Until September, Mychal Bell, one of the Jena 6, had been unjustly imprisoned for nine months. He is now back in prison—put there by the same racist judge who tried him as an adult.
The Jena 6 are six Black youth who were falsely accused of attempted murder and similar charges for a school yard fight with a racist classmate following a series of racist incidents directed at Black youth in Jena, La. The outpouring of rage and support from across the country, which culminated in a civil rights march of 50,000 people on Sept. 20, forced the racist power structure to release Bell days before the mobilization.
District judge J.P. Mauffrey Jr. struck back on Oct. 11 at what was supposed to be a routine hearing in Bell’s case.
Instead, he sentenced Bell to 18 months for a supposed probation violation from earlier unrelated charges. The judge denied bail and refused to allow time served for Bell’s earlier nine months.
This latest outrage must be met with further coordinated action. The movement cannot rest until the charges are dropped and the Jena 6 are free.
