Jena Six defendant to attend school in Connecticut

JENA, La.—Jesse Ray Beard is not returning to Jena High School this school year.

Attorney David Utter says the youngest of the Jena Six defendants will attend school in Connecticut.

Beard is to attend Canterbury School, an independent and private school in New Milford, Conn.

Beard, now 17, was one of six Jena High School students arrested and charged in connection with the December 2006 attack on a fellow student at the school.

Beard is awaiting trial for that incident but had been on house arrest for 16 months for previous juvenile charges and alleged probation violation.

State Judge Thomas Yeager, who is now hearing the Jena Six cases, released Beard for the summer to go to New York where Beard took a correspondence course.

Beard was to return to Jena in preparation for the start of Jena High classes on Thursday, but Yeager terminated his probation, allowing him to move and attend school out of state.

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Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com