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State of the City: ‘Mistakes of the Heart'
Lots of determination, but no details formed the substance of Mayor Frank Melton's State of the City Address at the Alamo Theatre this morning. An emotional Melton, who is under investigation by the FBI, took the stage after an introduction from his 82-year-old Cuban aunt, apologizing for a myriad of snafus during his two-year term as mayor. "I've made some mistakes, but they've been mistakes of the heart," Melton told the audience. Ӆ I cannot and will not do anything that's designed to hurt another human being. That's not my nature.
Day 3: Police Officers Testify
Two police officers testified for the defense this morning. First was Sharon Gray, a 27 year veteran of the force who has spent the last five years as a records custodian. Second was Brendan Bell, a narcotics detective. At around 12: 30 p.m., the judge recessed the trial, which is set to resume at 2 p.m.
BREAKING: Mayor Agrees to Confirmation Hearings
After many months of stalling, Mayor Frank Melton has finally agreed to put department heads and other appointments in front of the City Council for confirmation. Councilman Ben Allen told the Jackson Free Press today that Melton sent him an e-mail requesting that Allen move ahead with setting up confirmation hearings for the following positions: Rick Hill of the Department of Finance; Fire Chief Todd Chandler; Charles Melvin of Parks and Recreation; Jackson Redevelopment Authority board member Ted Duckworth; Jackson Public Schools Board member Ivory Phillips; Municipal Court Judge Ali ShamsidDeen, and Planning and Development consultant Leland Speed.
Melton Doesn't Show, Fails to Deliver on Promise
Amid rumors that he is en route to Las Vegas for a music awards event, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton fell through on his pronouncement to deliver a new budget proposal this morningand didn't show up himself for city budget meetings. Melton told the council yesterday that he would procure a new budget himself overnight that did not include a tax increase, after enduring accusations from council members that his preferencessuch as cuts to JATRAN and the JRAwere not reflected in the current budget proposal.
The FBI Serves Subpoenas, Reserve Spending is a Possibility
The city of Jackson has been hit with more subpoenas this week, according to Special Assistant to City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen.
City's War on Sex Toys Is Back
Just when you thought that the Jackson Police Department isn't up to the challenge posed by escalating crime, they prove you wrong. Per The Clarion-Ledger tonight:
BREAKING: New Supreme Court Pleadings
Today, Judge Tomie Green filed a response (PDF, 128 KB) to attorney Dale Danks' Tuesday motion calling for emergency relief from the Mississippi Supreme Court. Danks, who is the lead attorney on Mayor Frank Melton's defense team, accused Green of larceny for withdrawing a decision on March 5 and replacing it the morning of March 6. In her response, Green calls for Danks' motion to be stricken from the record.
BREAKING: Council Mulls Mothballing Legal Dept.
Four members of City Council said they are considering withholding funding to the city's legal department after what they described as that department's clear bias toward the mayor's office.
Melton: ‘I'm An Expert Swimmer and All That ..."
A hasty council vote to select a new president delivered predictable results last Tuesday, as two deeply divided factions squared off against one another. The meeting also featured a mayor who apologized, threatened, cajoled, rambled and alleged that two of the young men who live in his own house had affairs with their Jackson Public Schools teachers.
Day 2: Welch Watching ‘Walking Tall' Before Attack
In the opening statements and first testimony in the Mississippi v. Melton et al. trial, prosecutor Stanley Alexander came out of the gate with a focus on the events of Aug. 25, 2006, when he promised to show that Frank Melton, Michael Recio and Marcus Wright are guilty of the five felony charges they face. He also mentioned that Melton was "loaded" that night. He promised to prove that Evans Welch and his friend, Lawrence Cooper Jr., were watching TV when Wright broke down the back door and Melton came to the front porch, and soon attacked the side of the house with a "long Walking Tall stick," breaking out several windows.
Day 1: JFP Blogs Figure Prominently in Voir Dire
On Monday, defense attorney Merrida Coxwell Jr. conducted voir dire for Melton. In his second question, he asked if any potential juror read or made comments on media blogs, specifically the Jackson Free Press. One prospective juror said he had read the JFP online. Coxwell asked if any had read the JFP in print, describing it as a "little magazine they have outside grocery stores." Altogether, two prospective jurors said they had read articles about the defendants in the JFP, and Webster said attorneys could question them in chambers.
Danks Renews Charges, AG and Green Fire Back
Three motions regarding Judge Tomie Green's renewed call for sanctions against former Mayor Dale Danks, who is Mayor Frank Melton's private attorney, were filed with the Mississippi Supreme Court in the last two days.
BREAKING: Danks Subpoenas Peterson
Former Mayor Dale Danks, who is an attorney for Mayor Frank Melton, filed a subpoena today ordering District Attorney Faye Peterson to appear before Judge Joe Webster at 9:30 a.m. on April 13.
Melton Presents New D.A., Kept Distance During Campaign
Citizen bloggers are reporting that a jubilant Mayor Frank Melton introduced Robert Smith, his choice for district attorney, last night at Smith's campaign gathering. In his remarks, made before Smith's, the mayor said that Smith was his choice for the office, but that he had needed to keep his distance during the campaign. Melton remarked to the cameras using first person: "The first thing that we have to do is take care of the staff." In a Clarion-Ledger photo this morning, Melton political operative Bob Hickinbottom is grinning over Smith's shoulder.
BREAKING: Melton to Veto Payroll
Mayor Frank Melton vowed to veto an amendment City Council made to the city's payroll this morning.
Day 3: Stokes Testifies; Defense Rests
Reporting by Brian Johnson
The defense elected to call only one more witness this afternoon—Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Under direct questioning by Melton attorney Dale Danks, Stokes said he had lodged complaints about drugs in the Ridgeway Street area. "We were asking for help, from the mayor's office especially," Stokes said. He said he had discussed the duplex at 1305 Ridgeway Street "a couple times" before Aug. 26, 2006. Stokes said he first discussed it with Melton on April 4, 2006, as well as Michael Recio and Marcus Wright. He said that it was his opinion that it was a "crackhouse."
Melton Asks Warner to Oversee Ex-Con Staff
At District Attorney-elect Robert Smith's victory party, Mayor Frank Melton said that Smith is one of his long-time "kids" who will now help him with the young men of Jackson he is trying to save. "I thank God tonight that I have somebody now who will help me with these children ... who will put these drug dealers in jail."
UPDATED: Council, JPS Report Mayoral Threats
This is an updated version of this story that broke Monday on the JFP Web site.
Health Challenge Issued to CEOs
[verbatim] Sister Mary Dorothea Sondgeroth, O.P., President, St. Dominic Health Services, Inc. and chair for the 2009 Metro Jackson Start! Heart Walk is challenging local companies to participate in the American Heart Association's National Start! Walking Day by allowing their employees to incorporate a 30 minute walking break into their day and raise money for heart disease research and prevention. National Start! Walking Day is April 8.
I Resolve, I Resolve, I Resolve
I just took a glorious week off. This hasn't happened to me much since we started the Free Press two and a half years ago. We managed to get away for a week in August to the Pacific Northwest—but, truth be known, I stayed on the laptop editing and perhaps even micromanaging a little from across the country as the home team put the paper out.