Justice

Youth Judge Fights School-to-Prison Pipeline

Just a few years ago, sagging pants and disrupting instruction at school were almost certain to land a kid in front of Jackson County Youth Court Judge Sharon Sigalas. At that time, Sigalas says the school districts under her jurisdiction were in a pattern of sending kids to her for what she calls "minor violations."

DA Files: The Curious Case of Mr. Smith, Mr. Butler and Mr. Hood

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith walked into the courtroom on March 3, 2016, with a clear goal—to help get Christopher Butler, then 38, out of the Raymond jail.

Sisters Margaret Held and Paula Merrill

Hundreds of people filled a cathedral in Mississippi's capital city on Monday to remember two nuns who spent decades helping the needy and were found stabbed to death last week in their home in one of the poorest counties of the state.

Prosecutor to Mull Death Penalty Opposition in Nuns' Slaying

A Mississippi prosecutor said she hasn't decided whether to seek the death penalty for a man charged with killing two nuns who dedicated their lives to helping people in one of the poorest counties in the nation.

DA Smith Says MBN Framed Jackson Man; Agency Says Evidence Not 'Credible'

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith is hanging his defense to state charges and a bar complaint around what he alleges is a set-up of Christopher Butler, the man at the center of five of the six counts that could get the DA booted from office.

JPD Escorts 'Champion,' Crime Up and Down, Depraved Heart' Killer Sentenced

Despite ongoing controversy over his role in Hinds County criminal case, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is bragging this week after several local court wins, including sending a Jackson man to prison for "depraved heart murder."

Slain Nuns Leave Void in Mississippi Community They Served

In the rural Mississippi community they served, two nuns found slain in their home "would do anything for anybody," friends said.

Two Nuns Found Slain in Mississippi Home; Motive Unclear

Authorities say two Catholic nuns have been found slain in a Mississippi home where they lived.

Mississippi Islamic State Recruit Gets 8 Years in Prison

A Mississippi man who once tried to join the Islamic State group credited arresting FBI agents with saving his life as he was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday, telling a federal judge he didn't then understand what the Islamic State represented.

JPD Honors William Winter; Fires Officer Who Propositioned Teen

Even though the Jackson Police Department learned it is facing a $2-million budget cut as the City wrestled with cutting its budget this week, 60 officers gathered with stoic professionalism for JPD's weekly COMSTAT meeting Thursday.

DA’s Attorney Looking for Tapes, Informant; Says AG Hiding Him

Defense counsel James Waide III may have revealed the name of the confidential informant who taped Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and then provided tapes to the Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood’s office—tapes that could get Waide disqualified as Smith’s attorney.

Within Our Lifetime

I recently spent three days in St. Louis with 10 brilliant people from the Within Our Lifetime Network strategizing on how to end racism. While we had planned this gathering months in advance, we could not have predicted the juxtaposition of recent events with the purpose of our meeting.

Face, Vote the Truth About Juvy Detention

With so much knowledge at our disposal, we are running out of excuses not to fix juvenile justice in Hinds County.

From a War Zone to Pink Skies

One thing I've always liked about the world is its beauty. The skies are blue and pink. The palm trees, the landmarks, everything I notice about the world are beautiful but with an ugly truth.

Jackson Teens Need Mentors, Opportunity

If Reeves and other state GOP officials really want to see crime come down in the capital city, are they ready to allocate resources to both academic education, early-education and after-school programs, and to equitably encourage 21st-century extra-curricular programs such as youth digital media projects?

Ellington