(CNN) -- A black Louisiana teenager at the center of the racially charged "Jena 6" case was ordered Thursday to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility, after a judge ruled he had violated his probation for earlier juvenile convictions, a source with knowledge of the court proceedings said.
Mychal Bell, 17, who was freed two weeks ago after his adult criminal conviction for beating a white classmate was overturned, was sent to the Renaissance Home for Youth in Alexandria, Louisiana, the source said.
The decision came at the end of a two-day juvenile court hearing that was closed to the media and public.
Carol Powell-Lexing, one of Bell's attorneys, said the judge's decision would be appealed.
Bell was freed on $45,000 bail on September 27, after an appeals court threw out his conviction on battery and conspiracy charges in adult court and remanded the case to juvenile court.
But Judge J.P. Mauffrey agreed with prosecutors that Bell had violated the probation he was given for four previous juvenile offenses, including two simple battery charges, the sources said.
Bell had been placed on probation until he turned 18.
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton, who has championed Bell's case, denounced Thursday's decision as "revenge" by the judge and called on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to intervene.
Demonstrators in September took to the streets of the small town of Jena to protest how authorities handled the cases of Bell and five other teens accused of beating white student Justin Barker in December 2006. The incident was a culmination of fights between blacks and whites.
Many said they were angry that the students, dubbed the "Jena 6," were being treated more harshly than three white students who hung nooses from an oak tree on Jena High School property.
The white students were suspended from school but did not face criminal charges. The protesters said they should have been charged with a hate crime. (Source)
Oct 12, 2007
Mychal Bell Ordered Back to Jail
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6 comments:
He did commit assault right? He is on probation right? So in most parts of the US committing assault does break probation and get you sent back to jail. I'm all for this being dealt with fairly and not exagrated but fairly means with an even hand. No one argues he physically assaulted someone, and no one is argueing he shouldn't have been on probation, so combining those two means it is fair he be sent back for this offense.
IF THE REV. AL THINKS THIS IS A DIRECT result of the Jena 6 ralley then it is up to the parents of mychal bell to sue Rev Al for organinizing and bringing all those people to Jena. It's his fault and he needs to belly up to the Barr and pay for all these fees/fines and the like...
The law in that state does not allow a hate crime to be a crime on itself, it's an aggrevating charge, but you cannot be charged for it on it self. This is related to the free speech right and requires careful deliberation.
The only unreasonable element in this case was that the kid was charged as an adult. 2nd degree murder though is a charge that is defined by the intnetion to cause grievous physical harm (not per se having to cause death, literally a drop of blood is sufficient). The appeal though overturned this and required him to be sentenced as a minor. Case closed, in my opinion. Let's be aware of more serious and obvious incidents of racial bias. The kid who was beaten and kicked while unconscious in this case should also be considered.
Fairness would require both of whites and non-whites to judge with an open mind.
this kid is a bad seed. put him away for life before you or your family become one of the victims. on only prejudice/racial people is Jackson and Sharpton. Those two should be charged with the hate crimes.
Let justice pervail. Just because Bell is black should there be another rally. I think everyone rallyed to defend a scourge merely because of his ethnicity. It looks like he's getting pretty good at assaults. Lets have another rally for the man just because he's black. Maybe he'll kill somebody next time.
Since I have worked in the court system for the last 15 years I know a little about the Criminal Justice System and M. Bell should have had a Violation of Probation placed in the court at the same time as his hearing. There is no way they should be addressing this now. It should have and could have been addressed then. This Judge is flexing his power as a Judge and he is dead wrong! Even with the violation what happen to Time Served. Come on people. Justice is not Blind this is truly a racist move by that judge.
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