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Sharpton Demands Hearings on Jena 6
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ShareSeptember 25, 2007 3:33 PM
ABC News' Jennifer Parker and Dean Norland Report: Rev. Al Sharpton joined the parents of one of the Jena Six defendants on Capitol Hill Tuesday to demand formal hearings into the judicial system in the small town of Jena, Louisiana.
Watch the video HERE.
The town of less than 3,000 people has attracted media attention and protesters decrying the prosecution of six African American teenagers, dubbed the Jena Six.
The six black youths were arrested in the beating and kicking of a white schoolmate in December and were initially charged with attempted murder. The beating was preceded by racially charged events including nooses hanging from a tree at the Jena high school, for which three white students were punished and suspended from school for two weeks.
The mother and father of Mychal Bell, 17, one of six African American teenagers from Jena, Louisiana arrested in the beating of of a white schoolmate attended a meeting with House Judiciary Chair Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Sharpton and prominent members of the congressional black caucus.
"He knows about everything that is going on, he appreciates everyone coming out to support him," said Melissa Bell about her son, Mychal.
Our first responsibility is to get young Mychal Bell out of prison," said House Judiciary Chair Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., at a media availability after the meeting.
Bell was convicted in June of aggravated battery and conspiracy. Those charges were voided by an appeals courts, however he has not been released from jail. Bell is the only student who has had a trial. Amid pressure from critics, prosecutors have gradually scaled back many charges against the other five.
"We want to work on how we move the Department of Justice, the criminal justice system and to people all over this country that want something to happen that will at least atone for the miscarriages of justice that have occurred in Jena, Louisiana," Conyers said.
"Mychal Bell is being held as a prisoner, in my judgment, of those reactionary forces that still use the criminal justice system, based on the color of ones skin, rather than the merit of the law," Sharpton said.
Sharpton said the delegation asked the House Judiciary Committee to formally hold hearings to "look into the disparity of charging and incarcerating people based on color," he said.
On Wednesday, Sharpton, King and others will meet with Louisiana Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco to discuss the Jena Six case and plan to call for increased security protection for the Jena Six families who have been threatened.
September 25, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (8)
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He'll get them. Conyers has already promised Maxine Waters that he would hold hearings and subpoena the La Salle Parrish DA, Reed Walters, to explain his actions. While Reed Walters drones on with a detailed explanation of a 16 year veteran, Maxine Waters will gasp and roll her eyes. Whites will say, what's the big deal? Blacks will say, what a big deal! Nothing more will happen, but everyone will promise to be "more vigilant".
Posted by: Sean O'Brien | Sep 25, 2007 4:16:37 PM
Where were the security guard part ?
Why not fixing security monitoring camiras down school's yard ?
Where is the supevision of school assistants who should keep seeing & meeting , taking care after student's inquires though break times and off days.
Teachers & schools mangers should viists parents of their students time to time to discuss all related possitve and negative steps taken so far.
ALl schools, universities , nurseries and colleges should sit an alarm gun device system too tackl gunning control and obessission and selling and using of such wepon whic should be used for only defedsive action or military purposes or for offical goverement use.
Posted by: frank Elvis Daniel Sinatra | Sep 26, 2007 1:24:47 AM
We should bring back those student to the regular normal relationship fair to normalise and take a lesson whic should not be repeated at all as racial or racism or any kind of influiential afair which not accepted at all.
The mor student achieve by studing and getting high result with an excellent behaviour and attutide and goodness , they are qualified to progress all the way forward to be a model or example of great nationl of the United States.
Posted by: frank Elvis Daniel Sinatra | Sep 26, 2007 1:29:47 AM
Louisiana's should be ashamed of themselves and know they look like a bunch of fools.
Posted by: Paul Belair | Sep 26, 2007 8:17:33 AM
WHY ARENT YOU OUT IN OHIO RUNNING YOUR MOUTH ABOUT POLICE BRUTALITY.IS IT DUE TO THE FACT THAT ITS A WHITE PERSON? IF YOU TAKE UP A CAUSE LIKE THAT FOR ONE YOU SHOULD DO IT FOR EVERYONE NOT JUST BLACKS. THIS PROVES YOU ARE A ONESIDED RACIST.
Posted by: Carl | Sep 26, 2007 12:19:18 PM
Mr. Sharpton needs to ask himself: If these "kids" are so innocent, why were 6 of them involved in beating 1 white kid?
Racism knows no color.....it exists everywhere and in every culture I have seen in any part of the world.
They also need to recognize that crime statistics show that there is just cause to be concerned about black behavior.....by all races, including blacks.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | Sep 26, 2007 2:27:00 PM
six people beat and pummel one and the six are the ones who deserve sympathy? Something wrong with that picture. Maybe the charges were overblown, but the crime was committed by the six, and it certainly wasn't done by wholesome young men!
Posted by: bob shea | Sep 27, 2007 4:16:55 PM
This is an unfortunate situation in my opinon.I do blame the district attorney for saying what he said to those students.Look at what this has cost the small town. There is only one race,the human race.I will like for civil right department of the federal government look into the Jena's district attorney's record and check if there is a history here.
Posted by: UGOCHUKWU | Oct 16, 2007 5:57:17 PM
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