Incident in Jena,La.

[pokerbobo]

I was watching a news program on this last nite... as the "black activist" was saying "nobody is saying that the 6 on 1 attack is justified, and we don't think that those 6 should go unpunished.....I don't think that anyone at the march is saying they should not be punished" They cut to the protest... and what do the signs read? "FREE THE JENA 6"

[owsley]

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I haven't been paying attention to this story, but everyone is complaining about the black kids getting overcharged with attempted murder instead of assault or something less minor because they were black? What I don't get is that when this goes to trial, won't overcharging them absurdly end up backfiring on the prosecution because they can't prove attempted murder?

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It might. The problem is that there is a decent likelihood of jury bias that would work against the defendants.

Would you say the same about the Duke Rape case? That the defendants could very well get acquited, therefore, Nifong acted appropriately???

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No I am not trying to say the DA acted appropriately at all. It just doesn't make sense to me having not followed the story.

[RedBean]

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There's no problem with that. The prosecutor doesn't have to charge all lesser included offenses. It happens all the time and is well within the discretion of the prosecutor (see Phil Spector case.)

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Agreed, but my point is the DA is applying his discretion wildly different in cases stemming from the same racial tensions in the same small town....based solely on the color of skin.


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I think the prosecutor has the right to make this judgement call --- it's a gamble and one that hurts as often as it helps.


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When combined with his penchant for taking a consistent lenient route against white defendants, a harsh route against black defendants, and his own statements prior to the Jena 6 that he "could end their lives with the stroke of a pen"......do you at least understand how some may question whether or not the DA's handlings are racially motivated?

Question for your research prowess: could the DA's verbal threat constitute simple assault under LA statutes, as written?

[Edge34]

RedBean,

If I can ask only one thing of you, PLEASE stop referring to this gang mugging as a "fight". That in itself shows that you're attempting to mitigate what actually happened. 6-on-1 started by a sucker punch that knocked a guy out is not a "fight".

[manbearpig]

I am grunching this thread a little bit, but I have a couple questions:

1) Is the argument around whether there are inequities of the charges between the white kids that beat up a black kid and the black kids that beat up the white kid?

or

2) That what the black kids did wasnt wrong and they should not be punished?


Because is it not fact that six black kids jumped a white kid and beat him up pretty good? I think thats a crime. Regardless of if a noose was hung from a tree a couple months prior to this.

[RedBean]

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RedBean,

If I can ask only one thing of you, PLEASE stop referring to this gang mugging as a "fight".


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Altercation? Incident?

Or better yet, alleged altercation?

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That in itself shows that you're attempting to mitigate what actually happened. 6-on-1 started by a sucker punch that knocked a guy out is not a "fight".

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Well, if you really want to argue semantics....

What actually happened?

According to testimony at trial, the only witness who could name 6 attackers also admitted that she did not see anyone strike the victim, nor that she witnessed the attack itself.

No other witness could testify to seeing more than 3 attackers.

So is it a 6 v 1 attack because the prosecution alleges it, or is it a 3 v 1 attack?

[kurto]

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I am grunching this thread a little bit, but I have a couple questions:

1) Is the argument around whether there are inequities of the charges between the white kids that beat up a black kid and the black kids that beat up the white kid?

or

2) That what the black kids did wasnt wrong and they should not be punished?


Because is it not fact that six black kids jumped a white kid and beat him up pretty good? I think thats a crime. Regardless of if a noose was hung from a tree a couple months prior to this.

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the issues and outrage seem pretty straightforward.

Most people are not arguing that the Jenna 6 were good boys. They're arguing that the justice system is treating them differently.

The perception is that, in this town, some white people have done some bad things and its been ignored or they get a slap on the write. Black kids do some bad things and they're giving the harshest treatment possible.

Most aren't aguing that the 6 kids are choir boys. They're simply saying treat the offenders equally regardless of their skin color.

[RedBean]

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I am grunching this thread a little bit, but I have a couple questions:

1) Is the argument around whether there are inequities of the charges between the white kids that beat up a black kid and the black kids that beat up the white kid?

or

2) That what the black kids did wasnt wrong and they should not be punished?


Because is it not fact that six black kids jumped a white kid and beat him up pretty good? I think thats a crime. Regardless of if a noose was hung from a tree a couple months prior to this.

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I don't think any rational person is asserting that the attack was not a crime. The point of contention surrounds the DA's reluctance to charge white offenders in other incidents surrounding the racial tensions with anything other than the minimum interpretation of statutes, if at all, while at the same time charging alleged black attackers in several incidents with the maximum conceivable charges, bordering on excessively ridiculous.... all of which was preceeded by his verbal admonition that "with one stroke of the pen, he could end their lives."

[elwoodblues]

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I was watching a news program on this last nite... as the "black activist" was saying "nobody is saying that the 6 on 1 attack is justified, and we don't think that those 6 should go unpunished.....I don't think that anyone at the march is saying they should not be punished" They cut to the protest... and what do the signs read? "FREE THE JENA 6"

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"REDUCE THE CHARGES FOR THE JENA 6" doesn't have the same ring to it.

[manbearpig]

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I am grunching this thread a little bit, but I have a couple questions:

1) Is the argument around whether there are inequities of the charges between the white kids that beat up a black kid and the black kids that beat up the white kid?

or

2) That what the black kids did wasnt wrong and they should not be punished?


Because is it not fact that six black kids jumped a white kid and beat him up pretty good? I think thats a crime. Regardless of if a noose was hung from a tree a couple months prior to this.

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the issues and outrage seem pretty straightforward.

Most people are not arguing that the Jenna 6 were good boys. They're arguing that the justice system is treating them differently.

The perception is that, in this town, some white people have done some bad things and its been ignored or they get a slap on the write. Black kids do some bad things and they're giving the harshest treatment possible.

Most aren't aguing that the 6 kids are choir boys. They're simply saying treat the offenders equally regardless of their skin color.

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Thanks. This seems rather obvious that there are some differences in how blacks/whites are being treated. Just wanted to make sure I wasnt missing anything.

Really no surprise this happens though. I went to school in MS and if you ever took a drive outside of the college towns it is really apparent that those people are living in a time closer to 50 years ago than today. Not that that makes it right, but thats how it is. The white folk own all the land/businesses/etc and the black people work for them. Almost without exception.