
Judge Cuts Fine to $20,000 for Man Convicted in Bribery Case
A businessman who bribed Mississippi's former prisons chief will only have to pay a $20,000 fine, not the $150,000 originally imposed, after he testified Wednesday that his debts outweigh his assets.

Analysis: Someone Might Want a Trial in Epps Bribery Case
None of the people accused of bribing former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps have gone to trial. Yet. But Dr. Carl Reddix might be ready to risk it.

Physician Seeks Dismissal of Prison Contract Bribery Case
A physician accused of bribing Mississippi's former prisons chief says charges against him should be dismissed because prosecutors can't prove the corrections official did anything to improperly influence prison medical contracts awarded to the doctor's company.

'Operation Zero Tolerance' Nets Staggering Amount of Contraband in Prison
Pelicia Hall, the recently confirmed commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, is cracking down on contraband in public and private prisons in the state.

Emmett Till Relative Asks Sessions to Push Civil Rights Law
Family members of Emmett Till pushed Attorney General Jeff Sessions Tuesday to enforce a law that that allows prosecutors to reinvestigate old civil rights murder cases.

JFP Staffers Receive First Place Honors in 2016 Associated Press Regional Awards
The Jackson Free Press staff won two first place awards from the Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters and Media Editors; the winners were announced at a banquet this weekend held in downtown Jackson at the King Edward hotel.

Gov. Bryant Signs 'Back the Badge,' Increased Penalties Bills
Surrounded by law enforcement officers, emergency personnel and first responders, Gov. Phil Bryant signed the "Back the Badge Act," which adds law-enforcement officials, firefighters and emergency personnel as protected classes under Mississippi's hate-crime laws.

Cruel & Unusual? The Death Penalty’s Trials in Mississippi
The State of Mississippi is litigating legal challenges to the state's lethal-injection law directly. Mississippi last executed a prisoner in June 2012, Mississippi Department of Corrections records posted online show.

Last-Hour Gang Law Overhaul Is Self-Defeating
When Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, stood up at the last hour to amend state gang law at the Mississippi Legislature on March 8, he committed what can be called a "tell."

A ‘Gang,’ By Any Other Name
The word "gang" means different things to different people—and the realities of organized gangs in U.S. cities have shifted over the years. One result is that many of them are not the hierarchical organized-crime syndicates of past years.

'Back the Badge' Bill Heads to Governor's Desk
Police officers will become a protected class for hate crimes against them if Gov. Phil Bryant signs the "Back the Badge Act of 2017," which is headed to Gov. Phil Bryant's desk after the Mississippi House of Representatives approved the Senate's version of the legislation.

Slain Teen's Mother Sues Business Owner Charged with His Murder
Yvette Mason-Sherman filed a civil lawsuit against Wayne Parish, the man indicted in the killing of her 17-year-old son, Charles McDonald Jr., at Performance Oil Equipment in Jackson last fall, saying he acted with a "pre-meditated mind."

ICE Releases Daniela Vargas Under Order of Supervision
Daniela Vargas, the 22-year-old undocumented immigrant who grew up in Mississippi and was detained after speaking out at a press conference in Jackson, is free from federal custody as of today.

Lawyer: Mississippi Flag Sends Message of 'White Supremacy'
In the latest legal wrangling over one of Mississippi's most prominent symbols, a lawyer for a man who objects to the state's flag said Tuesday the Confederate-themed banner sends a message of "white supremacy."

Lawmaker Flips to Support Domestic Abuse as Divorce Reason
A Mississippi lawmaker breathed life back into a proposal Monday to make domestic abuse a reason for divorce, after coming under fire recently for killing a similar measure.
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