Justice

How The Clarion-Ledger Got It Wrong: The Importance of Context

As part of its coverage of Mississippi's proposed execution of Michelle Byrom, The Clarion-Ledger's Therese Apel wrote a puff piece that ostensibly explored whether the United States reserves its harshest punishment mostly for men. Does the criminal-justice system suffer from gender bias?

Crime’s Down—But Do the Candidates Know It?

Now that we're in the throes of another city election, it should come as no surprise that Jackson crime has been a major subject of conversation in debates and forums.

As SB2681 Passes, A Gay Mississippi Businessman Talks Back to the Far Right

"I don't have to look back very far in my lived experience to recall a time when I was afraid to live openly. I once thought the very best I could hope for was to get a job, fall in love, and keep that part of my life hidden from family and clients."

Michelle Byrom Gets Stunning Sentencing Reversal

In a highly unusual decision, the nine justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Monday to reverse the conviction of Michelle Byrom, 57, who has been on death row awaiting execution for the past 14 years.

Miss. Gov Signs Criminal-Justice Overhaul Bill

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on Monday signed a bill designed to make the criminal justice system more efficient and less expensive.

Miss. Supreme Court Reverses Michelle Byrom's Conviction, Delays Second Execution

The Mississippi Supreme Court today reversed the capital conviction of Michelle Byrom and ordered a new trial with a different circuit judge.

Attorneys Allege Lethal Drugs Violate Michelle Byrom's Constitutional Rights

“MDOC’s decision to purchase raw pharmaceutical ingredients and then secretly compound them at an unknown time and location by people with unknown training and credentials, increases the risk that the drugs will be ineffective or contaminated."

Will Byrom Be Tortured to Death?

Mississippi's pending executions of Michelle Byrom and Charles Crawford—which are not yet scheduled—have mired the state in a controversy over what constitutes "cruel and unusual" in executions.

Diaz: Michelle Byrom Did Not Get a Fair Trial

Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver E. Diaz jr. explains why Michelle Byrom did not get a fair trial and does not deserve to be executed. And he wants to abolish the death penalty.

Byrom Execution This Week Unlikely

With the Mississippi State Supreme Court considering appeals from death-row prisoner Michelle Byrom, it's unlikely that the state could schedule the woman's execution in time for the date Attorney General Jim Hood requested.

Miss. Legislators OK Final Version of Justice Bill

Legislation to make Mississippi's criminal justice system more efficient and less expensive won final approval Thursday from state lawmakers.

‘Personhood’ May Be Back

The anti-abortion organization  Personhood Mississippi  filed paperwork for Initiative 41 on March 5, 2013. If supporters gather 107,216 signatures by May 14, 2014, the bill will appear on the ballot in November 2015.

An Innocent Woman? Michelle Byrom vs. Mississippi

If Mississippi executes Michelle Byrom, now 57, she will be the first woman the state has put to death in 70 years. It may also be a horrible injustice.

Miss. House Approves Criminal Justice Changes

A bill that proposes several changes to Mississippi's criminal justice system is moving closer to Gov. Phil Bryant's desk.

Heroin on the Rise in South Mississippi

Heroin, a deadly drug that plagues other areas of the nation, is on the rise in South Mississippi.

Ellington