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****What Can I Do To Help****

**LATEST JENA 6 NEWS YOU CAN STILL HELP** Many ask how can they help with the Jena 6 case I have put together some ways you can help..it's the latest news and ways you can help stop the racism..We need you to stand up!! Even $5.00 Will Help!!Donate online to the: Jena 6 Defense Fund or mail donations to. Jena 6 Defense Committee, P. O. Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342 Advocate in your community: Mobilize your community and local government to have a voice and unite on equality within the United States criminal justice system.Send a letter to the Louisiana Governor and the Louisiana Attorney General: Urge your local officials to investigate this matter to ensure that these young men’s constitutional rights are safeguarded.Register to vote: Make your vote count.Join the NAACP: Become a member of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization and help make a difference.DONATE HERE IT'S FAST AND SECURE PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!! PLEASE HELP!! PLEASE HELP EVEN $1 DOLLAR ADD'S UP!!

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Jena Defence

Louisiana Earns Dubious Distinction



Louisiana incarcerates more of its residents than any other state in the nation
. Here are the top three:

1. Louisiana (791)

2. Texas (691)

3. Mississippi (660)

Lowest three states:

1. Maine (144)

2. Minnesota (180)

3. Rhode Island (189)

(Note: The national average incarceration rate is 491 per 100,000 residents.)
From:
To:
Departing:
Returning:
Adults (18-64)

What Is The Jena 6

A little background for those that do not know, the Jena 6 are six Black students who face the possibility of going to prison for very long time, all because of a schoolyard fight. Almost a year ago, in the small town of Jena, Louisiana a group of Black students sat under a “whites-only” tree in the schoolyard. Yes they still have them.

Apparently, this upset some of the white students so much that the next day they put up nooses hanging from the tree. Soon after the nooses were hung, most of the 93 Black students (out of a total student enrollment of 546) at Jena High School stood together under the tree, in a courageous act of protest.

It wasn't long after this that a a school assembly was called, where a white district attorney told the Black students to just keep their mouths shut about the nooses. He told them if he heard anything else about it, he “can make their lives go away with the stroke of his pen.”

This eventually led to a fight that sent one white student to the hospital and six Black students to jail and that’s when all the comotion and eventual hell broke loose.

The Jena 6 are Robert Bailey (17), Theo Shaw (17), Carwin Jones (18), Bryant Purvis (17), Mychal Bell (16) and an unidentified minor. All were expelled from school, arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder. Bail was set so high starting at $70,000 and going as high as$138,000 that the they were left in prison for months as families went deep into debt to release them.

Here at Jena-6 .blogspot we will devote this entire site to the Jena 6 story. It is said to be covered by Oprah soon, only time will tell. We will keep you up to date on that as well.

Jena 6 Race Factor

Jena 6 Race Factor

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For more widgets please visit www.yourminis.com

Monday, October 15, 2007

Latest Jena 6 Comment From A Mother Of 5

Mychal Bell has served enough time in jail for him and the other young men. Now they have come up with something else to have him behind bars.Why not give him time served? It's okay for them to charge him and the others young men as adults, but not okay for him to get time served for all of his crimes. The DA said he couldn't find charges to charges the boys who hung the nooses, well why not make up charges just like he did for the Jena Six. I'm not in no way shape or form excusing what happened,but if you're going to punish people punish everyone invlved and not make excuses why the Jena Six were accused and the white boys weren't. I'm just a concern parent of 5 beautiful children and in this day and age it's ridiculous to have this kind of stuff going on especially sinc so many peole have sacrifice their lives for this same fight hundreds of years ago. God Bless The Jena Six Keep praying and know that all of you are in a lot of people prays and through God All Things Are Possible.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Latest Jena 6 News Mychal Bell Sentenced To 18 Months


Mychal Bell is back on jail after only two weeks of so called free- freedom, Mychal Bell is once again back behind Jena Louisiana Juvenile jail bars.

Bell, by far the most well-known of the "Jena Six," was taken back into custody Thursday after a juvenile court hearing in Jena, LA.


Mychal Bell, who is only 17,had been held in an adult detention facility for roughly 10 months awaiting trial and then sentencing after a June conviction in connection with the beating of a fellow student at Jena High School,the case then went on to make national headlines. He was had been free since being released on bond on Sept. 27. Not even 1 month ago, the latest news has infuriated the Rev.Al Sharpton, who calls this cruel and unusual punisment.


The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has supported the Jena Six and worked for Bell to be released on bond last month, issued this statement Thursday night:

"Tonight, Mychal Bell was placed by the same judge in Jena, Louisiana, in a secured juvenile facility for 18 months after convicting him for two prior pending cases.

"We feel this was a cruel and unusual punishment and is a revenge by this judge for the Jena Six movement. His parents must also pay all costs of the court and witness costs and will have to pay for him in the facility. It is belived that the National Action Network will financially support the parents through this unusual financial strain imposed upon them."

Sharpton then added:"I call upon the governor of Louisiana, who has the overseeing powers over the juvenile criminal justice system, to meet with us immediately intervene on this obviously biased decision by the same judge. I intend to raise this next Tuesday, October 16th, in the proceedings of the United States House Judiciary Committee Hearings on Jena in Washington, D.C."



There is litle being said about the Thursday juvenile hearing that lasted from 1 p.m. until just after 8 p.m. A gag order was issued earlier this month by 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray against Bell, his family and the attorneys involved, they have been prevented from talking to the press about the case, family has said.

It is unknown where Bell is being taken, but it is a juvenile facility.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Home Depot Workers Find Racial Slurs And A Noose Just The Latest Jena 6 News

A Home Depot, Noose, and a racist slur

Home Depot Construction workers in South Elgin report incident and previous symbol of hate.
South Elgin police are investigating a hate crime after a racial slur was painted on a work counter and a noose was found hanging from an exit at a Home Depot store under construction, authorities said today.

The store's general contractor called police Monday morning to report that someone had written a racial slur in white spray paint on a countertop, South Elgin Detective Sgt. Mike Doty said.

And the construction firm felt it also might be a good time to tell police that about a week ago, workers discovered a noose made out of foam hanging from an exit in the building's garden center, Doty said. The incident was not reported to police at the time.



"There's been nothing like this before since they have been building the Home Depot," Doty said. "Based on the noose and the word, we are investigating it under the form of a hate crime."

The store is expected to open next month. The vandalism is just one of several suspected hate crimes reported in recent weeks in the Chicago area.
On Monday, a Lombard woman awoke to find a racial slur spray-painted in large red letters on the aluminum siding of the house she rents in the 1000 block of Sheldon Way.

Officials say the cases are the latest in a series of racial incidents across the country in the aftermath of the Jena 6 case in Louisiana.

It is said that one of the construction workers who saw the noose did contact the NAACP and told the group he thought it was intended for an African-American co-worker, said Temi Latinwo-Jones, the chapter's president.

A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Home Depot said the home-improvement giant will also be investigating this latest case of Jena 6 hate crime.

"The Home Depot maintains a zero tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment," said spokeswoman Jennifer King in a written statement.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Jena 6 Latest News Comes From The Senate In The Form Of A Resolution

U.S. Senate passes Jena 6 resolution

In the wake of the "Jena Six" case, the U.S. Senate on Thusday unanimously agreed to legislation requiring the hiring of at least three new community conciliators for the Louisiana region.

