All-white jury to hear racial fight (black attack) case in Louisiana

No hate crime charges? Charges reduced? Open season on Whites? This took place at a school? I'm glad I do not attend school this day and age. Blacks "only" 12% of the population? Studies have proven it's takes less that that to ruin a community. Some indicate a 5% black population and the area can be and sometimes is unlivable. Look at areas that have allowed the feds to construct just one HUD apartment complex, as soon as the complex was completed and filled-up with rapist, murderers, dope peddlers and armed robbers, the community was no longer safe. America: Continues her downhill slide, complete with a news media that minimizes the damages done.

JENA, La. (AP) - An all-white jury was seated Tuesday to hear the case against the first of the "Jena Six" - a group of black youths accused of beating a white fellow student amid racial discord at a central Louisiana high school.

Five women and a man will hear opening arguments Wednesday morning at the courthouse in LaSalle Parish, where the black population is only about 12 percent.

"I'm sure I can get a fair trial," Blane Williams, defense lawyer for 17-year-old Mychale Bell said. "You can't tell me there aren't six people in this town who won't listen fairly and do the right thing. I think people have a tendency to do the right thing."

The approaching trial had led to allegations of racism from parents of the accused, who said the original charges - attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder - were out of proportion to the crime. The charges carry a combined sentence of 80 years.

However, prosecutors on Monday reduced the charges for Bell, the first of the teens to go on trial. He is now charged with aggravated second-degree battery, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years, and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery, which carries a maximum sentence of 7½ years.

It is unclear when or whether prosecutors intend to change charges for the other defendants - four still facing attempted murder and conspiracy charges, and a juvenile whose name and charges have not been made public. LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters has refused to publicly discuss the case.

Aggravated second-degree battery involves use of a dangerous weapon, according to state statutes.

"Well, anything is better than murder and a lifetime in prison," said John Jenkins, whose son, Carwin Jones, is among the charged. "But it's still strange. All of a sudden they're talking about a weapon. What weapon? We never heard anything about a weapon before."

But attorneys on both sides, during questioning of jurors, indicated prosecutors will try to say that something not usually thought of as a weapon - such as a ring or an ink pen - could be considered a dangerous weapon during a fight.

The racial tension began in late August in Jena - a central Louisiana town of 2,900 with about 350 black residents - after a black student sat under a tree traditionally used as a gathering spot by white students. The next month, three nooses were hanging in the tree when students arrived on campus.

"You didn't see the district attorney rush out to school to do anything about those nooses in the tree," said Caseptla Bailey, whose son, Robert Bailey Jr., also was charged in the beating.

"You don't see white kids who beat up black kids charged with attempted murder. There's nothing fair going on here."

The school's principal recommended the students who hung the nooses be expelled, but they served brief suspensions instead. On Dec. 4, Justin Barker, who is white, was attacked at school by a small group of black students. He was treated at a hospital.

"I saw him that night at school for the ring ceremony," Jenkins said. "I could tell he had been beat up, his face was bruised, but he was out and about, so he couldn't have been too bad."

David Barker, Justin's father, declined comment Tuesday during a break in the trial.

"There are two sides to every story. There are two sides to this one. But I just don't want to talk about our side now," he said.

Theodore Shaw also had been scheduled to go to trial this week, but his case was delayed. Trial dates for the others - Bryant Purvis, Bailey, Jones and the unidentified juvenile - have not been set.

Shaw and Bell have been held since their arrests, unable to post $90,000 bond.

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Charges Reduced for (black) Student in La. Fight (black attack)

Link One -- Link Two

"Colored" Folk, always at the forefront of controversy, always.