Judge in Jena 6 Case Closes Records

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Judge in Jena 6 Case Closes Records

Saturday December 8, 2007 6:01 AM

By MARY FOSTER

Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A week after one of the so-
called Jena Six defendants pleaded guilty to second-
degree battery in the beating of a white schoolmate,
the judge in the case said the records will remain
closed, pending an appeal.

Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. will appeal to the state
3rd Circuit Court of Appeal an order that opened the
hearing and records in Mychal Bell's case.

“In the interim, we have advised the clerk and his
staff that the judgment is not yet final, and that
they should not permit access to the record in the
two Mychal Bell proceedings, nor any other juvenile
proceeding,” Donald R. Wilson, Mauffray's attorney,
wrote on Thursday.

State District Judge Thomas Yeager's order to open
all proceedings and records concerning Bell is not
yet final, said Dan Zimmerman, who represents The
Associated Press and 24 other media organizations
that sued.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7136737,00.html