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A “Jena Six” Teen Cops A Plea To Get Out of Jail Earlier
December 4th, 2007Now, he will serve eight months to go along with the 10 he’s already served
Mychal Bell, the last of the “Jena Six” teens still in jail, pleaded guilty to a single count of juvenile battery, for which he will serve an additional eight months to go with the 10 months he has already served. While it’s not the immediate freedom Bell and his family had hoped for, it could have been much worse. If he had gone to trial and been convicted for battery and conspiracy, the 17-year-old could have remained incarcerated until his 21st birthday. “This was a way to put a close to an event at a time when everyone had reasons to want it settled,” said Louis Scott, one of Bell’s lawyers, told The Associated Press. He and five other African-American teens were initially charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder for a fight with Justin Barker, a classmate at Jena High School. In fact, it was the seemingly harsh prosecution by the LaSalle Parish prosecutor that put the tiny town of Jena, La., on the national radar screen. Critics argued that a schoolyard fight did not warrant charges that could have landed the teens in prison for more than 20 years. They also complained that the White students who hung a noose on a tree at the school – an incident that is blamed for triggering the fight with Barker – should have been charged with perpetrating a hate crime. In a massive rally on Sept. 20, thousands of activists poured into Jena – population 3,000 residents – to stand up for the Jena Six. Is this a fair deal?
no, it is not,but what to do? stay in jail for what? we all know that it is about color & if you get a fair deal or not & don/t leave out money. it is what it is.
Lets face it Mr. Bell is no angel. He already had a prior criminal convictions for violent behavior so he should just shut up and be grateful for what he got. The bottom line is you don’t put your hands on someone when you are already on probation. He’s not a hero; he’s just lucky.
First of all, the “REAL SOLDIERS” who didn’t go to
Jena, knew beforehand, that the end result was going to be a Plea-Bargain. That’s how it’s done down here in Louisiana. These “crackers” ain’t letting you off the hook, if they got you. You can
have all the press you want, you got to bow-down to the racist system of justice down here. Sharpton/Jackson, and all the other clowns knew that prior to coming. His family better leave while they’re still able.
this is a fair deal, because i feel it could of been a lot worse. since everyone knows that racism played a role, we know that African American men will always be charged with harsher punishments. since he’s going to serve 8 months included with the ten months, it’s better than serving life.
It doesn’t matter that he had prior criminal convictions. The charges he faced for a regular school fight were completely unjust. No one deserves that, even a ‘non angel’.
The way things are going for BLACK people lately, he better take what he can get.
I guess my reply was not appropriate to get posted…AGAIN. Thanks BET!
No, it was not a fair deal. He has already spent the bulk of a year in jail. Can we say “time served”? And yes, Michael Bell had prior convictions but does that take away from the fact that he was treated unjustly? If it were your child how would you feel?
I DON”T CARE IF YOU ARE WHITE AND THINK YOU ARE RIGHT….. “GOD” IS IN CONTROL!!!!!!! “KATRINA”,
“MUD SLIDES”, WILD FIRES, SENAMMIES, ALL OF US BETTER WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!! BECAUSE “GOD” IS COMMING SOON.AND WE AS A PEOPLE
NEED TO COME TOGETHER: ONLY THEN IS WHEN GOD WILL
HEAL OUR LAND. WE ALL NEED TO HUMBLE OURSELFS.
I believe that the sentence is not fair instead of giving him 8 to 10 more months they should have given him time served.. Him and his family already suffered enough.
I don’t think it was fair at all. I feel like if this Justin barker was a black student they would have been suspended for 10 days and back to school after that. No matter what kind of previous record he has, “PEOPLE DO CHANGE”. Justin may have done some extremely worng to these guys that provoked them to whoop his azz.. I’m not saying it was okay to jump on him but who knows what caused the whole incident but the ones that were involved. I think the 10 months he served should have been enough adn he should have been set free.. Hell if you look at it he will still be served about 2 years when he gets out.. I could imagine how I would feel if I was Bell’s parents..
This is unreal, we might as well be back in slavery. The facts are presented the kid has to cop a plea and business as usual. When YOUR in the jackpot then there is a problem!!
The problem is not so much the white racist as it is the UNCLE TOMS, SELL OUTS, etc… and most of our people who just look the other way when criminal things happen to our (black) people.
I think that it was fair only 18 months when they could’ve kept him for another 4 years. He better take that and run with it.
First of all, these young men were treated unjustly when it comes to the punishment. The White students got no punishment, so…
As for Bell, well he “violated” probation so that time had to be reinstated because of that. And I feel he has been blessed to have been given a “plea bargain”.
We must thank God for His many blessings. It could have been worst!
Praise the Lord!
this is from lilah from PA. (philly)…..umm this is so good that this young man is finally getting out. this is good to be hearing and what not. i no that his family is very glad that he is going to be on his way home soon. now every thing can go back to the wa they were but he is going to have to catch up with his family and more likly his friends all about this. well GOD blessed him and his family good. GOD IS GREAT
NO! He should have been let go and the 8 months jail time applied to time served. The punishment is excessive, we as a people better wake up. America has implemented a ZERO policy on blacks. They are punishing our children and adults for minor crimes as if the crimes were more serious.
Its a climate of FEAR and were the ones suffering because were not getting smarter in how we deal with folks.
i think that she should of been let go thses cops have no r4espect 4 us blacks so they do any thing to us us in jail and that’s 4real.
For those of you so committed to hating anyone different from you (white or black), shame on you. This kid confessed to more than one count of juvenile battery and in turn, is testifying against the other 5 so that additional charges can and will be filed. Many of you turned on Jena and used it to vent impotent hatred and racism. The very things you say that you are against. Now that he has admitted to conspiring to kill this kid (and in his testimony stated clearly that it had NOTHING to do with the noose), are you going to issue retractments?