The Jena 6

Parent Cafe
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<p><a href=“http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12353776[/url]”>Beating Charges Split La. Town Along Racial Lines : NPR;

<p>Subsequent to this article, the first defendant was convicted and he will be sentenced on September 20th. He faces 22 years for the school yard brawl. The other 5 students still face attempted murder charges.</p>

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<p>This is, without question, one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t imagine such escalation. The nooses should have been prosecuted as a hate crime in some fashion. Grotesque. Maybe race isn’t as big a problem in NYC as in other places, because that wouldn’t be tolerated here.</p>

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<p>I have been reading about this story for a while and also listened to interviews with the parents on the radio one time about this case. There is a great deal of injustice going on there. While nobody should beat up another person, they are taking that aspect in isolation as to what was going on and the real perpetrators are getting off. It is very racial and unfair. Also, the fight is something that should be in a juvenile court, not tried as an adult. But the true issue is being ignored. The situation escalated with the hate crime was not dealt with adequately and so the boys took things into their own hands. In many ways, THEY are the victims. The consequences for the White students involved in each incident were either nothing or paled in comparison to the charges brought upon the Black students. They have been treated entirely unequally in a blatant fashion. I also cannot believe that the jury for the first boy was ALL WHITE. Very very racially unfair situation. It is hard to fathom in this day and age but this obviously still goes on and this is a certain kind of environment that has let this proliferate. It is intolerable. I am very glad that the Jena 6 case is garnering more national attention. I hope it helps as people are watching. I recall reading recently that the first defendant now has a better/new lawyer.</p>

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<p>At least a move in the right direction…I am sure the national publicity and outrage has had an effect as well as change of attorneys…</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/14/jena.six/index.html[/url]”>http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/14/jena.six/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>That’s good news sooz. Amazing isn’t it? Prosecutions railroads this young man through the system as an adult and it isn’t until after he is convicted that anyone takes notice? Those who are appalled with prosecutorial misconduct in the Duke case should maybe focus their attention here for a while.</p>

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<p>Don’t count on it. This thread isn’t likely to go much beyond a page or two. Let’s face it, most folks on CC were exponentially more outraged by the Duke Lacrosse case than they’ll ever by by this case in Jena, Louisiana. Wonder why…:rolleyes:</p>

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<p>I’m absolutely outraged by the ridiculously overt racism in Jena, and what has resulted.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, the situation is complicated. Clearly much of the town is quite racist, and this rot extends into the government. What can be done about that? How do you force a racist DA to press charges (the shotgun incident, maybe hate crime charges or something of the sort for the nooses) against people? Because as much as the convictions need to be overturned or reduced in degree, there are others here who need to be charged with crimes as well.</p>

<p>The prosecutors in Jena are also clearly very much dead-set against the black students. Arguing that a tennis shoe is a deadly weapon? I mean come on, give me a break. Even more ridiculous is that the jury would buy that argument - though it doesn’t totally surprise me, given that the public defender seems to have been woefully unprepared - even maliciously unwilling to press the case (he simply rested after government presentation).</p>

<p>The only thing that I hesitate about is how most people who see what happened here say that the charges against the boys should be entirely overturned. I’m not sure I agree with that. At least one of the boys had upwards of 3 prior convictions (and yes, I am sure this was influenced by the obviously racially-motivated justice in the town - but still!), and they did undeniably beat a white student. Now, they had tons of provocation, and in my opinion that student totally had it coming to him, but random beating is really not acceptable.</p>

<p>What do I think should happen? In an ideal world? Charge those who hung the nooses with something (is inciting hatred a criminal charge?); charge the white males who engaged in the fight at the party; charge the guy who pulled the shotgun with attempted murder or something like that; take the Jena six, try them in the appropriate setting (juvenile court, a non-homogeneous, non-racially-biased jury), and then if they are in fact guilty of a crime in committing the assault, give them extremely light sentences (probation, I don’t know exactly what, but you get the gist) to reflect the adverse and entirely absurd conditions in which the crimes took place.</p>

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<p>Bcuz the Jena6 committed a crime and the Duke lax players didn’t? Sure they were provoked by the white students but that doesn’t mean they are exempt from the law. No matter how much you want to, taking justice into your own hands is a criminal act. </p>

<p>I think the jena 6 should all be prosecuted, it looks like they committed a crime, however bringing charges forth like attempted murder is INSANE. Assault and battery? certainly so…attempted murder? please…</p>

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<p>Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are back.</p>

<p>That will increase the media attention, good or bad.</p>

<p>The youth in question has a criminal record according to the link posted by Soozie. Maybe that comes in to play at the level of outrage?</p>

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<p>Poetsheart, </p>

<p>I have read the latest postings on the Duke case and the assumptions that are flinging that those who think there was a great injustice there and think some compensation is due the innocent defendants do not care about cases such as the Jena 6. Personally, I care about all these cases equally. I don’t think one needs to assume that because one thinks a case was very outrageous and injust that they don’t care about less known cases. I am equally outraged about Genarlo Wilson and the Jena 6 as these cases are also unjust for different reasons. Thankfully these cases have been garnering national attention. It isn’t fair that some defendants have the resources of top lawyers and others do not. I keep reading on that thread that so and so had it worse. So? Something can be very unjust on its own even if there is a greater injustice in another case. However, all these cases involve injustice. One can care about a case without that being a statement that they do not care about the less known or poor defendants’ cases. I believe the young Duke defendants have also spoken out about injustice and have acknowledged that others have not had the resources to fight it as they have had. I believe they are interested in helping the Innocence Project as well. Just because I think the Duke case was gross injustice that was purposeful and that they deserve compensation, doesn’t mean I think it any more than some other gross injustice.</p>