Passed was an amendment introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, to the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill.

"The service waited too long to come to Jena," Landrieu said.

"By the time they set foot in Louisiana, attitudes had hardened and racial divisions had swelled," she said.

"The charges and counter-charges about the incidents in Jena LA. have torn apart a community and left many residents and frankly the whole world uneasy in Louisiana and across the nation. When a community is bitterly divided, the federal government has an obligation to get involved"

Jena 6 High School Burnt Down Just The Latest News In A Town Called Jena



In a town that has stayed in the headlines it seems they'll be there for a while longer.The latest jena 6 headlines it seems that someone decided to burn the jena 6 highschool down.The pictures are of A fireman as he looks at a crack on the back wall of Jena High School. The crack means the building has been damaged structurally and will soon collapse.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Jena 6 Headlines Your Help Is Needed PLease Dont Turn Your Back




**LATEST JENA 6 NEWS YOU CAN STILL HELP** Many ask how can they help with the Jena 6 case
I have put together some ways you can help..it's the latest news and ways you can help stop the racism..We need you to stand up!! Even $5.00 Will Help!!


AT THE TOP OF OUR PAGE IS A PAY PAL BUTTON ALL FUNDS WILL GO TO JENA DEFENCE
Donate online to the: Jena 6 Defense Fund or mail donations to. Jena 6 Defense Committee, P. O. Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342

Advocate in your community: Mobilize your community and local government to have a voice and unite on equality within the United States criminal justice system.Send a letter to the Louisiana Governor and the Louisiana Attorney General: Urge your local officials to investigate this matter to ensure that these young men’s constitutional rights are safeguarded.

Register to vote: Make your vote count.

Join the NAACP: Become a member of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization and help make a difference.

DONATE HERE IT'S FAST AND SECURE PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!!

Latest Jena 6 News David Banner Takes His Cause To The Radio


The hip-hop community has been more vocal about the Jena Six case, from its stars to its blogs, which have posted frequent updates about the teens’ fate.

The always outspoken Mississippi rapper David Banner wasn’t at last month’s protest —instead, he went on a radio tour to promote his album so he could let listeners know about the case.



If you wondered why he said “I thought it would have been more powerful for me to get on the radio and talk about it, and drive people there and let people know what’s going on than actually being there,” said Banner. “We wanna be there to show face, but if you’re actually more powerful at the capacity that you are, then you should do what you do.”

Banner says he became involved because “it’s so close to home.

“No. 2, there’s a Jena Six that goes on in Mississippi every month — or every two months,” he continued. “See that’s the thing. America has a tendency to try to make things — single out things — as if this is a one-time occurrence. ... We have to stop acting like stuff don’t exist.”

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Another March For The Jena 6 Todays Latest Jena News


Protest at Justice Dept Jena Six Latest March

Protesters chanting "No justice, no peace" gathered outside the Justice Department on Wendsday to demand that federal authorities investigate the "Jena 6" case.

"We're here today in solidarity with the Jena 6," shouted Howard University senior Eugene Puryear, the organizer of the event. "All charges should be dropped and the Jena Six should be free."

The event, sponsored was by the ANSWER Coalition,The confrontation followed months of escalating racial tensions touched off when three white students hung nooses from a tree on school grounds.

Protesters lifting their neon signs high, formed a rotating circle along the shady sidewalk in front of the Justice Department as some drivers in rush hour traffic honked in support.

Falcons Want There Money Back Vick Lawyers In Court For State Charges

The Atlanta Falcons wants a refund on the $22 million in bonus money paid to quarterback Michael Vick.

"I don't expect it will go beyond a day," said University of Pennsylvania law professor Stephen B. Burbank, the special master who will serve as arbitrator of the hearing at the law school.


Attorneys representing the NFL Players Association will argue against the Falcons' claim.

The team is expected to contend that Vick knew he was in violation of the contract when he signed the $130 million deal in December 2004, and that he used proceeds from the deal to fund his dogfighting operation.

"I think clearly it's a reach on the part of the Falcons," said Jerry Reisman, a contract and business attorney based in Garden City, N.Y. "I think Vick earned that money. He received the roster bonus given out if you are on a roster at any point. He was on the roster in 2004 and earned the money."

Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, bonus money earned cannot be returned.

Also Wednesday, Vick's attorney appeared in Surry County (Va.) Circuit Court and was asked to return Nov. 27 to set a trial date on state charges. The attorney, Larry Woodward, told the judge he would be in touch with the prosecutor. It's possible Vick might agree to a plea deal or his attorneys could file a motion to toss the charges.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Jena 6 News And Latest Facts The Mother Of Mychal Speeks


After nine months behind bars, the 17-year-old Mychal Bell,was released on bail last week. Essence.com caught up with Melissa Bell to learn how her son is coping, what they both have taken from this experience and why their battle is far from over. Read The Whole Interview Here

Mychal Bell Goes To Court And No One Shows Up


JENA, La. — No media and no supporters greeted Mychal Bell this time as Mychal heads into court on Tuesday.

There were no details of why Bell was in court since his case now is being handled in juvenile court and is not open to the public.

"I can't tell you about what just happened or what is next," said Louis Scott, one of Bell's attorneys, as he left the building. We will keep you up to
date with the latest on the case.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Exclusive Photos The Jena 6 Latest News




A group of white Louisiana college students dressed in blackface and reenacted the "Jena 6" assault while a friend snapped photos the staged attack, images that were later posted to one of the participant's Facebook page. The photos, which you'll find here ,were taken late last month on the bank of the Ouachita River, where students from the University of Louisiana at Monroe giddily acted out the racial attack. The photos were posted to the Facebook page of Kristy Smith, a freshman nursing student. The album of images was entitled "The Jena 6 on the River." ,three students with mud smeared across their bodies stomp on a fourth student, while two of the participants are heard to say, "Jena 6." One man can also be heard saying, "Niggers put the noose on." After the video and photos on Smith's page were discovered by fellow students, she removed the material and made her Facebook page private. Smith, who did not respond to a e-mail sent to her school address, apologized for the images in several recent Facebook postings. "We were just playin n the mud and it got out of hand. I promise i'm not racist. i have just as many black friends as i do white. And i love them to death," she wrote.

See The Jena 6 Outrage Latest Video Shows Where The Money Went

See how the men in the jena 6 spent the money..the latest video from Jena 6 Is Just A shame, But not a big shocker

Monday, October 1, 2007

Investigation going on since noose was placed around a kindergartener's neck

GRAMBLING -- Grambling State University President Horace Judson said the school has begun a full investigation of facts surrounding a Sept. 20 incident at Grambling Lab's elementary school in which a noose was placed around a kindergartener's neck.

The same day that thousands of protestors marched in Jena, a mock rally of smaller scale took place at Alma J. Brown Elementary School, which is on the GSU campus and run by the university.

Judson said he will meet with officials from the elementary school and the GSU College of Education.

"Everyone wants answers, and I don't have them right now," he said Monday morning.

