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.
