Mychal Bell’s conviction for aggravated battery was overturned by Louisiana’s Third Circuit Court of Appeal on Friday, according to The Associated Press. The black student from Jena, who was 16 at the time, was scheduled for sentencing Thursday for his involvement with five others in the attack on Justin Barker, a white student. Bell was found guilty of second-degree aggravated assault and was facing 22 1/2 years in prison.
The appeals court ruled that Bell, a minor at the time of the incident, should not have been tried as an adult.
The events have brought about widespread criticism for the alleged unfair treatment of blacks in the racially charged north Louisiana town.
A rally was being planned by civil rights leaders, including Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, for the date of Bell’s sentencing.