National attention is aimed at this university today with concerns about child safety following the incident in which teachers used a noose and other means because "the children asked questions" about the Jena Six incident, said Justin LaGrande, a reporter at the GSU student newspaper.

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Saturday, September 29, 2007

DA In The Jena Six Case Denies The Protests And The Pressure Had Any Bearing On His Desion To Let Bell Go Free


District Attorney Reed Walters said if he had it all to do over again, he would do things differently. He would not change how he prosecuted the case; instead, he would change how he communicated the case. He’s been true to his word. In the past week he’s held two news conferences and written an Op-Ed spot for the New York Times.

Walters denies the protests and the pressure have had any bearing on his actions. No one in town or elsewhere believes him.

This story has grown beyond Jena in many minds. Sometimes the facts seem to just get in the way. Jesse Jackson said all charges should be dropped against Bell and the other members of the "Jena 6." But there was a crime. Classmate Justin Barker was beat up by a group of youths last December at the high school. And it was not just a schoolyard fight. Barker was blindsided with the first punch as he stepped out the door. As he fell he struck his head. He was defenseless as he was repeatedly punched and kicked while he lay unconscious.

Should Jena ignore this crime for the greater good? Ignore it like authorities allegedly ignored white-on-black incidents in the town? Perhaps Bell, who some say wasn't even part of the assault on Barker, should use the line some fostered in the high school after nooses appeared in a tree on campus, that it was "just a prank."

Heres A Scarry Reality Theres A Morgue Trailer AwaitIng The Next Hurricane

Morgue's new trailer awaits next hurricane



HOUMA, La. -- At Bayou Terrebonne and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a long, white trailer overlooks the downtown Houma marina.

The trailer has been empty nearly two years, but the flip of a switch from a morgue employee can have it roaring to life, its refrigerator dropping the temperature inside in preparation for a new spate of bodies.

Bought by the Federal Emergency Management Agency during 2005's hurricanes, the trailer stored the overflow of bodies from nursing homes in parishes stricken more severely than Terrebonne, said Greg Whitney, an investigator for the parish Coroner's Office.

FEMA gave 200 of its distinctive blue body bags to the parish. The bags are stripped down for emergency use - no handles, for example - but are still high quality, Whitney said.

When the state set up its temporary morgue in St. Gabriel, it used trailers similar to the one that remains in Terrebonne for storage. Since the crisis passed, however, Terrebonne's morgue trailer has not been used. Though it's the same model used by any company that ships refrigerated goods, no one else wants it, Whitney said, for a simple reason: It had bodies in it.

Now, the onsite trailer is kept as a precaution. In the wake of a deadly 2005 storm season, and in the midst of another one that has already produced two Category 5 storms, officials are hanging on to it, just in case.

A morgue trailer may conjure images in the CSI-trained mind of gleaming surfaces and precision instruments, but Terrebonne's offers no such glamour. It's a large, completely empty box that can get quite cold.

"It's as plain as plain can get," Whitney said.

The trailer's main asset is its size. The Terrebonne Parish Morgue has space for 10 bodies, and only eight at present, because of problems with two units - and that's the biggest game in town. The Lafourche morgue can hold three, Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center can hold two, and no one else - not even hospitals or funeral homes - has any storage at all, Whitney said.

By contrast, the 47-foot trailer can hold an estimated 60 to 80 bodies, if needed, Whitney said.

"We start looking around, where can we put the bodies?," Whitney said. "If it's natural deaths or whatever, you have to have some sort of contingency plan."

It also has another design asset - stainless steel floors, which are remarkably easy to clean. The large refrigerator unit up front can easily bring the temperature inside to 50 degrees or lower.

"The cooling unit brings it down enough, so that the bodies don't undergo any more deterioration," Whitney said. The body bags also help hold in the cool air. "The trick is to make sure the body doesn't start decaying."

The trailer wound up on waterfront property when the parish asked the Coroner's Office to move it off the parish yard for space reasons. The morgue was a decent choice because employees stop by regularly to make sure its cooling unit is in good working order. Plus, investigators are often called out at night, so they have ready access to the trailer if they need it.

People often ask what the trailer is for, Whitney said. The back doors, he said, are firmly locked if bodies are present.

"You get some weird people in this world," Whitney said.

Life in LA, Isnt't allways pretty,Jena 6 latest facts, news in and around Jena LA

Colorado students are going to walkout on monday- for the Jena 6

University of Colorado students organizing Jena Six walkoutBOULDER, Colo. — Some University of Colorado students are organizing a classroom walkout Monday to bring attention to the “Jena 6” case.

CU senior Jarvis Fuller, a member of CU’s Black Student Alliance, said the walkout was part of a national effort called for by rapper Mos Def to highlight the treatment of six black teenagers in the Louisiana town of Jena.



“This is a clear example that there’s a lot of inequality, a lot of injustice going on,” said Fuller, who learned about the effort in an e-mail from a friend on campus.

He said the 50 members of the BSA would participate in the walkout and wear green to represent liberation.

Sally Ho, a spokeswoman for the University of Colorado Student Union, said representatives of the student government would also join the walkout.

Jarvis said he would encourage more students to participate through e-mails and postings on Facebook, a popular social networking site.

Last week, thousands of protesters converged on Jena to rally against what they perceive as different standards of justice for blacks and whites.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Jesse Jackson Still Unhappy The Latest News On The Jena 6

Jesse Jackson Still Unhappy
Civil rights leaders who met Friday with top Justice Department officials
said they are discouraged that the department has not filed any civil rights actions in the racially charged "Jena 6" case.

"It was a very disappointing meeting," Rev. Jesse Jackson told reporters after he and other leaders emerged from talks with Rena Comisac, interim director of the Justice Department's civil rights division.

Jackson said the department was too slow to "enforce the law" against acts he considers hate crimes and threats of violence.

The meeting came a day after the district attorney in Jena, La., confirmed that he would no longer seek an adult trial for 17-year-old Mychal Bell, one of six black teens arrested for beating a white classmate. He still faces trial as a juvenile.

Vick has signed the summons to appear before a judge next week on state dogfighting charges

Michael Vick has signed a summons to appear before a Surry County judge next week on state dogfighting charges.

The Newport News native and three co-defendants are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Sussex County, the temporary location of the Surry court.

On Tuesday, the grand jury indicted Vick on two felony counts -- one of animal cruelty and another of dogfighting.


The six-member panel rejected eight counts of dog killing that were presented by Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter.

Vick pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges in August and awaits sentencing in December.

Meantime, Vick is facing more money issues.

As we reported First Source Bank of South Bend says in a federal lawsuit it suffered damages of at least $2 million because Vick and Divine Seven LLC of Atlanta refused to pay for the vehicles. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Last week, the Royal Bank of Canada sued Vick in federal court in Richmond for more than $2.3 million that it said he planned to use for real estate investments.

Mychal Bell Bailed Out By A Stranger


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — 17-year-old Mychal Bell, the center of a civil rights controversy in a small Louisiana town left jail, he had a stranger to thank.

Dr. Stephen Ayers, who lives about 135 miles away, said he felt compelled to help the family of Mychal Bell by posting the teen's bond and allowing him to go home for the first time in 10 months.

