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.

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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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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.

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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