http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/why-civil-rights-leaders-_b_65324.html
I have been getting a lot of calls about Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s suggestion that Mychal Bell is still in prison because his supporters wouldn’t go his bail. Nonsense. We don’t know why Bell’s bail was denied because the hearing was closed to the public (Mychal is now being treated as a juvenile). But money had nothing to do with it. Judge J.P. Mauffray has always bought the argument that Bell’s juvenile record makes him a threat to the community. Ergo, no matter how much money is raised, Mychal will stay where he is.
Hutchinson doesn’t seem to realize that, in most cases, only 10% of a bond needs to be raised to spring a defendant. At least a quarter million dollars has been donated to the Jena 6 Defense Fund by generous people across the nation, and that money would have been used to free Mychal from prison if that had been possible. Hutchinson lauds David Bowie for contributing $10,000 to the Jena–that’s like you and me flipping them a nickel.
The 30,000+ people who came to Jena could have contributed $150,000 to the Jena 6 had they all tossed in five bucks; but they contributed far more by their presence.
Mr. Hutchinson’s column displays a distressing ignorance of how the criminal justice system works and fails to work. A retraction and an apology are in order.
Friends of Justice 
Thank you sooooooo much for this.
As a family member of 3 of those boys, I felt it my responsibility to contact Mr. Hutchinson on Friday when he first sent out his comments. I explained to him that he was not reporting accurate facts, I told him that the family had received support to post bail but the DA and Judge refused. His only response was that was the reports stated and that he would monitor the situation. I then realized that he was reporting hearsay. He had not spoken with anyone related, in any, to the case He was only reporting what the thought was fact. Even after stating to him what I knew, he refused to retract his statement. I hope he has enough integrity to apologize for his divisive comments. And move on with confirmed information.
THANKS!!!!!
This is a total injustice. I hope and pray that justice prevails.
Hopefully this country is not being ran with segregation and racism. The jena6 were only standing up 4 themselves and wat I thought this country stands 4 FREEDOM.
“Judge J.P. Mauffray has always bought the argument that Bell’s juvenile record makes him a threat to the community”
That’s because Mauffray is also the juvenile court judge; he’s the only judge in town.
s.carter:
Your logic is frayed, to say the least. Go read the eye witness statements:
http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/003979.html
Read the transcript that types verbatim what every statement says. Two to three students speak of them pushing one student very hard a few times. Two students speak of one of Jena 6 telling another male white student “You’re next.” after they did their deed with Barker. Two eye witness give corroborating testimony that several of them were threatening another guy. They say Jesse Ray Beard tried slapping the back of the guy’s head but missed. Another guy gets up from the bleachers and most of the same students who attacked Barker surrounded him. When his friend showed up, they let it go.
But the most compelling eye witness is a female black student, who is AFRAID to give her name (go figure). She speaks in DETAIL about what happened between Barker and Bell that lead up to the fight. Her details infer that she is in the middle of the action. She says that Barker gave Bell the middle finger, but she never says anything about him saying a racial slur. Don’t you think she would of wrote that, being that the supposed racial slur was directed at her race? Very interesting indeed.
Your frayed logic is misinformed, biased, and seriously questionable.
Let’s just go on your logic and use an example. I see a guy walking down the street who proceeds to tell me “I could shoot you right now if I wanted to”. He then shows me a gun in his pants then he walks off. A few months later, I’m in a store and I see you. I know you’re a friend of this guy’s. We end up arguing and you flip me the middle finger. I run home and grab five of my buddies. We wait until you exit the store and I cold-cock you in the back of the head. You are rendered unconscious but me and my friends kick you in the head anyway. The “fight” (as some Jena 6 defenders would call it) is broken up by a couple of pedestrians.
In YOUR little world, I was just protecting myself by attacking you because your friend threatened me.
Again, very frayed logic.