Bell is one of six black teenagers accused of beating a white classmate in the central Louisiana town of Jena, where more than 20,000 demonstrators gathered last week to protest what they perceive as differences in how black and white suspects are treated.

Ayers, 42, of Lake Charles in southwestern Louisiana, said Friday that he isn't politically active and isn't usually one to "get into things like this." But then a patient whose feet hurt after the march gave him a report on the event, in which Ayers did not participate.

"I was concerned about what was going on up there and thought the district attorney was a bit harsh in his treatment of Mr. Bell," said Ayers, who is black but added that his race was not his motivation. "I really thought it was overkill."

Bell was released from custody Thursday on $45,000 bail after District Attorney Reed Walters announced that he would abandon adult charges against him. Ayers posted $5,400, the required 12 percent bond set by a judge Thursday.

Mike Vick In The News Again This Time Its A Good Thing


Drawing of Lane Stadium signed by Mike Vick,And 7 other Hokies Will Be auctioned
A drawing of Lane Stadium signed by Michael Vick and seven other Virginia Tech football stars will be auctioned Saturday with proceeds going to the fund set up in the wake of the mass killings at Virginia Tech in April. Brian Hart went to work on the piece after a student gunman killed 32 people and committed suicide April 16 on the Blacksburg campus. He spent two months this summer tracking down eight of the nine former players whose names adorn Lane Stadium's banners that honor its greatest players, with the exception of the late Frank Loria.

"Like a lot of people--most people--I wanted to do something to give, do something to help" in the wake of the massacre, Hart said.



Hart, 43, visited Vick's Hampton Roads home to get the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's signature early this summer, weeks before dogfighting charges placed Vick in the national spotlight.

Since then, Vick has pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge, been indicted on state charges related to dogfighting and has been suspended indefinitely without pay from the Falcons. On Wednesday, a federal judge tightened restrictions on Vick after he tested positive for marijuana, a violation of the conditions of his release as he awaits sentencing on the federal conviction.

When Hart saw Vick, he said the quarterback was looking forward to the season staring and hoping to lead the Falcons to the Super Bowl. Hart said Vick was eager to help his alma mater.

"It has to have Michael Vick's autograph on there," Hart said "It's be incomplete without it."


To bid online: www.buycollegeart.com

Bank Sues Falcons Quarterback Mike Vick It's Just The Latest News

South Bend bank sues Falcons quarterback Vick
Fri. September 28 - 2007


Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty last month to federal dog fighting charges, has been sued by 1st Source Bank in South Bend over claims that his company hasn't repaid more than $2 million in loans.

The loans to Divine Seven LLC, a Georgia company, were made to finance vehicles for a car rental firm in the Atlanta area, according to the South Bend Tribune. Loan documents list Vick as the chief financial officer of Divine Seven.

The suit was filed Sept. 26 in U.S. District Court in South Bend. 1st Source finances car rental agencies around the country.

A judge has ordered Vick to be confined to his Hampton, Va., home after Vick tested positive for marijuana this month.

Attorney Reed Walters said he considered when deciding not to appeal said he decidied not to appeal


JENA -- The best interests of Justin Barker, the victim in the highly publicized "Jena Six" case, were what LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters said he considered when deciding not to appeal the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal's decision to overturn Mychal Bell's adult conviction, sending it back to juvenile court.

"This decision comes after thoroughly reviewing the facts and researching the law in this area, as well as consulting with some of the best legal minds that I know of in this state," Walters said. "While I believe that a review would have merit in a very unsettled area of the law, I also believe it is in the best interest of the victim and his family not to delay this matter further and to move it toward a conclusion."

The Jena 6 Case Has Obama, Clinton battling for black votes


The Jena 6 Case Has Obama, Clinton battling for black votes in Congress


WASHINGTON -- The Democratic Party's leading presidential candidates get a chance today to reach out to the nation's top African-American policymakers and legislators, but one who is already a member of the Congressional Black Caucus may need the opportunity most.

National polls of black Democrats suggest a near-even split between Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a trend pundits said Obama must improve upon to win the party's nomination.Taking a side on the Jena six case may just be the leverage one candidate may need.




Strictly speaking, Obama's speech today on climate change at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference isn't a campaign event. He should rally behing the jena 6 case and ride it all the way to washington. But coming the same day that the CBC's chair, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Michigan Democrat from Detroit, is holding a public dialogue with Clinton, it could help some in the crowd decide who they'll support.

"Every opportunity matters," said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. "The more African Americans get comfortable with Obama's campaign, the better off he is."

Mychal Bell The Jena 6 Defendant Released On US$45,000 Bail Get The Latest News


Jena 6 defendant released on US$45,000 bail
JENA, La. -- A black teenager whose prosecution in the beating of a white classmate prompted a massive civil rights protest here walked out of a courthouse Thursday after a judge ordered him freed.

Mychal Bell's release on $45,000 bail came hours after a prosecutor confirmed he would no longer seek an adult trial for the 17-year-old. Bell, one of the teenagers known as the Jena Six, still faces trial as a juvenile in the December beating in this small central Louisiana town.


"We still have mountains to climb, but at least this is closer to an even playing field," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who helped organize last week's protest.


"He goes home because a lot of people left their home and stood up for him," Sharpton said as Bell stood smiling next to him.

Mychal Bell Goes Free, Judge Free's Mychal Bell The Latest Jena 6 News


Mychal Bell, a black teenager accused of beating a white classmate and who was the last of the "Jena 6" behind bars, was released from custody Thursday after a juvenile court judge set his bail at $45,000.


Bell's release followed an announcement from LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters, who said he would not appeal a higher court's decision moving Bell's case to juvenile court.

Wearing a blue striped golf shirt and jeans, Bell walked out of the LaSalle Parish courthouse a week after an estimated 15,000-plus demonstrators marched through Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- to protest local authorities' handling of the teens' case.

"We do not condone violence of any kind, but we ask that people be given a fair and even chance at the bar of justice," the Rev. Al Sharpton said outside the courthouse.

"Tonight, Mychal can go home, but Mychal is not out of the juvenile process. He goes home because a lot of people left their home and stood up for him," he said.

"Let America know -- we are not fighting for the right to fight in school. We're not fighting for the right for kids to beat each other. We're fighting to say that there must be one level of justice for everybody. And you cannot have adult attempted murder for some, and a fine for others, and call that equal protection under the law. Two wrongs don't make one civil right."

Demonstrators at last week's march were protesting how authorities handled the cases of Bell and five other teens accused of beating fellow student Justin Barker.

Many said they were angry that the students, dubbed the Jena 6, were being treated more harshly than three white students who hung nooses from an oak tree on Jena High School property.
The white students were suspended from school but did not face criminal charges. The protesters said they should have been charged with a hate crime.

Bell's attorney Lewis Scott said the teen was moved from jail to a juvenile facility earlier Thursday.

Walters said his decision not to appeal was based on what he believed was best for the victim in the case.

"While I believe that a review would have merit ... I believe it is in the best interest of the victim and his family not to delay this matter any further and move it to its conclusion," Walters told reporters. Watch the Rev. Al Sharpton discuss the teen's release »

He said last week's march, which included Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, did not influence his decision.

