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FinalCall.com News
National News
Mychal Bell of the "Jena 6" Back in Jail
By Jesse Muhammad
Staff Writer
Updated Oct 12, 2007 - 1:22:00 PM
Judge sentences him to 18 months in juvenile facility
JENA, LA (FinalCall.com) - In what he and his family thought would be a routine juvenile hearing on Thursday evening, Mychal Bell received some shocking news. Judge J.P. Mauffray ordered that he spend up to 18 months in a juvenile facility because of what he says was a violation of probation from an old charge on Mychal's record that he had went to trial for over a year ago but was never sentenced according to Melissa Bell, Mychal's mother. The office of youth division will determine his location and not the judge.
"He was never sentenced for that past charge but the judge decided to sentence him last night. We are hurt", stated Ms. Bell to the Final Call in a phone conversation on Oct. 12. "I talked to Mychal last night and he wasn't saying much on the phone. They presently have him on 72 hour lock down in a juvenile facility. I am going to see him today." Mychal has two juvenile charges of simple battery and two juvenile charges of damage to property on his record. He revoked his probation when he was arrested for the second simple battery charge.
Although her son served ten months in jail for the adult charges, he will only be credited 1 day of time served towards his present 18 month sentencing. "Me and Marcus [Jones] have to pay all court costs related to the case all the way up until yesterday."
"The injustice in this is that these are misdemeanor charges and people Mychal's age usually receive a fine or up to 30 days in jail", stated defense Attorney Lewis Scott to the Final Call via telephone on Oct 12th. "Just as we had to dismantle the wrongful adult conviction, we are in the process of dismantling these juvenile charges. However, the system provides two many opportunities for injustices to be done. It presents too many opportunities for a prosecutor or judge who has determined to make a point to affect this child's life."
"Fighting injustice doesn't stop with the rallies and the protests. Those are tools that should be used to bring the spotlight to the injustice. But now we need people to go to legislation to call for an end to this type of injustice and demand change on some of the laws that allow injustices to take place", Scott continued. "I believe that if someone tries a person as an adult and misses, then that person should not be able to try the same person as a juvenile. There is a lot to be done." Scott also stated that early news reports that were circulating that Mychal had a drug charge are "false. It was not a drug charge that he was on probation for".
Bell's adult conviction ,stemming from the December 4 beating of white classmate Justin Barker at Jena High School, was overturned by the Louisiana Courts and he was released on a $45,000 bond on September 27, which was exactly a week after over 50,000 protestors descended on the small rural town for a huge national rally. While released, he was placed on house arrest and could not leave his front yard.
"The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan sent warning to the powers in Jena about the divine consequences of their abuse of authority regarding the Jena Six", stated Brother Deric Muhammad of the Houston Ministry of Justice. "The apparently unjust reincarceration of Mychal Bell is a sign of things to come, because Allah is angry".
The other five teens in the case of the "Jena Six" still await their day in court. All but one of them has been arraigned.
The Final Call continues to follow this story and will publish ongoing reports.
For those interested in donating to the Mychal Bell Defense Fund please send them to P.O. Box 2856, Jena, Louisiana 71342.
