M takes on Jena 6 Developments over at Problem Chylde
Plea bargaining is the state’s most insidious power chip for filling the belly of the prison industrial complex. It embodies the essential difference between talking to the police and snitching – another dynamic that characterizes the criminal justice system as it stands now. The state holds [...]

I recognized the importance of justice for the Jena Six early on, and wrote about the case frequently. And later when we found out more about Mychal Bell’s past criminal record, I explained that his previous crimes did not negate his right to equal justice in the Jena beating case. After the crescendo of the [...]

I’ve been working myself into a knot thinking about the latest proliferation of nooses and the recent regurgitation of racial hatred taking place all over America. Racism is a virus, you know, seemingly impossible to cure completely. It lives in the spine of the American soul as a retrovirus, always waiting for the next [...]

As always, Howard Witt of the Chicago Tribune is right on top of the latest news related to the Jena situation. In his coverage of today’s House Judiciary committee hearing looking into the Jena 6 case, Witt reports that US Attorney Donald Washington has finally acknowledged what many legal experts, and bloggers of color, have [...]

Why am I not surprised that the Louisiana District Attorneys Association is defending Judge Mauffray’s secret hearing and decision to end Mychal Bell’s probation?
…Pete Adams, the director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, said Bell’s is a routine case, and “that’s all it is.”
“It’s not being handled any differently than any other case in [...]

As the facts come in, the situation becomes clear. Judge J.P. Mauffray appears to be using his position on the bench to pursue a personal vendetta against Mychal Bell and perhaps all of us determined to fight for justice for all defendants in the Jena Six case.
Mychal Bell, 17, was unexpectedly sent back to prison [...]

UPDATE — Legal experts say Judge’s order may contradict Louisiana laws — READ: ‘Jena 6 teen’s return to jail draws queries’ Howard Witt, Chicago Tribune
I awoke to the news that Mychal Bell, now the most well known defendant in the Jena Six case, was back behind bars, in jail. It appears that because of Bell’s [...]

Once again, The Smoking Gun has the goods, including a videotaped spoof of the attack.
I will write more later. Working on a Flemish keyboard at the moment. My internet connection is down.

This is really ugly. Reed Walters’ racism and ignorance of history glistens like a pus covered carcass in midday desert sun. His reaction to the proud and peaceful demonstration last week?
“I firmly believe that had it not been for the direct intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ last Thursday, a disaster would have happened,” LaSalle [...]

The New York Times and other news outlets of record refused to cover the story of nooses, unequal justice, unequal protection under the law and the beating of a high school student until these events sparked a protest so massive that they simply could not ignore it.
Now, the New York Times has given Jena district [...]

Keep in mind, Bell is being denied bail on what will now be a JUVENILE charge. And Bell was convicted on a charge that, according to an appellate court, should never have been brought. He has been in jail since DECEMBER 2006.
JENA — Bail was denied today for Mychal Bell, a defendant in the [...]

Conyers Announces Forum, Hearings on “Jena Six”
(Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) told a crowd gathered on the Capitol grounds that he is holding a forum next week and plans to hold hearings to address the case of six teenagers in Jena, Louisiana who were charged with attempted murder for [...]

Head on over to UltraVioletUnderground to see many more virtual marchers…check out photos of your favorite bloggers!

Mychal Bell still sits in jail approaching a week after an appellate court overturned his conviction. The D.A. and Judge chose to ignore his bail hearing on Monday and simply did not show up.
The black teen at the center of a furor over legal racism remained behind bars – though charges against him were thrown [...]

People, our voices count. When we speak tirelessly and in unison, injustice cannot thrive in the dark.
From Howard Witt, Chicago Tribune
With the prospect of a major national civil rights protest looming next week in the central Louisiana town of Jena, a state appeals court on Friday abruptly vacated the felony conviction of a [...]