Bell, now 17, was the only one of the Jena 6 behind bars. His bond previously was set at $90,000.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

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Latest Jena 6 News Black Pantheres Are Now Involved


The Latest Jena News, "Black Panthers say they are going to patrol Jena, LA."


Members of the New Black Panther Party plan to patrol the streets of Jena to protect the "Jena Six" and their families following threats by white supremacists.

But local law enforcement officials said they have not seen any party members on patrol.



In an announcement on its Web site, the party claims that Jena police and the LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Office "announced that they would not provide protection for the families of the Jena 6 under threat."

LaSalle Parish Sheriff Carl Smith said Wednesday that is not true.
He said his department has additional officers on duty and is receiving assistance from federal officers and the Louisiana State Police.

Also on Wednesday, LaSalle Parish School Superintendent Roy Breithaupt held a press conference to clarify information circulating about the Jena Six case.

In August 2006, when nooses were hung from a tree at Jena High School, then-Principal Scott Windham called for an expulsion committee to investigate, Breithaupt said.

The investigation showed that the three students involved had no history of behavior problems and had never "demonstrated an inclination toward violence or to do physical harm to anyone," no physical injury resulted, and no violent act was intended when the nooses were hung, Breithaupt said in a press release.

"In deciding the consequences for the students' behavior, the committee determined that expulsion was not appropriate," he said in the release.

The boys involved were sent to alternative school for nine days, served a two-week, in-school suspension, had Saturday detentions, had to attend Discipline Court, were referred to Families in Need of Services and had an evaluation before returning to school as part of the district's Crises Management Policy Procedures.

In the December 2006 incident in which Jena High School student Justin Barker was attacked at school, allegedly by the Jena Six defendants, it was not a "schoolyard fight," Breithaupt said.

"It was a premeditated ambush and attack by six students against one," the superintendent said in a press release. "The victim attacked was beaten and kicked into a state of bloody unconsciousness."

An expulsion committee investigated the attack, and expulsion was recommended. Four students appealed the decision. The expulsions were upheld by the LaSalle Parish School Board after a hearing.

Breithaupt said the expelled students were told they could continue their education in an alternative setting.

"I continue to firmly stand behind the actions of the LaSalle Parish school system in regard to these incidents," Breithaupt said.

Threats made against all parties in the Jena Six case remain under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state and local officials.

Tina Jones, mother of Jena Six member Bryant Purvis, said Wednesday that she had received several threatening telephone calls since information about her was posted on the Internet. The personal information of the Jena Six families was placed on a white supremacist Web site.

"One called the house and said he was KKK and said he was on the way to Jena to come for my son," Jones said.

Jones said other Jena Six family members had also received threatening calls and letters, which have been given to the FBI.

A meeting between Jena Six family members and about seven representatives from the New Black Panther Party took place Sunday in Jena to discuss protection, Jones said. Exactly how the New Black Panthers would provide protection wasn't discussed, she said.

"They just said they would assist with protecting the families," she said.

Catrina Wallace, local NAACP member and relative of one of the Jena Six defendants, said she arranged Sunday's meeting.

In a press release posted on the party's site, Malik Shabazz, leader of the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense, said members would begin this week to patrol the streets of Jena to protect not only the Jena Six families but all black residents "against open and imminent threats from Ku Klux Klan and other White supremacists advocating violence."

The party is forming a committee called The Security and Protection Committee of the Jena 6 that would involve organizations and volunteers from across the nation.

Among the organizations noted to be a part of the committee were the Millions More Movement and the Black Muslims in addition to the New Black Panther Party. "The coalition will coordinate and lead an all-volunteer effort that will man shifts and provide personal security for the Jena Six families as well as local residents under the threat of Klan intimidation in the wake of the successful September 20th mass demonstration in Jena and around the U.S.," the release states.

The release says security will be provided for the upcoming months.

"This threat is real," the release states. "The September 20th demonstration, which we aided in organizing, has created a resentment and backlash in certain quarters of Jena's white community. In the spirit of the Deacons of Defense, we intend to exercise our full range of legal rights of defense and protection to ensure that this very real threat of violence is neutralized."

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Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Latest Rullings In The Jena Case


BATON ROUGE -- District Attorney Reed Walters has agreed that Mychal Bell, one of the group of teenagers labeled the "Jena Six", be tried as a juvenile, Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced.

At a press conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, Blanco said Walters has decided to drop his appeal of court decision that threw out Bell's conviction as an adult and said he should be tried in juvenile court. Bell and five other students are accused of beating a kicking a student


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Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco Says She Wont Challenge The Courts Rulling


BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Wednesday that the prosecutor in one of the so-called "Jena 6" cases has decided not to challenge an appellate ruling that sends the case to juvenile court.
LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters had earlier said he would appeal the state appeals court's decision that 17-year-old Mychal Bell's second-degree battery conviction be set aside. The court ruled that Bell could not be tried as an adult.

Blanco said she had spoken with Walters and asked him to reconsider pushing to keep the case in the adult courts system. She said Walters contacted her Wednesday to say he had decided not to appeal the ruling.

"I want to thank him for this decision he has made," Blanco said.

Bell, who remains behind bars, was one of six Jena High School teens arrested after a December attack on a white student, Justin Barker. Five of the six teens initially were charged with attempted second-degree murder, though charges for four of them, including Bell, were later reduced. One teen hasn't been arraigned, and the case of the sixth, handled as a juvenile, is sealed.


Blanco made her announcement at a news conference with activists Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton said he hopes a bond will be set low enough to allow for Bell's release, and he thanked Blanco for getting involved in the matter.

"I want to congratulate her for showing leadership," Sharpton said. "And I want to congratulate the district attorney for good judgment."

Blanco said Walters gave her permission to announce his decision, and that he planned to discuss his decision publicly on Thursday. A phone call placed at Walters' home went unanswered Wednesday.

The case brought more than 20,000 protesters to the central Louisiana town of Jena last week in a marched that harkened back to the demonstrations of the 1950s and '60s.

Critics accuse local officials of prosecuting blacks more harshly than whites. They note that no charges were filed against three white teens suspended from the high school for allegedly hanging nooses in a tree on campus — an incident that was followed by fights between blacks and whites, including the attack on Barker.

Walters has condemned the noose incident — calling it "abhorrent and stupid" in a New York Times op-ed piece Thursday — but said the act broke no Louisiana law.

In the article, Walters defended the aggravated second-degree battery counts most of those charged in the attack on Barker now face. He said Barker was "blindsided," knocked unconscious and kicked by at least six people, and would have faced "severe injury or death" had another student not intervened.

Jena Six KKK Tattoos The Latest Jena 6 News


Since the Jena 6 rally, copy cat young racist have been hanging nooses from trees at their schools in America. Young white men with KKK tattoos on their chest have been attempting to incite riots by displaying noosed ropes in front of Jena 6 protestors. Racist web sites have been trying to hype up the sleeping white racist in America.

The families of the boys accused of attempted murder in Jena are receiving endless death threats by phone. Why doesn’t the government use the Patriot Act and tap and trace the phones of these terrorist that are terrorizing these families? The government won’t do anything because government security systems aren’t meant to protect African Americans. If these systems were meant to help us, they would use these systems to defend us in times like these. I am sure that they are listening to the phone calls and they are keeping a log of who calls. They just aren’t doing anything to the callers because the terrorist neo-nazis and KKK members are keeping colored people ‘in their places’ like they have done since the end of the Civil War.

