JENA 6 UPDATE...

Judge recuses self from bid to open Jena trial
New judge will decide if racially-charged case should be open to public
source (image courtesy of Google Images; editing by Ivent)

NEW ORLEANS - A judge has disqualified himself from hearing a request from news media to open juvenile court proceedings for a black teenager charged with beating a white classmate in Jena, a case that has drawn thousands of protesters.

State District Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr.’s recusal paves the way for another judge to decide whether the case against 17-year-old Mychal Bell should be open to the public.

Another judge was not immediately appointed to hear the petition filed by The Associated Press and more than two dozen newspapers, television networks and network affiliates.

The news organizations are seeking permission to attend new hearings in Bell’s case, to review transcripts of previous hearings and other court records, and to lift a gag order against participants in the case.

Bell, 17, originally was charged with attempted murder for his alleged role in a December 2006 attack on Justin Barker at Jena High School. That charge was reduced before a jury convicted him in June of aggravated second-degree battery. Mauffray presided over the trial.

The charges against Bell and five others — the so-called “Jena Six” — sparked a huge civil-rights demonstration in Jena last month. Critics accused District Attorney Reed Walters of treating blacks more harshly than whites, because his office didn’t file charges against three white teens accused of hanging nooses in a tree at the high school shortly before the attack on Barker.
In September, a state appeals court vacated Bell’s conviction and ruled that he shouldn’t have been tried as an adult. Bell is due in juvenile court early next month — also before Mauffray — and has a tentative trial date of Dec. 6.

Judge named as defendant
In a one-page ruling, Mauffray indicated he recused himself because he was named as a defendant in the news media’s litigation. Mauffray is the only judge assigned to the Lasalle Parish court where Bell’s case is being heard. Dan Zimmerman, an attorney for the news organizations, said the judge would have been in a “difficult position” if he had to review his own decision.

Criminal cases involving juveniles in Louisiana are usually sealed, but lawyers for the news organizations argue that aggravated second-degree battery is one of the violent offenses that allows a juvenile court case to be opened to the public.

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I'm not sure if in fact is a good idea to open this court case to the public.

This was and is still an emotionally charged situation and I don't believe everyone will be mindful of court protocol, nor that court will be in process. There are those who cannot leave their emotions out in the parking lot, and I believe should this case be allowed to proceed in public, it will become a spectacle...however,I do hope I'm wrong.

While I believe transcripts should be made readily available (highly unlikely since this is in regards to a juvenile), I also believe it will be met with regret should this court allow the public to viw court proceedings. Again, I hope i'm wrong.

"Dog" KNEW This Would Happen...

hey Pat, look what happened!
You'd think someone :with a criminal past, anti-traditional looks, bad father in the past-would think twice about disparaging others.

A&E Pulls 'Dog' Series From Schedule
source

HONOLULU — Television bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman's show has been pulled from the air indefinitely by A&E, two days after a private phone conversation in which the reality star used a racial slur repeatedly was posted online.

"In evaluating the circumstances of the last few days, A&E has decided to take `Dog The Bounty Hunter' off the network's schedule for the foreseeable future," the network said in a statement Friday. "We hope that Mr. Chapman continues the healing process that he has begun."

A&E officials said the series, one of the network's top-rated programs, has not been canceled.
Chapman, 54, has been under fire and accused of being a racist ever since the private conversation with his son, Tucker Chapman, was posted online Wednesday by The National Enquirer.
Chapman used the N-word repeatedly about his son's black girlfriend.
At least two advertisers have pulled out from the show and civil rights groups have called for its cancellation.
Soon after the clip was posted, Chapman issued an apology and A&E suspended production of the series.

In the conversation, Chapman urges Tucker to break up with his girlfriend. He also expresses concern about the girlfriend trying to tape and go public about the TV star's use of the N-word. He used the slur six times in the first 45 seconds of the five-minute clip.
Chapman has said he was "disappointed in his choice of a friend, not due to her race, but her character. However, I should have never used that term." He also said he was ashamed of himself and pledged to make amends.

His attorney, Brook Hart said his client is not a racist and vowed never to use the word again. Hart said Tucker Chapman taped the call and sold it to the Enquirer for "a lot of money."
David Perel, the Enquirer's editor in chief, would not comment on how it obtained the tape.
Civil rights leaders said they were not satisfied with the removal of the show from A&E's schedule. A coalition of groups in Los Angeles sent a letter to network executives Friday demanding a cancellation.

The coalition said the comments were more than racially demeaning and hurtful to black women. "They are a vicious attack on and call to end interracial relations, as well as an incitement to violence," the letter said.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said the coalition believes Chapman's language was much more damaging than shock jock Don Imus' comments.
Imus was fired by CBS in April over his "nappy-headed hos" remark about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Thursday announced Imus' return to radio in December.
If they can essentially say, 'We're firing Imus in the front door and bring him in the back door later on,' they can also do the same with this guy and his show," Hutchinson said. "It seems like to me A&E is keeping their options open."

The TV series follows Chapman and his tattooed crew as they track down bail jumpers in Hawaii and other states. The show also stars some members of Chapman's family, but Tucker Chapman is not regularly featured.

The Honolulu-based bounty hunter first grabbed headlines for apprehending serial rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster in Mexico in 2003.

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I applaud A&E for making that decision.

Doug Chapman knew what would happen...he knew the show could be yanked, and yet he continued to spew forth hate.

Interesting. He said he was referring to the character not her race...hmmm,

that's not true because he said (on the phone call), if Lyssa (his daughter) brought home a n*gg*er, they 'd all be pissed. No mention of possible conflicts the family and Lyssa's hypothetical n*gg*r boyfriend could POSSIBLY experience that may cause the family to be pissed. He didn't address character flaws etc. So going back to Dog's justifying the phone call with his son Tucker as referring to Tucker girlfriend's character-not her race...what kind of character would Lyssa's hypothetical boyfriend have?????

NONE.

He's a hypothetical n*gg*er boyfriend!

His flaw would be arriving to dinner BLACK, not wearing black, just being black.

I can hear him (Dog) explaining this to his (my pastor is black) pastor Tim Storey.

"Yes, Pastor I said it...but I wasn't talking about you. You don't count!"

Whatev.
If you're prejudice(read ignorant), just keep it real.

Don't be on TV spouting the name of Jesus, praying with criminals and then use ephithet.
I can only imagine with the camera people were thinking.