Thursday, May 5, 2011

New Date Set in Sentencing for Jena Six Defendant

In a court hearing yesterday, a new date was set for the sentencing of civil rights activist Catrina Wallace.

Wallace is the sister of Robert Bailey, one of the high school students collectively known as the Jena Six. She received national attention for her role in organizing protests around the Jena Six case, which brought 50,000 people on a march through the town of Jena on September 20, 2007. She was arrested in 2009 as part of a controversial series of arrests dubbed "Operation Third Option" by the local police. The arrests targeted almost exclusively African-Americans in a Parish that is 85% white.

28th District Judge J. Christopher Peters set a new sentencing date of June 1. At the same hearing, the judge denied a motion for a new trial filed by Wallace's attorneys.

2007 Photo of Catrina Wallace by Mavis Yorks.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hal and LBRC Says...
Local Authorities in Jena, Gretna, Elsewhere Continue to Harass U.S. Citizens Despite Pleas to USDOJ...
For some time now, numerous pleas have been submitted to the Civil Rights Division of the USDOJ,
regarding obvious violations of the 14th Amendment. Particularily, African- American citizens who
expect fundamental protections have been delayed, denied and now prosecuted for their pleas of
justice for all, ie., Jena and Gretna, La., to include but not limited to others, even in New Orleans. Police and
prosecutors seem determined to focus resources in such ways that when it comes to so- called White Collar Crime like the recent NOPD Traffic Ticket Scandal, investigative news media has to expose the corruption. Most egregious is, when corruption
is exposed, investigations are mostly conducted by the friends and associates
of accused and alleged criminals. The New Orleans D.A., seldom initiates prosecutions, if at all, of high ranking public officials especially police, Only when there is community outrage and incessant pleas to the USDOJ, is justice ever given a chance.
1. Police burn the bodies of African- American Citizens and behead them like animal trophy hunts.
2. When disasters strike and there are federal funds submitted to mitigate damages, African- American communities
are discriminated against and their subsidized housing is rejected, torn down, refused to be legally permitted
and local authorities defy federal court orders boldly. Business entitities like large utilities (unnatural monopolies) are awarded millions in
CDBG Federal Monies. Also, business marketing groups initiated in parishes other than Orleans, are given CDBG funds while Lower 9 and New Orleans East are ravaged with neglect. And yes, ineffective and incompetent Black leadership from
politicians to Negro Ministers collude with these powers to effectuate and support this racist system, a psychological and social remnant
leftover from a never reconstructed South that betrayed the U.S., burned Ole Glory (Constitutional Traitors and Insurrectionist) and still apportions African- Americans into fifths.
y3. Equal Protection of law In Louisiana's rural communities especially, is a "never off the drawing concept" for African- Americans, Now it seems, even cities like New Orleans have become increasingly vulnerable to these type of travesties.
4. Yada, yada, yada and needless to say...
If the United States of America and it's Justice Department have become overwhelmed and frustrated with obstructions posed by the collusions
of racist local American systems, and on- going unjust treatments local racist judicial systems used to " beat down" African- Americans causing irreparable and egregious suffering to innocent citizens never abated,
than this time might be sufficient to plea to world authorities like international courts of justice, the United Nations , etc., for intervention.
Waiting it seems solves nothing. Deliberate justice is slow and careful. In Louisiana and lots of Red States, deliberate justice
means never!
Finally, the USDOJ is to be thanked for helping restore a semblance of justice, and without a doubt,
without the USDOJ, the rampant physical, social and psychological beheading of African- American
Communities, especially in so-called Red States and especially after the election of a Black President,
would go unimpeded and unchallenged. However, the fact remains that, in Jena, Gretna and in New Orleans As well and countless others, institutionalized local racist justice is not only alive and well,
it is bold, open and arrogant! This is Libya, Iraq, Afganistan, Yemen and Syria for African-Americans, not in Geographical Terms, but in practice. Local institutionalized racist justice is our terrorist. If somehow,
Osama bin Laden could be resurrected, he could find comfortable room and board in Jena, Gretna, New Orleans, La., and Red State entities all across America. Is America capable of protecting it's own?
Peace