President Bush says that the government is monitoring the situation. The government monitored the slave trade. The government monitored the national distribution of drugs into the black community during the civil rights movement. The government monitored Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Now the president says that the FBI is monitoring the Jena 6 situation. What the government needs to do is stop the prosecutor in Jena. The government needs to free Genarlow Wilson.

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Mike Vick Fails Drug Test Could Go To Jail Sooner Than Thought


A federal judge has placed even tighter restrictions on Michael Vick Wednesday after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback tested positive for marijuana.

Because of the result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson placed special conditions on Vick’s release, including restricting him to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and ordering him to submit to random drug testing.

The urine sample was submitted Sept. 13, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

Vick, who has admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation on property he owns in Surry County in his written federal plea, is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10. He faces up to five years in prison.

Because Vick violated the conditions of his release, Hudson could take that into consideration during sentencing, said Linda Malone, a criminal procedure expert and Marshall-Wythe Foundation professor of law at the College of William and Mary.

“Every judge considers pretty seriously if they feel that the defendant has flaunted the conditions for release,” Malone said.

“It’s certainly not a smart thing to do.”
On Tuesday, Vick also was indicted on state charges of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.



The 27-year-old former Virginia Tech star was placed under pretrial release supervision by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal in July. The restrictions included refraining from use or unlawful possession of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances.

The random drug testing ordered Wednesday could include urine testing, the wearing of a sweat patch, a remote alcohol testing system or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing.

Hudson’s order also requires Vick to participate in inpatient or outpatient substance therapy and mental health counseling, if the pretrial services officer or supervising officer deem it appropriate. Vick must pay for the treatment.

Vick’s attorney, Billy Martin, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

In January, Vick was cleared by police of any wrongdoing after his water bottle was seized by security at Miami International Airport. Police said it smelled of marijuana and had a hidden compartment that contained a “small amount of dark particulate.”

Lab tests found no evidence of drugs, and Vick explained that he used the secret compartment to carry jewelry.

The federal dogfighting case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick’s cousin raided the property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.

Six weeks later, when the local investigation seemed to be dragging and a local search warrant was allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the first raid.



Vick had no prior criminal record, so monitoring is the next step for him, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Another failed drug test likely would land him in jail.

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Jena 6 Goes To Capital Hill On The Back Of Al Sharpton


Lawmakers Are Seeking The Release Of The Jena 6 Teen's
A lawmaker said Tuesday he will press the government for the release of a black teenager held in the "Jena 6" case that spurred one of the biggest civil-rights demonstrations in years. Other activists said they planned more protests if the teen is not immediately pardoned.

"Our first responsibility is to get young Mychal Bell out of prison," said Rep. John Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who said he will pressure the Justice Department to take a hard look at "the miscarriages of justice that have occurred in Jena, Louisiana."

Conyers spoke after he and several other black lawmakers met with Bell's parents.

Bell, now 17, was one of six teens arrested after a December attack on a white student, in the culmination of several fights between blacks and whites. Five of the six teens initially were charged with attempted second-degree murder, though charges for four of them have been reduced. One teen hasn't been arraigned, and the case of the sixth, handled as a juvenile, is sealed.

A state appeals court recently set aside the aggravated second-degree battery conviction against Bell, the only teen to be tried so far, saying he could not be tried as an adult.

Bell remains in jail pending a possible appeal by prosecutors, a situation that activist Rev. Al Sharpton hopes will be addressed in a scheduled meeting Wednesday with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

More than 20,000 people converged on the small town of Jena last week to protest the case, and Sharpton said those non-violent protests may increase if Bell is not released quickly.

"We started with a mass demonstration, and then next step would be non-violent civil disobedience," Sharpton said.

"We are not fighting for black kids that beat up white kids. We're talking about the disparity in how the law works," the New York-based activist said, adding that he still expects the local county prosecutor who brought the charges to be called to testify before Congress

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The Neo Nazi Websites Are Focus Of Threats There Latest Demonstrations Condemed


Rev. Jesse Jackson- Threats condemned

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who made one trip to Jena before the rally and also led one of the marches in Jena, has issued a statement condemning the threats and calling for swift action to take care of those responsible. He said the threats by "neo-Nazi white supremacy groups" need to be taken seriously, as they are "heavily armed and dangerous" and urged President George W. Bush to intervene.

"The demonstration shamed those with a conscience and roused those with hatred in their hearts," Jackson wrote on his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Web site. "Neo-Nazi Web pages have burned with vile denunciations of the Jena Six and the demonstrators. Last week, one page (www.overthrow.com), an expression of an extremist group that calls itself the American National Socialist Workers Party, chillingly published the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the families of the Jena Six. 'Get in touch,' the Web page threatened, 'And let them know justice is coming.'

"'If these n-----s are released or acquitted, we will find out where they live and make sure that white activists and white citizens in Louisiana know it,' ANSWP Commander Bill White stated today," Jackson wrote on his site Tuesday. "'We'll mail directions to their homes to every white man in Louisiana if we have to in order to find someone willing to deliver justice.' The defendants 'are much better off in the hands of the justice system than they are in the hands of the white citizenry of this nation,' ANSWP Commander Bill White stated. 'And we intend to make sure they know that.' Another White posting on the matter flatly threatened, 'Lynch the Jena 6.'

"'The best crowd control for such a situation would be a squad of men armed with full automatics and preferably a machine gun as well,' added another ranter posting on the neo-Nazi Vanguard News Network, a white supremacist Web forum," Jackson wrote.

Sharpton issued a statement over the weekend also imploring action be taken in regard to the threats.

Rev.Moran stressed that the LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Office, State Police and FBI have stepped up and provided the needed security for families.

"They have all offered total support making sure protection is there for families," he said. "They are doing a very good job."

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Rev Moran Representing The jena Six Families On DR Phil


'Get the word out'
Rev Moran on Tuesday afternoon was in a Texas airport awaiting a flight to Los Angeles for a filming of the "Dr. Phil" TV talk show, for which the Barker family also was expected to appear. None of the families or defendants were able to go, so Moran said he was appearing as a representative of the family.

"More or less, this is the first time we have been able to be together," he said of himself and the Barkers. "Hopefully, it will do a lot of good. We can put our differences on the table and (Phil McGraw) can show us how to diminish them."

Two of the defendants were scheduled to be among a panel Tuesday night at the national "Cradle to Prison Pipeline Summit" at Howard University, according to a news release from the school.

But Robert Bailey Jr. and Theo Shaw were unable to join the panel discussion on "Endangered Black Males: Racial Injustice and the Pipeline," as originally planned, Bailey's attorney, Jim Boren, said Tuesday afternoon. They didn't find out about the event until last week, and a motion to see if the boys could leave the state wasn't heard in time for them to leave, Boren said.

Boren confirmed the threats against Bailey and his mother, Caseptla Bailey, the once outspoken president of the LaSalle Parish chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. They've received several calls threatening their lives and take them seriously, Boren said.

