David Bowie recently donated $10,000 to a legal fund for a group of teenagers known as the Jena 6. Bowie stated via email to the AP, “There is clearly a separate and unequal judicial process going on in the town of Jena. A donation to the Jena Six Legal Defense Fund is my small gesture indicating my belief that a wrongful charge and sentence should be prevented.”
The case involves six black teenagers charged with allegedly attacking a white classmate. One of the teens, Mychal Bell, was tried as an adult by an all-white jury. Bell’s case was overturned by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal with the comment that he should not have been tried as an adult.
On a personal note, I am heartened to see that Bowie feels so strongly about this case. As a former case worker in the juvenile justice system in my homestate, I have seen too many teens get railroaded by the court system. I hope the Jena 6 get the justice and fair trial that is afforded to them in the constitution, and nothing less.