The
last of six Black teens to be arraigned in the beating of a White high school
student pleaded not guilty Wednesday to reduced charges.
Bryant
Purvis, 18, who had initially been charged with attempted second-degree murder,
was charged with second-degree aggravated battery and conspiracy in a court
hearing that lasted just minutes.
Purvis
is set to stand trial as an adult in March 2008. If convicted, he could be
imprisoned for up to 22 years.
The
six teens, known as the Jena Six, were arrested after a December 2006 attack on
a White student, Justin Barker, at
The
case drew national attention, with civil rights leaders decrying the severity
of the charges against the teens. The injuries to the White student were not
considered life-threatening.
In
September, the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson led one of the largest civil
rights demonstrations in years as an estimated 20,000 people marched through
the streets of this northeast
So
far, Mychal Bell is the only one of the Jena Six to stand trial. He was
convicted in June of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. The
convictions were later overturned and the case sent to juvenile court.
Purvis’
lawyer, Darrell Hickman, said Purvis was “30 feet away from the melee
when it took place” and that the charges against Purvis should be
dismissed. If they aren’t, Hickman said he will seek a change of venue
because of the intense emotions and attention tied to the case in
Now
a senior attending classes in
--Associated Press
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