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.