Obama Cheers Jena 6 Ruling

[illinoisprogressive]

ABC News’ Jonathan Greenberger reports: In a written statement tonight, Sen. Barack Obama cheered the decision earlier today by a Louisiana court to overturn the battery conviction of a black teenager.

Presidential candidates don’t often release statements on the actions of state courts in individual convictions, but this case is unusual. While it has gone largely unnoticed by much of the mainstream media, for African-Americans, the so-called "Jena 6" case became something of a cause celebre that brought back memories of the Jim Crow era.

In the small town of Jena, La., six black teenagers were charged first with attempted murder, then battery, after their actions in a schoolyard brawl left a white teenager with a black eye and concussion. The first of the six teens to be tried was convicted in July of aggravated battery and faced up to 15 years in jail. He was due to be sentenced later this month, and it was his conviction that was overturned by a Louisiana appeals court today.

Many African-American leaders, including former presidential candidates Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, had spoken out vigorously about the case, complaining that the charges against the black teens were excessive.

"The case plays to the fears of many blacks," Sharpton told USA Today earlier this month. "You hear the stories from your parents and grandparents, but you never thought it would happen in 2007. I think what resonates in the black community is that this is so mindful of pre-1960 America."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/

[goclark]

1. Eloquent ~ why did they use the word "Cheer?"

IMO he said exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.

For sure, he would have lost many African American votes if he had not spoken as he did today. For sure he would have lost the votes and the respect of those liberals, of all colors, that worked/marched/cried during the civil rights struggles.

GObama!

Speak for Justice my brother, no matter the race, speak!

[illinoisprogressive]

2. the media is full of the brain dead these days.

[PDJane]

3. This is good news.........

That was a really stupid verdict, and it deserved to be overturned.

[illinoisprogressive]

4. When I first heard about it, not too long ago, my heart ached.

[ariesgem]

5. Good for him..

Here are some previous comments he made about this case -

http://eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com/2007/09/obama-demands-fairness-in-jena-6-case.html

Senator Barack Obama made the following statement a few days ago in response to the Jena 6 case:

"When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it’s a tragedy. It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions. This isn’t just Jena’s problem; it’s America’s problem."

"There are a number of signs that the system is not working in this case. It’s a problem when criminal charges are brought against some students for fighting, but not others. It’s a problem when a public defender doesn’t call any witnesses. And it’s a problem when a prosecutor decides to try teenagers as adults for a school fight, a charge that could leave them in jail for the majority of their lives. That is why I join my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on the judge to consider all the relevant factors and calling on the District Attorney to drop the excessive charges brought in this case. And I, along with other members of the CBC, will continue to monitor this case closely."

"Going forward, we have to fix our criminal justice system. Whether it’s Jena 6 or Genarlow Wilson, it’s long past time for us to admit that we have more work to do to ensure that our criminal justice system is fair. We must ensure that both victims and defendants can receive equal justice under the law, regardless of race, wealth, or other circumstances."

:kick: