Justice

JPD Mourns Officer's Death

The Jackson Police Department is mourning the death of officer Glen Agee who suspect LeTwan Smith allegedly shot Friday night.

Civil Rights Memorial Corridor Moving Forward

Jackson State University is moving ahead with a project to transform a section of Lynch Street near the university into a memorial to the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, Interim JSU President Leslie Burl McLemore said today.

[Mott] ‘Bring On the Rest'

Driving away from Parchman Penitentiary on the night Mississippi executed Joseph Burns, I was having trouble putting my feelings into words. I had just watched a man die in front of my eyes and yet, I was oddly calm, as if I had just walked out of a movie theater.

Hinds Youth Center Director Resigns

The troubled Hinds County Youth Detention Center has lost its second director in one year. Clifton Strong resigned July 20, only one month after he accepted the director position. Strong follows the previous director, Darron Farr, who resigned in March after managing the detention facility, also known as the Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center, for two years.

Condemn the Cowardice

Men get a bad rap. Oftentimes we deserve it. But generally—luckily—the many good ones among us overshadow the bad apples. As we look forward to the annual JFP Chick Ball this weekend, we should again take a hard look at the heinous crime that is domestic abuse.

Willis Suit Moves Ahead

Jackson resident Cedric Willis said he will still get his day in court regarding his malicious prosecution suit against the city of Jackson, though the judge has moved the court date to September.

[Purvis] Wasteland of Empty Promises

"Call—call the police!" I stammered through the phone tenuously gripped in my trembling hand. I was kneeling in my mother's living room in the midst of broken glass and a carpet stained with drops of blood—his blood. He had punched out the glass in the patio door and the panes in the living-room windows.

Women Speak Out

We asked JFP readers and domestic-abuse victims to share their stories. Here are a couple of the many responses we received. I always thought I was too strong, smart and grounded to be caught up in the cycle of domestic violence, but here I am. The funny thing is, while I was with my abuser, I defended him. I lied to myself and made excuse after excuse for his behavior, not because I condoned it, but because I didn't understand the subtleties of domestic violence.

Starting Again: Mississippi Laws Trap Women In Abuse

Claire sat with her back to the wall on the washed-out blue bedspread covered with big cabbage roses, once pink, now faded nearly to white. The neat little room barely had space for the old-fashioned wood-framed double bed, a black desk and office chair, and a high bookcase stuffed with official-looking 2-inch binders and children's movie DVDs.

Hole-Filled Souls

I know a woman who lives in the house with her children, her husband and his violent temper. She wears a mask. This woman, whenever I see her, has a joyful disposition, even when she's wearing long sleeves and ankle-length skirts or pants, even in this heat. I'm certain she has bruises she's hiding. Her children, I've noticed never take too many steps without knowing where she is at all times. I've never asked, because I don't want to cause problems, but I wonder if they're more concerned for her or themselves. Even if he doesn't hit them, only naivete would allow someone to think they aren't affected.

Willis Trial Postponed

Hinds County Circuit Court has postponed a malicious prosecution lawsuit filed by Cedric Willis, Jackson city attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said today.

My Kind of Tea Party

Recently, I was asked to appear on a local cable talk show to talk about issues of the day. I didn't think much about it; it sounded easy and innocent enough. And I was busy and didn't bother to ask who I was appearing on the show alongside.

Give Me Shelter: Protecting Animals, Prosecuting Abusers

The mutt turned up in the Providence Madison subdivision one day in early October 2009 . A black and tan hound mix, around 7 months old, she was skittish around the neighborhood(tm)s residents. She cowered if a human tried to pet her, tucking her tail between her legs, even urinating. Some residents began feeding her, though, leaving dog food on the road for her to eat.

Find Another Way

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant is no stranger to right-wing nuttery, but he offered a prime example of conservative hysteria in comments in a July 12 article in The Clarion-Ledger. Suggesting children of undocumented immigrants are burdening Mississippi's hospitals, Bryant told The Clarion-Ledger, "You have some that have babies—anchor babies—and don't pay for it."

[Beety] The Cost of Death

On July 21, the state of Mississippi is scheduled to put Joseph Daniel Burns Mississippian, murderer and father of three—to death. Our state has executed only 10 men over the past 30 years; yet, if all goes as planned, Burns will be the third Mississippian executed this year.

Ellington