Jena Six Update: Defendants Await Court

By Valencia Mohammad
Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspapers

WASHINGTON (NNPA)—With all the focus primarily on Mychal Bell, one of the youth defendants in the Jena 6 case, many people around the country wonder what has occurred with the remaining teens charged with aggravated second degree battery for beating a White teenager.
      Bell, the first defendant to be tried in court, received lots of international attention with high profile figures including the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King III, congressional and civil rights leaders leading the fray. Radio personalities Michael Baisden and Tom Joyner organized a successful march with 100,000 participants converging on the small town.
Now that Bell has been released and awaits future court appearances, the trials of the other defendants have come under the microscope.
      * Theodore Shaw—According to Robert McDuff, one of three legal representatives for Shaw, there will be a hearing on Nov. 7 and the trial begins on Jan. 28, 2008. Shaw has not received any education since he was expelled by the school board December 2006.
      * Ryan Simmons—has the least amount of charges, according to his attorney William Whatley. His family moved away from Jena, La. No trial date has been set.
    

      * Robert Bailey has more charges than any other defendant. According to his attorney Jim Boren, there will be a motion hearing on Nov. 7. Bailey is set for trial on Nov. 28.
The day after the rally his mother Caseptla Bailey said her son has not received any education since he was expelled. Several attempts to reinstate Bailey have failed. The family still lives in Jena, La.
      * Bryan Purvis has a hearing on Nov. 7. According to his mother Tina Jones, he has moved to another state. He attended private school last year. Purvis is attending public school this year.
      * Carwin Jones, the youngest member of the group has retained a team of attorneys.
Bell had faced 15 years in prison when his conviction was overturned by an appeals court which ruled the then 16-year-old should not have been tried as an adult. He remained in jail because his family was unable to come up with the $90,000 bond. But when the prosecutor, who originally charged Bell with attempted murder for beating the white youth, announced he would not challenge the appeals court decision, the bail was reduced to $45,000. 

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