An Update Post

Troy Davis - For those unfamiliar with his story please check out this link. Amnesty International has been an amazing resource as it runs a stellar campaign trying to spotlight and correct the injustice Troy Davis has suffered. From what I've read, I believe the Georgia Supreme Court is currently hearing whether or not Troy Davis will be granted some semblance of a new trial (in which he can introduce a plethora of new evidence). In any case, there is an on-going petition one can sign to show support for Troy Davis and his appeal for fairness. Some of you may be wondering if you have signed this online petition before. I am unsure, but the petition doesn't ask for much personal information and will let you know if you have signed it before. Also, if you could help spread the word about Troy Davis, it would be invaluable.

Jena 6 - I had typed most of this update on the Jena 6 a few days ago. Since that time, an important new event has occurred. (Thank you Diane for alerting me to this!) I have placed this news item in the proper chronological place within the total update. However, for those that want to read about this first, scroll down to the "****Good News!" section below.

For those unfamiliar with the Jena 6 please check out the informative wikipedia entry on it. This incident simply boggles the mind. One of the key issues this injustice brings to light is the power a District Attorney has. Clearly in the case of the Jena 6, the DA has abused his power. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there is going to be any punishment for this abuse in the near future. The DA is still prosecuting the case. However, the egregious, exaggerated charges have been lowered for some of the Jena 6. Unfortunately, they have only been lowered to still inflated charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. Also unfortunate is that this is the same sequence experienced by the first of the Jena 6 to be tried. The judge dismissed the conspiracy charge, but an all white jury found the young black man guilty of the aggravated second-degree battery. Aggravated second-degree battery must include the use of a deadly weapon. In this case the DA claimed tennis shoes worn on the feet were deadly weapons (during kicking in the fight/jumping), and the jury agreed. Sentencing for the first of the Jena 6 to be tried will be decided shortly; he faces up to 22.5 years.

****Good News! (Sept 15) Louisiana's 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the aggravated second-degree battery conviction against the first (and so far only) of the Jena 6 to be tried. The court found the black youth was improperly tried as an adult and in a case that raised many questions of racial fairness and justice. Unfortuantely, this still is not the end of this social and legal travesty. The DA released a statement saying he would appeal the decision to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Also, if the Louisiana Supreme Court (and, potentially, the US Supreme Court afterwards) were to uphold the state Circuit Court ruling, the DA must decide to then drop the case or refile in juvenile court. For more information, please read the Chicago Tribune report linked to earlier. It seems the specter of an organized upcoming rally to show support for the Jena 6 had an impressive impact. It is quite the accomplishment that people across the nation have joined together to support and aid the Jena 6, though it is still chilling to the bone that an injustice of this magnitude occurred in this nation, in this day and age. And, unfortunately, this travesty is still not yet over for the Jena 6.

(The rest of this update was written before the Sept 15 news. It may seem a slight bit off context but I am still going to post it. Plus it ends with links to two solid petitions/actions that may be of interest.)

Whether the Jena 6 assault incident (on Dec. 4, 2006) was a fight or a jumping, it was the culmination of three months of intense, inflamed, unjust racial strife (for those that haven't, please check out the Jena 6 wikipedia entry or simply do an internet search for more info on the events leading up to the incident; they will incisively shock you). I am enormously sympathetic to the Jena 6, and yet I agree the court should find out if this was more of a two-sided fight or a one-sided jumping. Yet, even in the worst case scenario for the Jena 6, this is simple assault in the heightened environment of racial strife (they didn't jump the white kid for no reason). And they surely have served their time, if they needed to serve time at all. And after the court fairly adjudicates this incident, it must go back and fairly adjudicate all the events and incidents leading up to the Jena 6 assault (including the gross abuse of power by the DA). Unfortunately, that is most likely not going to happen. And the story of the Jena 6 showcases just how troubling race relations and how tenuous minority rights are in certain areas of our great nation. However, this incident is also a call to action: To show that most of the citizens in this nation find the injustice of the Jena 6 (and the preceding events) unbelievable. Unfortunately, I am still uncertain of what is the best way to act and show support. There are numerous petitions. This one is closing in on 200k signatures. I first learned about the Jena 6 through ColorOfChange.org. They also have a great petition (with a little over 150k signatures) which also sends emails to the Governor and a critical one to the Jena DA (yes, the one who is abusing his power). Those of you who have read my previous Jena 6 posts might have already signed this petition and email campaign. However, please still click on the link and enter the minimal personal info needed. The petition will let you know if you have acted before or not.