Anger escalated once the
perpetrators were let go
with little more than a
slap on the wrist. Violent
incidents between blacks
and whites also became
more frequent, leading to
the now-infamous fight
involving the Jena 6. But it
was the charge of second-degree attempted murder
initially levied against the
black teens that angered
a number of groups well
outside the borders of
Jena. NAACP Chairman
Julian Bond called the case an
outrage. “This demonstrates the
continuing shame of racial division
in our country,” he says.
As pressure mounted, charges
against several of the boys were
reduced to aggravated battery.
The NAACP called on Louisiana
Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Attorney
General Charles Foti to investigate
and monitor the cases of each student. As it unfolded, the incident
began to draw parallels to that of
Shaquanda Cotton, a 14-year-old
black girl who spent a year in jail
for pushing a white 58-year-old
teacher’s assistant to the ground in
Paris, Texas. Cotton was originally
sentenced to seven years, but as
Demonstrators march through Jena to show support for the arrested teens.
media attention grew and public
pressure mounted, Cotton was
released for time served.
But some residents of Jena
said their town was being unfairly
vilified in the press. Billy Fowler, a
Jena High School board member,
believes the focus should remain
on the six students charged in the
assault and points out that Bell
was on probabtion for an earlier
assault charge at the time of his
arrest for the Jena assault. “Three
of the six involved are not choir
boys, if you get my drift. This is
not a racial issue,” Fowler tells
DiversityInc. “Most of the black
community will tell you that. Only
the parents of the six involved are
hollering ‘racism.’”
On that last point, Fowler is
correct. Tina Jones, mother of
defendant Bryant Purvis believes
race was the prevailing factor in the
charge levied against her son and
the other five teens. “Blacks always
get the harshest extent of the law
here where a white person might
get a slap on the wrist,” she says.
“It all started because the [district
attorney] was trying to make an
example out of these kids. The
support we’re getting is encouraging, but I can’t be optimistic when
I wake up every day and these
charges are still pending against my
Jena 6 Timeline (Cont.)
Dec. 4, 2006
A fight erupts between a white teen, Justin Barker, and a group of
black teens, which results in six of the black teens being arrested. Barker is treated
and released from the hospital after three hours. The black teens are charged with
attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 80 years. Four of the six
defendants (later collectively identified as the Jena 6) are tried as adults.
Sept. 4, 2007
Charges against Mychal Bell are reduced to second-degree aggravated battery and conspiracy. In Louisiana, for someone to be convicted on this charge,
the attack must be made with a “dangerous weapon.” The prosecutor is allowed
to argue that the sneaker worn by Bell could be considered a “dangerous
weapon.” Bell refuses to plea to a lesser felony. The jury finds Bell guilty of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy charges following three hours
of deliberation. To date, Bell is the only member of the six to stand trial.
The
district attorney’s office
reduces the second-
degree attempted-murder
charges against two of the
other students, Jones and
Shaw, to aggravated
second-degree battery
and conspiracy. Also
awaiting trial are Bailey
and Purvis, who still face
second-degree attempt-
ed-murder charges.
Sept. 14, 2007
A state appeals
court tosses out
the conviction
against Bell,
saying the teen
should have been
tried as a juvenile
from the outset.