<p>I happen to think the Jena 6 case is terrible in this day and age in how it was handled and I truly hope that with this attention and with better representation, and when the powers that be in that town see how poorly they look in the national media, that change will prevail. While there was an assault which cannot be condoned there, the situation was such that there was a hate crime and previous provacation if anyone reads all the incidents (not just the nooses which alone are despicable) that led up to it with no intervention of authorities in any appropriate manner. When no authorities stepped in, the boys took it into their own hands which I am not saying is right but the entire situation must be examined. In any case, one or more were tried as adults, for a very exaggerated charge and by an all white jury. So, yes, this is outrageous. Perhaps the increased attention will help in this case as well. I think the attention in the Genarlo Wilson case has also helped a little but not enough yet.</p>

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<p>Did anyone read The Innocent Man by John Grisham? And I thought that story was outrageous. Hopefully the media will be on top of this tomorrow so that more people will learn about this story. However, the story runs so deep, with so much corruption that I don’t know how a short national news story in the evening could do it justice.</p>

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<p>Just read the above article, and attempted murder charges sound extreme, but to overturn charges completely would be wrong too. There are clearly people at fault on both sides. As for the attack in question, maybe I read it wrong, but if a group attacks a single individual, knocks him out with the first punch, and THEN proceed to “stomp” and kick him in the head, that’s very serious.</p>

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<p>From Post 8……. “taking justice into your own hands is a criminal act”</p>

<p>Many times the criminal act of taking justice into your own hands is a high moral calling….Like when George Washington committed treason. </p>

<p>As for the nice young men at Duke and the law…I bet a nickel it is against the law in No. Car. To hire women to perform lewd dances at private party…I know it is in most states…so from that point the Duke boys also committed a criminal act.</p>

<p>Don’t try to say I am defending someone beating someone else up, I am not. I am just making the case that none of this is as simple as “they broke the law” It’s not that simple in the Jena case or the Duke case….</p>

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<h2>“As for the attack in question, maybe I read it wrong, but if a group attacks a single individual, knocks him out with the first punch, and THEN proceed to “stomp” and kick him in the head, that’s very serious.”</h2>

<p>Serious indeed. But are you talking about the black guys who beat up the white kid and who were charged with attempted murder …or the white guys, who in the days prior to the incident in question, beat a black kid and who were NOT charged commensurately?</p>

<p>The issue at hand is not whether anyone should get off for doing something wrong. The issue is prosecution of laws in a fair and just manner regardless of skin color.</p>

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<p>The former- in the npr article above it says the white kid was knocked out before being stomped and kicked. It didn’t go say how severely the student at the party was beaten. I also find it bizarre that the kid who pulled the gun from the truck was not arrested. All those involved should be held accountable for their actions, no matter what side they’re on.</p>

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<p>I also find it weird that prosecutor claims he couldn’t find any laws under which to prosecute the white kids who hung the nooses on the school grounds. What…Louisiana is exempt from federal hate crime laws? And I think the school district should find their rear ends in civil litigation for what amounts to de facto segregation in which black students find certain areas of the school ‘off limits’ to them because of their race.</p>

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<p>From Post #13: “I bet a nickel it is against the law in No. Car. To hire women to perform lewd dances at private party…”</p>

<p>Huh??? Where the heck did that come from? The dancers were hired to dance. They willingly performed. That is what these women do to earn a living. The women worked for a business in North Carolina.
If this is “criminal” in North Carolina, why was that never mentioned? If I were inclined to bet, I’d risk my own nickel on that one. If there is such a law, please reference it. Please tell us specifically how these men committed a criminal act… :confused:</p>

<p>Back on topic: Some of the students at Duke ARE supporting the Jena 6.
<a href=“http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2007-09-19-0031.html[/url]”>http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2007-09-19-0031.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>^Probably not legal for those at the party who were minors to be there or consume alcohol, 1sokkermom.</p>

<p>Honestly, I don’t think anyone who has supported the players here at CC has pretended laws were not broken that night in Durham. But in both cases, consequences did not have just or fair relationship to actions. </p>

<p>I’m just glad to see the Jena case finally get some national attention. And I know this is a big deal at UNC-CH…I actually became aware of it through my d.</p>

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<p>underage drinking =/= stomping somebodies head. Without a doubt these kids were unjustly punished due to them being black…no way you can charge them with attempted murder. However I don’t believe taking the law into their own hands is acceptable and they should be charged with something. Don’t gimme this george washington BS either…cmon, that’s a weak argument and you know it.</p>

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<p>ldmom,</p>

<p>I was looking for a reference specifically related to these men being criminals because they hired and paid dancers. It was referenced as a criminal act in post #13, and I was challenging that. (I wasn’t necessarily supporting or condoning the behavior.)</p>

<p>I do agree that underage drinking is illegal. No one is challenging that. However, I don’t think anyone was arrested and charged with underage drinking in the Duke case.</p>

<p>(f every minor who drinks in college is considered to be a “criminal” …well let’s just say that could certainly be a good topic for a whole new thread! :wink: )</p>