Jena 6 Need Money Black Teens Could Get Prison Whites Got Suspensions

Moral support is said to be OK, but Jena 6 need money

Mychal Bell, the first teen to be convicted in the "Jena 6" case in Jena, La., will have a hearing on Tuesday. At that time, his lawyers will either prevail on motions to set aside the verdict, or Bell will be sentenced on charges of second-degree aggravated battery and conspiracy in connection with a Jena La,high school fight.

If convicted, the 17-year-old faces up to 22 years in prison.

Bell is one of a group of defendants who have come to be known as the "Jena 6." All of the defendants are black high school students accused of beating up a white classmate after a series of racial incidents at a high school in the small Louisiana town.

'We need to raise money'
The huge disparity in punishments makes this a textbook example of America's biased justice system. On Sept. 20, several national organizations will rally in Jena. That's the date Bell is scheduled to be sentenced. Unfortunately, as noted by George Tucker -- the attorney representing another "Jena 6" defendant -- there's been a "top-heavy effort to encourage" the defendants, but an "empty effort" to support them financially.

"These people are still indigent," Tucker said. "We need to raise money in a very bad way."

It is going to take money -- lots of it.

The "Jena 6" families had to put up their properties and borrow from friends and relatives just to get their sons out of jail. Then they had to retain seasoned lawyers to fight charges that could put these teens behind bars for decades.

"This is not a crime and punishment issue," Tucker pointed out. "This is a civil rights issue, and there are a lot of things involved. One, this happened in school. What was the role the school administration was supposed to have played? That needs to be answered while it still means something to these kids."


But How Do You Make Sure Your Donations Go To A Legitimate Group
"Jena 6 Defense Fund" are plentifull, but it is difficult to determine what groups are legitimate, or to determine how much money actually ends up going to these defendants.

"A lot of people are running illegal Web sites, and the kids are not getting the benefit of the money," said Marcus Jones, the father of Mychal Bell, during a telephone interview on Friday.

"We started a Web site the first week in July, and before we knew anything, all of the other organizations posted Web sites and made money from it."

One way to ensure that money goes directly to help with these teens' defense is to
send your donation to a fund set up by the parents of the "Jena 6" defendants. That address is: Jena 6 Defense Fund, P.O. Box 2798, Jena, La. 71342


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