And even though Boren receives 10 calls a day "from Oprah to NBC" asking for a statement from Robert Bailey, he said his client is going to refrain from any appearances.

"His previous lawyers thought it would be OK to talk to the media," Boren said. "But he has not since I've been involved in the case and won't."

Jones and Melissa Bell, Mychal Bell's mother, appeared earlier this week on "Larry King Live" on CNN. Now they are in Washington, D.C., with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

On Tuesday, the group met with U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to seek federal hearings and a federal intervention in not only their son's case but the threats all of the families have been receiving, a Sharpton spokeswoman said.

Tina Jones, the mother of Purvis, is also in Washington for meetings, Moran said.

"The families are staying busy with meetings trying to get the word out, figure out what the next step is," Moran said.

Threats Will Make Us Stronger-Jena 6 Latest Unite


We Wont Let The Threats don't deter Us 'Jena Six'

As the peaceful protesters left Jena, the threats began to pour in.

But even with those threats fresh on the minds of the "Jena Six" and their families, their activities, they say, are not going to stop.



"I don't think they are going to let the threats or anything get to them," said the Rev. B.L. Moran of Antioch Baptist Church in Jena, who said he keeps in constant contact with the families. "They are not letting (the threats) get in the way of what they are going to do."


Family members have been traveling all over the country for media and speaking appearances and meetings with civil rights and government officials.
The FBI has only said it is aware of allegations of various threats made against the Jena Six and those related to the case and that "we're looking into them," said Sheila Thorne, an agent in the FBI's New Orleans office.

Threats have been broadcast on Web pages and online radio shows against the six black teens known as the Jena Six, who have been charged in connection with the December attack on white student Justin Barker.

The teens all originally faced attempted murder charges, although charges against four of the five originally charged as adults have been reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit that crime. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard aren't known as juvenile proceedings aren't public. Bryant Purvis has not yet been arraigned.

Rallies held Thursday in Jena drew as many as 20,000 protesters, according to the State Police. The rallies were held to show support for all of the six teens, with extra emphasis placed on Mychal Bell -- the first defendant to have been tried and the only one who remains jailed without bond.

On June 28, Bell, who was 16 when arrested, was convicted by an all-white jury of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same.

The court had summoned 150 people for the jury pool, but only 50 showed up -- none of whom were black, court officials said.

On Sept. 4, 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. agreed with Bell's attorneys when they said Mauffray never had jurisdiction over the conspiracy charge and threw out that conviction. But he contended that he retained jurisdiction of the battery charge.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, however, ruled Sept. 14 that the "trial court erred in denying the defendant's motion" to vacate the adult battery conviction. The three-judge panel ruled that "jurisdiction remains exclusively in juvenile court" for that charge.

Bell's sentencing had been scheduled for this past Thursday before both of his convictions were vacated.

LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters has until Friday to decide if he will seek a higher opinion on the appeals court's decision.

This past Friday, bond was denied a second time for Bell, said his father, Marcus Jones. His attorneys weren't able to comment about the case because it is now a juvenile matter.

During an Aug. 24 bond hearing for Bell, Mauffray cited four previous juvenile adjudications for crimes of violence and Bell's being on probation as part of the reason for denying bond.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

As Reported Michael Vick Indicted On State Dogfighting Charges


Michael Vick now indicted on state dogfighting charges
QB already has pleaded guilty in federal case,and will be sentenced Dec. 10


SUSSEX, Va. - Michael Vick, already looking at a federal prison term for bankrolling a dogfighting operation in rural Virginia, now faces two state charges that could get him more prison time if he’s convicted.

After a Surry County grand jury indicted the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three co-defendants Tuesday, Vick’s lawyers indicated they will fight the state charges on the grounds that he can’t be convicted twice of the same crime.

The NFL star, scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10 after pleading guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, faces state charges of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison. Arraignments are set for Oct. 3.



The grand jury declined to indict the 27-year-old Vick and two co-defendants on eight additional counts of killing or causing to be killed a companion animal, felonies that would have exposed them to as many as 40 years in prison if convicted.

Vick defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement that the state counts concern “the same conduct covered by the federal indictment for which Mr. Vick has already accepted full responsibility.”

Martin said he will “aggressively protect his rights to ensure that he is not held accountable for the same conduct twice.”

Vick was convicted of a federal conspiracy count while the state indictment deals with the act of dog fighting, said Steven Benjamin, a Richmond defense lawyer who is not involved in the case. The prosecution will argue that’s enough of a difference to allow the charges to proceed, he said.

Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter had told The Associated Press on Monday night that he would seek indictments on different crimes than the ones Vick admitted to in federal court. He did not elaborate to reporters outside court Tuesday.

The charges are the first leveled against Vick in the county where he built a home that became the base of the dogfighting operation, where local investigators first uncovered evidence of the enterprise.

None of the defendants nor their lawyers were at the Sussex County courthouse, where the grand jury met because the courthouse in neighboring Surry County is closed for renovations.

Poindexter told reporters he was not disappointed the grand jury passed on the eight additional dog killing counts.

“I’m just glad to get this to the position where it is now and, one day in the not too distant future, we will be rid of these cases,” he said.



In a written statement, Poindexter and Sheriff Harold Brown attempted to diffuse in advance any suggestion that race influenced the grand jury. Brown, Poindexter and the four defendants are black, as are four of the six grand jurors.

“These are serious charges, and we can assure you that this grand jury was not driven by racial prejudice, their affection or lack of affection for professional athletes, or the influence of animal rights activists and the attendant publicity,” the statement said.

In pleading guilty to the federal charges last month, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight dogs, among other things. He faces up to five years in prison.

Vick’s co-defendants had pleaded guilty earlier and detailed Vick’s role in the grisly enterprise.

In the state case, co-defendant Purnell Peace was indicted on one count of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Quanis Phillips was indicted on one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting.

Tony Taylor, who left the enterprise several years ago and was the first to plead guilty, faces the most serious state charges — three counts of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting.



Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts said the team had no comments on the new charges.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick’s cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star’s property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.

Six weeks later, with the local investigation perceived to be dragging and a local search warrant allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own search warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the first raid.

Poindexter, widely criticized for the pace of the investigation, reacted angrily when the feds moved in, suggesting that Vick’s celebrity was a draw, or that their pursuit of the case could have racial overtones. He later eased off those comments, saying the sides would simply be pursuing parallel investigations.

Tshirt For The Jena Six Gets Girl In Trouble


Girl Wearing 'Jena 6' shirt Causes A Stir At Alta Loma High

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A group of Alta Loma High School students wearing "Free the Jena 6" T-shirts last week were asked to turn them inside out by school administrators citing safety concerns. Principal Jim Woolery said the decision was made during first period, and the shirts had not yet caused any kind of disturbance.

He said similar moves are made "any time there is a potential for disruption on campus in one way or another.

"We sat down on that day and met with each of those students, really for two hours, to discuss the issue, the shirts themselves," Woolery said Monday.

There were at least 15 students involved in the protest at Alta Loma High Thursday, some of whom had the phrase on their shirts. Their efforts coincided with one in Jena, La., where tens of thousands of marchers crowded the streets to protest what they consider unfair treatment of six black Jena High School teens accused of assaulting a white classmate.

