Charges reduced on two of the Jena Six defendants

It was approximately one year ago when school opened in Jena, Louisiana and an incident occurred that sparked a series of escalating conflicts between black and white students. The result left six black students charged with attempted murder and the rural Louisiana community polarized along racial lines.

Last fall black students wanted to sit under the only shade tree in the schoolyard. The problem was the tree was traditionally the gathering place for white students only. Nooses were hung from the tree as a reminder (if not a threat) to the black students of earlier days of lynching in the South. The white students responsible were given an in-school suspension but fights broke out in the coming weeks culminating in six black students charged with attempted murder. Despite the ongoing conflict between blacks and whites, the response of the law enforcement authorities came down only on the black students.

In July, one of the defendants had his charge reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and was convicted by an all white jury when his legal counsel failed to provide a defense. He is now represented by a new team of lawyers but faces up to 22 years in prison if the conviction is upheld.

Yesterday, the prosecution reduced the attempted murder charges on two more defendants. This is from the Associated Press this morning:

Prosecutors on Tuesday reduced the attempted murder charges against two more teenagers among the "Jena Six," a group of black high school students who were arrested following an attack on a white schoolmate.

Five of the teens were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, carrying sentences of up to 80 years in prison. The sixth faces undisclosed juvenile charges.

Civil rights advocates have decried the charges as unfairly harsh.

On Tuesday, charges against Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. That same reduction was made earlier for Mychal Bell, who was tried and found guilty and could be sentenced to 22 1/2 years at a hearing Sept. 20.

Also awaiting trial are Robert Bailey Jr. and Bryant Purvis, who still face attempted murder charges, and the unidentified juvenile.

The attack on Justin Barker, 18, came amid tense race relations in Jena, a mostly white town of 3,000 in north-central Louisiana where racial tensions have grown since incidents that started last school year at Jena High. After a black student sat under a tree on the school campus where white students traditionally congregated, three nooses were hung in the tree.

Students accused of placing the nooses were suspended from school for a short period.

The six black students were accused of beating and kicking Barker on Dec. 4. A motive for the attack was never established. Barker was treated at a hospital emergency room and released after about three hours.

Shaw's attorney, George Tucker, said Tuesday that he still doesn't believe his client will get a fair trial in Jena.

Shaw himself has dreams of attending Gramling State University. "Just drop all the charges and let us go on with our lives," the teenager told CNN Tuesday.

Previous posts on this case can be read here and here. CenLamar has a summary of links and sources on the Jena Six up through early August. Today’s London Times has an article about the case here. CNN has an update today on the story here.