six Case
Rallies in support of the Jena Six were held in Jena and elsewhere in the United States on September 20, 2007 the date when Mychal Bell was scheduled for sentencing. A girl here listens to Rev. Al Sharpton speak before a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school.
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The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks to a standing-room only congregation at Trout Creek Baptist Church in Jena, La., Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007. Sharpton criticized officials in this racially tense Louisiana town, saying the attempted murder charges leveled against six black teens show "one rule for white kids and one for black kids." Seated with Sharpton are Marcus Jones, left, and Melissa Bell, parents of Mychal Bell. Behind Sharpton are several of the other accused students. (AP Photo/Richard Alan Hannon)
A man holds a newspaper before the start of a civil rights march on September 19, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana.
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Radio host Michael Baisden(2nd L), Rev. Al Sharpton (2nd R) and Melissa Bell (R), mother of Mychal Bell, march towards Jena High school during f a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana.
An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 demonstrators attended the rally that day, severely overtaxing the facilities of the small town of 3,000 residents. Because of the congestion on the roads leading to Jena, many protesters left their vehicles and walked into town on foot.
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JENA, LA - SEPTEMBER 20: Bryant Purvis, one of the 'Jena Six' listens to the Rev. Al Sharpton before the start of a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Protesters march towards Jena High School on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana.
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JENA, LA - SEPTEMBER 20: A protester holds two paintings ouside of Jena High School during a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JENA, LA - SEPTEMBER 20: Brandon Citizen, a student at Prarie View A&M University holds a sign to support the 'Jena Six' during a civil rights march September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 16: National Action Network President the Rev. Al Sharpton listens during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee October 16, 2007 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to focus on "Jena Six," the six black high school students in Jena, Louisiana who were arrested for a school fight in which a white student was beaten and charged with attempted murder. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
As we are now upon about the one year anniversary of when bloggers picked up the story after Howard Witt broke it nationally with his May 20, 2007 article "Racial demons rear heads"; you can nary find a Black blogger that even updates on the Jena 6 periodically.Guilty as charged. So here's an update courtesy of Jeff Chang:
This Friday, special judge Thomas Yeager will consider a motion made on behalf of the Jena 6 to remove Judge J.P. Mauffray from their cases. Mauffray had previously denied motions by 5 of the defendants to recuse him from their cases. But last week, the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals appointed Yeager to preside over this unusual hearing in Mauffray's own courtroom.ColorOfChange.org, which played a key role in organizing the march, will hold a press conference following the hearing. James Rucker, the group's executive director, said in a statement:
Supporters of the Jena 6 say that the motion to recuse Mauffray is part of an effort to give them a fair trial.
Judge Mauffray is the man at the center of Jena's broken justice system and now he is forced to justify his bias in a court of law with the entire nation watching. These proceedings are an opportunity to redeem Louisiana's justice system in the eyes of the nation and provide the Jena 6 with their constitutional right to a fair trial.For updated info, please go here.
Comments: (51)
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By: James Dotson on 5/29/2008 10:33AM
I pray that with the election of Barack Obama the Jena 6 will receive over due justice and individuals such as the bias judge in this particular case will no longer be in power. I was proud to travel from New Jersey to Jena La. and take part in the demonstration. The media claimed that the assembly was only 20k. It was much larger than that.
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By: Dr ,B on 5/29/2008 2:31PM
THe Judge should have been removed a long time ago.We should sign petitions March contact our Senators and congressmen and do all we can to have these racist Jundges off the bench. It has gotte worse than when Martin Luther King marched and everyone wants a Black President you have not seen the back lash black people will have in the Courts ,on the Job and every where and I am Black so I am not prejudice.
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By: Dr ,B on 5/29/2008 2:32PM
We need to march, protest, contact our ELected Officals do all we can to get these racist Judges off the Bench.This Judge should have been removed a long time ago. They act like Klansman on the bench.THey think they can use there postions to come against Blacks, sentence them and ruin there lives and no one can do anything to them. People are worse today being prejudice than when Martin Luther King marched. If a Black President takes office, we need to get ready for the Back lash in the courts from these Judges, Police Officers, It will be a hard time for Blacks and I am Black, in this land it will be harder than now and its hard.
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By: LA Rawls on 5/29/2008 4:29PM
I agree Dr B, it should'nt have taken this long!
L.A. Rawls
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By: Rollie Settles on 5/30/2008 10:08AM
Think God,this judge is out of there,!HELP.
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By: Arnold on 5/31/2008 6:21AM
Well, it's about time and even though there are blacks that think it's going to get worst if we have a black president elected and, they say that they are not prejudice being black themselves, negative my dear black secepital ones. Your not prejudice but, you are stupid/scared!....after all, some of the Isrealites wanted to go back to Egypt instaed of trusting in God and going forward!(if God is on your side then, who can be against you, for no weapon formed against a child or, children of Ood can prosper...aright!)......stop being so freaking scared of not being scared!....
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By: ace on 5/31/2008 6:32AM
we need to start putting our own judges on the bench and that judge should'nt be allowed to practice nor judge anymore
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By: belvery youngblood on 5/31/2008 7:46AM
This thing start with the school. The school officals should have never allowed there to be a certain place for the whites to meet, they played a hugh part in this misunderstanding. The tree should had been cut down a long time ago. There are more involved than the Jena 6. The Jena 6 just had the courage to break this little party up. Most of the time it is not the children, it is the parents behind the whole thing, meaning I believe for those children to hang ropes from a tree was not their ideal. It was something their parents encouraged them to do, maybe I am wrong, but I do believe someone a grownup, had something to do with this type of action, maybe it was some of the school officals. Everyone involved should recieve some type of punishment. It was not serious enough for X amount of years in prison. These young people these to get on with their lives. Its the older generation who wants to hang on to the old hate crime.
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By: skipper on 5/31/2008 7:47AM
They did the crime====do the time. Maybe "Shady" Sharpton should join them in jail.
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By: Willie M. Thornton on 5/31/2008 8:16AM
I am thankful that some of these racist judges and attorney generals are being brought to the attention of people all over the world. It's about time that these persons who practice injustice according to the color of ones skin be relieved of those positions they hold. They take an oath to treat people fairly under the law whice they do not. Thank God for Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine and others who bring these things to the fore front.
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