Mychal Bell Out on Bail

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Mychal Bell FREE!

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sourced by Karen Hatter

After the Louisiana Supreme Court vacated his conviction on September 14, 2007 and being held for thirteen days in what could be called prosecutorial limbo, Mychal Bell was released on $45,000 bail yesterday evening, September 27.

Mychal Bell, along with five other Black students, all known collectively as the Jena 6, has been charged in the beating of a White student. Reed Walters, the Jena, Louisiana prosecutor, who has held that position for 17 years, had initially charged all of the Black youths with attempted murder, naming their sneakers as weapons.

The victim of the beating was taken to a hospital and released a short time later, well enough to attend a school function.

Earlier, on the day of Mychal Bell's release, the Jena, Louisiana prosecutor held a press conference in a Jena courtroom. He stated that upon conferring with Justin Barker, the victim of the beating, his parents and experts, he decided to file charges against Mychal Bell as a juvenile in juvenile court.

When asked about the noose incident that has been named as contributing to the racial tensions that caused flare ups and fights at Jena High School for months after the three nooses were hung in September 2006 from the schoolyard tree, known as the 'white tree', he said upon doing a "thorough investigation", he found no connection to the nooses incident and the schoolyard fight that resulted in the Jena 6 being charged.

He was asked, since he said he had conducted a "thorough investigation" into the noose incident, what were the reasons the nooses were hung? He said he didn't research the reasons for the nooses being hung because there was no law against hanging them.

The events in Jena, Louisiana brought tens of thousands to the town of approximately 3,000, with the Black residents numbering around 350, for a march and rally in support of the Jena 6, on September 20, for what many believe to be unequal treatment being doled out along racial lines.

On the day of the march and rally, a neo Nazi web site posted the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Jena 6 and their families, directing the readers at the site to "Lynch the Jena 6" if charges are dropped or the six Black youth are acquitted of the charges. Since the posting, the families have been receiving phone threats. The FBI has said it is investigating the neo Nazi activist and the web site for possible civil rights violations.

Governor Kathleen Blanco, governor of Louisiana, has ordered the state police to provide protection for the Jena 6 and their families.

Mychal Bell, having been arraigned in juvenile court, on the charges of second degree aggravated assault and a conspiracy charge, if convicted, could be incarcerated until he reaches the age of 21.

Mychal Bell's appearance in juvenile court, to begin proceedings in that jurisdiction, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 2, 2007.