The Minority Report

Today the US House Judiciary Committee will hear testimony questioning whether the federal government failed in the case of the “Jena 6″.  The new chair of the Judiciary Committee John Conyers (D-MI) called for the hearing after being asked by Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).  The committee will hear testimony from Professor Charles Ogletree, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Jena 6 families.  The real question of the hearing becomes should the US Attorney have taken action again the District Attorney of Jena? In addition, should the federal government play an intervention role in regards to hate crimes?  I would be interested to see this hearing… sounds like the usual suspects will be sounding off.  My only hope is that this conversation translates to action.

Source: BET.Com

Mychal Bell, the 17-year-old “Jena 6” teen who was released from jail a week after civil rights leaders, preachers, students and other activists stormed into the tiny Louisiana town to protest his harsh prosecution, is back in jail.

A judge found that Bell had violated his probation for prior juvenile convictions. CNN reports that the troubled teen is now being held at the Renaissance Home for Youth in Alexandria, La. (more…)