John Conyers to hold Jena six hearing

Conyers to hold congressional hearings on Jena case September 20, 2007 By TODD SPANGLER FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF WASHINGTON – House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers today said he plans to hold hearings in Congress on the case of six black teenagers in Jena, La., who were initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a schoolmate who is white. The statement by Conyers, a Detroit Democrat who is African American, came on a day when thousands of people descended on the tiny Louisiana town to protest the charges and a rally was held in Washington in support of the students now being referred to as the “Jena Six.” AdvertisementConyers said he would also hold a forum on the incident next week. In a statement, he said, “in 2007, there should not even be allegations of unequal justice based on race or any other factors. This case brings to light what could be a national trend and the Judiciary Committee should explore that.” Conyers said he would hold the forum next week during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference in Washington, planning it for 3 p.m. next Friday at the Washington Convention Center.