Jena Six update: Mychal Bell’s conviction overturned!

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

Great news in the Jena Six case! From The Associated Press:

A Louisiana appeals court yesterday overturned the aggravated-battery conviction of a black high school student who was found guilty of attacking a white classmate after a racial incident that raised tensions in their small town.

The state’s 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that Mychal Bell, 17, should not have been tried as an adult by LaSalle Parish District Attorney J. Reed Walters, and that the trial judge erred in allowing Bell to be tried as an adult on charges of aggravated second-degree battery. Under Louisiana law, teenagers can be tried as adults for certain violent crimes but not battery, the court said.

Bell, who was 16 at the time of the incident, awaited sentencing on Sept. 20 in a case that drew nationwide attention because of the severity of the charges that had been filed against him and five other youths involved in a schoolyard fight. He faced 15 years in jail.

But civil rights leaders will continue to focus on Jena. From The Chicago Tribune:

Black community leaders in Chicago on Saturday sought to keep the spotlight on the racially charged “Jena 6″ case in Louisiana a day after a state appeals court there threw out a felony conviction against one of the teen defendants.

Both Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton pledged to continue plans for a demonstration in Jena, La., on Thursday, arguing the overturned battery conviction against Mychal Bell, 17, did not diminish the racial injustice of a case that drew national attention when Bell and five other black teenagers were charged with attempted murder for beating a white teen and leaving him unconscious.

Thanks to Andre and dnA for the heads-up! And if you’re not familiar with this case, check out this excellent video that sums it all up.