Bryant Purvis(r) w/ Carwin Jones at 2007 BET Awards

Wednesday morning, became the fifth student of the Jena 6 accused of beating a white student to have his charges reduced from second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy to second degree aggravated battery. Purvis entered a not guilty plea to the reduced charges in exchange for leniency. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, who was 14 at the time of the incident are sealed because of his juvenile status.

Mychal Bell remains the focus of the prosecution’s investigation and is the only member of the Jena 6 still behind bars. Bell had been released when his conviction for the beating was overturned but was ordered to return to server 18 months in a juvenile facility because his involvement violated his probation on an earlier juvenile conviction.

Due to the public outcry, demonstrations, and attention brought to the authorities handling the case by civil rights leader like Martin Luther King III, Jesse Jackson and Captain African-America the Jena 6 have had their day in court. That’s all that I and most open minded Americans could have hoped for. Sure the issue was racial charged but the bottom line is the system wasn’t working properly. The Civil Rights yohans called them out, brought cameras to the little town, generated buzz and now the issue is getting ironed out. We know the Jena 6 weren’t angels but they do deserve equal justice under the law. As for their appearance at the BET Awards looking like a rap group….that’s the true injustice.