Prosecutors in Jena should really be given a medal for sound judgment and generosity. They’ve reduced the charges for two more of the Jena Six, most likely because the attempted murder accusation wasn’t really going over well with, well, the entire world. But they didn’t do the boys any real favors; they could still spend 22 years in prison for a school yard brawl.
On Tuesday, charges against Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. That same reduction was made earlier for Mychal Bell, who was tried and found guilty and could be sentenced to 22½ years at a hearing Sept. 20.
Also awaiting trial are Robert Bailey Jr. and Bryant Purvis, who still face attempted murder charges, and the unidentified juvenile.
Mike Nifong, the Durham, NC, District Attorney who was in charge of the Duke rape debacle, has been convicted of contempt of court. If there’s any justice in the world, and, I suppose the Jena Six proves there isn’t much, some similar fate will befall the prosecutors in Jena. But I’m not holding my breath.
Take action at www.colorofchange.org.
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Jilly’s List of Things to Never Do in Life:
1. Go to Iraq
2. Eat pigs feet
3. Shave my head
4. Go anywhere near Jena, LA
I didn’t catch the whole interview but the mom of the boy who got his ass kicked seemed to think that they’re going too far. Leave it to the government to impose unnecessarily harsh sentences. They had a show on the LA County Jail system. They seem to only be keeping in the people who are just begging for those 3 strikes.
Things in the justice system are getting worse, not better, for black and Latino faces. If you watch the news, prosecutorial discretion is at an all-time high for white faces. Lindsay Lohan, the white lady who left her daughter in the whip for 8 hours will not be charged, etc. while we have cases like the Jena 6, the black guy in NY who fought with six white counterparts and he was charged with assault, and even Sean Bell. It’s a real wake-up call. Real talk, I don’t feel safe being a legitimate black man right now (no Polow da Don). But then again, when have I ever?
Anderson Cooper did a decent story on it a couple of nights ago. The only thing I hated was that he had that woman (I can’t think of her name) that does mostly stories about Louisiana - she’s a native by the accent that she lets slip every now and then - doing the reporting on it. She is also a closet racist - I just know it. She made mention of Mychal Bell’s previous 4 run ins with the law. The fact that this is a travesty and injustice seemed lost on her. She never fails to show some type of contempt for black ppl or to play devil’s advocate when it comes to some outrage against blacks. After Katrina I remember her being very cold and sometimes harsh when reporting on it.
Shit…what’s her name. She has a bob hair cut, tall and has high cheekbones???
Blackmistress:
Her name is Cruela DeVille.
She kind of looks like her. lol.
I’m sure they think reduced charges are nice, but I think dropping the charges would be better. Racism just keeps getting more covert. To a degree though, it isn’t even covert anymore. In a world where the KKK can legally wear hoods to protect their identities while they do dirt, but minorities are prosecuted beyond the full extent of the law, for kicking somebody while wearing some Nikes, you know there is a serious problem with the “Just Us” system.
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