Five of the Jena teens were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder - charges that have been reduced for four of them. The sixth was booked as a juvenile and the charges are sealed.

The treatment of the Jena teens sparked concerns that the charges
were initially more serious because the students are black.
First Amendment advocates were critical of the Alta Loma High administration's decision to have the students hide the political message on their shirts.

Peter Bibring, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said a potential for disruption is not enough for a school to prohibit students' political speech - there must be an "imminent threat" of violence.

Students' rights to political speech can only be restricted if the message on their apparel constitutes "a clear and present danger to the life, safety, or health of pupils or school personnel," according to the state Education Code.

"If we were talking about a school in Jena, there might be some justification because, after all, the whole thing started with some fights at school," said Terry Francke, general counsel for Californians Aware.

"But that's not the case here," he continued. "It's simply a national issue that some students were taking sides on. And that can never be enough for suppressing what they say."

Students interviewed at the school Monday were equally critical of the school's actions.

"I don't think that's right, because they say we have freedom of speech rights," said Briana Martinez, a senior at the school.

Nicole Flanagin, a senior, said: "They need to stand up for what they believe in - they were just T-shirts."
As a compromise, Alta Loma High officials agreed to allow the students to hold a forum in the coming weeks to discuss social justice issues.

"What we came up with as a group was to decide to give the students a venue to speak on injustice," Woolery said.

The students will be permitted to wear their shirts to the forum.

Anessa Rankins, a senior at the school who wore black on Thursday in support of the Jena Six, said the forum will make up for students' initial disappointment over the shirts.

"It's better now because we have the big day for it, and we get to wear the shirts," she said.

First Amendment advocates agreed the forum was a positive gesture by administrators, with one caveat.

"That doesn't change the fact that (students) have the right to wear those shirts as well, absent a genuine disruption of the school," Bibring said.

Atheletes In Trouble Jena Latest News And Facts

Mike Tyson pleads guilty to charges of drug possession and DUI

Former heavyweight champion pleads guilty to charges stemming from a traffic stop last year as he was leaving an Arizona nightclub.


Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson pleaded guilty Monday in Mesa, Ariz., to charges of drug possession and driving under the influence stemming from a traffic stop last year as he was leaving a nightclub.

Tyson quietly acknowledged to a judge that he had cocaine and was impaired when he was stopped for driving erratically in Scottsdale on Dec. 29.

He pleaded guilty to one felony count of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor DUI count and faces up to four years and three months in prison when sentenced Nov. 19.

A felony charge of possession of drug paraphernalia and a second misdemeanor DUI charge were dropped.

Tyson's lawyer, David Chesnoff, said his client has been clean and sober for eight months.

"It's obvious this was a crime he was committing against himself," Chesnoff said.



The prosecutor in the county where Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation plans to present "a host of bills of indictment" regarding the case to a grand jury today at Richmond, Va.

Vick and three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in the case, and all are awaiting sentencing in federal court before the end of the year.

The local charges, and a conviction, could spell an end to any hope he has of resuming his NFL career after serving a likely federal prison term.

An animal cruelty charge in Virginia is punishable by up to five years in prison, and Vick admitted in his written plea to helping kill six to eight pit bulls days before the first raid.

That alone could expose Vick to as much as 40 years in prison.

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Dwight Sean Jones, a former pro football player who manages investments for athletes, with violating securities laws by refusing to allow SEC examiners to inspect his business records.

Jones was an NFL defensive end who played for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers in the 1980s and 1990s.News In And Around Jena

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Students Eveywhere Debate The Jena 6 Case News And Facts



Louisiana Students and students around the world debate the 'Jena Six'
The "Jena Six" case has been in newspapers across the world, in magazines such as People and on television stations everywhere.

Discussion of the case now is headed into the classrooms of 11,000 high schools and junior high schools, including in Rapides Parish.


Channel One News, which is shown in high schools and junior high schools across the nation, was in Alexandria and Jena on Monday filming a segment to be broadcast Thursday on the Jena Six case and issues of racism.

A forum of Louisiana State University at Alexandria students will be featured on the segment discussing the case and racism in the South.
The Jena Six case involves six Jena High School students accused in December of attacking a fellow student. The defendants in the case are black, and the victim is white.

The six students initially were arrested on charges of attempted murder. Those charges have been reduced for all of the students charged as an adult except for one who has yet to be arraigned.

Before the December attack, the school experienced such incidents as nooses being hung from a tree in the school's courtyard and fights off-campus. In the midst of it all, the school's main academic building was set on fire.

The case sparked a rally that brought thousands Thursday to the rural LaSalle Parish town of fewer than 3,500 people.

Threats have been made to the victim and the six defendants. The Jena Six members had their addresses placed on a Web site promoting violence against them, which is under investigation by the FBI.

On Monday, LaSalle Parish Sheriff Carl Smith, LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters, Jena Mayor Murphy McMillin and Jena Police Chief Paul Smith issued a joint statement condemning the threats on all of the boys involved in the case.

"These groups are encouraging persons of similar views to do harm to the victim or to the defendants. Such vile and cowardly acts will not be tolerated in Jena or LaSalle Parish," the news release states.

The officials said they do not want anyone in Jena or LaSalle Parish advocating vigilante justice and whose intent is to harm or encourage others to harm anyone.

"We further encourage like-minded persons to join us in denouncing any persons or groups who in any fashion advocate the harming of any individuals or groups connected with this case. We strongly encourage all individuals to think about the consequences of their actions before they do anything that would harm our community and subject them to criminal prosecution," the statement reads.

With all of the events swirling, the LSUA students who had gathered to discuss the case had varying views on case and its impact.

Jennifer Fehmie of Bunkie said she felt it has been blown out of proportion. Others in the group credited the media with stirring the pot, while some said if it were not for the media, then no attention would have been brought to the alleged injustice in Jena.

Most said they wanted to see equality in the handling of the cases. The boys who hung the nooses should have been in trouble just as the Jena Six defendants were, they said.

Many in the group of nine students did not agree with the Jena Six being charged with attempted murder but thought they should face punishment if they were a part of the attack on a fellow student.

"It is all about equality and it is obvious that they are not equal," Will Martin of Alexandria said.

All of the students wanted to see more specific details of the incidents leading up to the fight and be able to separate the stories from the facts. They had all heard different stories of events leading up to the fight and what happened that day.

When asked about the appearance of racism, the group said events like the Jena Six case give the state a bad reputation

"We are not all racists, said Courtney Morace of Deville.

She said the majority are well-educated people, but the few cause a scene and get everyone labeled.

Some felt the rally would make a difference if those who attended work to ensure change, while others in the group felt it would make little impact as people go back to their lives.

"It has made history, and I think it will go down in history," said Leona Dyer of Alexandria.

The broadcast will reach more than 6 million high school and junior high school students.

Rapides Parish Assistant Superintendent Lyle Hutchinson said Channel One has been in Alexandria before to do a feature on the Alexandria Senior High School powerlifting team, which won a national championship.

Note we will be following the Mike Vick Case as well.

NPR Topics: Race Jena 6 Jena, LA Race News