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Melton Objects To Gulf Coast Jury
Following a federal judge's decision yesterday to hold Mayor Frank Melton's retrial in Jackson, with a jury from the Gulf Coast, Melton has filed a motion to reconsider the ruling. The Gulf Coast is disproportionately white, the mayor argued in a motion (PDF) filed today.
Former Bodyguard Wright Gets Probation
A federal judge has sentenced former Jackson police officer Marcus Wright to one year of probation for his role in the 2006 warrantless destruction of a private home on Ridgeway Street. The incident attracted controversy as an example of the vigilante approach to crime-fighting favored by former Mayor Frank Melton.
Blood Donors Needed
Mississippi Blood Services Main Center
Mississippi Blood Services is reporting an urgent need for blood donations due to Hurricane Gustav. Hospitals and blood drawing stations across the state closed because of the storm, creating a shortage of available blood. If you don't have time to volunteer or money to donate, you can still stop by MBS' Jackson location:
Earnestine Bowden
Earnestine Bowden remembers the golden old days of Lynch Street. A Jackson native and a graduate of Lanier High School and Jackson State University, Bowden, 60, used to eat breakfast at the Penguin Restaurant and go out at the Red Carpet Club, when the historic area was bustling.
Jackson Crime Stats for April 13-19
Data for this week will be available Wednesday, April 29.
Major crime in Jackson decreased 8 percent in Jackson last week, according to data released yesterday by the Jackson Police Department. The JPD Comstat report (PDF) for April 13-19 shows slight decreases from the previous week in both property and violent crimes. Precinct commanders reported 170 property crimes, down from 185 the previous week, and 25 violent crimes, down from 27. Precinct 2, in West Jackson, reported 53 major crimes last week--the most of any precinct but also a 14 percent decrease from its total for the previous week. This week's numbers are slightly lower than figures from the same period last year, with property crime 10% lower than last year and violent crime down 7.4 percent.
Jury in Melton Retrial to Come From Coast
Also see: Full JFP Melton Blog/Archive/Trial
The second federal civil rights trial of Mayor Frank Melton and bodyguard Michael Recio will take place in Jackson, with a jury called from the Gulf Coast, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Melton and Recio's first trial for the 2006 demolition of a Ridgeway Street duplex ended in a hung jury on Feb. 24.
Feds Want Melton Retrial Moved To Gulfport
Federal prosecutors want to move the retrial of Mayor Frank Melton and his bodyguard Michael Recio to the Gulf Coast to avoid intense media scrutiny. In a motion (PDF) filed yesterday, the government argued that moving the trial to Gulfport would minimize the impact of the "all-encompassing" media coverage from the mayor's first federal trial, which ended in a hung jury on Feb. 24.
Jackson Announces Amnesty Days
In effort to clear thousands of outstanding warrants, the City of Jackson will waive penalties on overdue fines for two days, city officials announced today. The initiative, called "Amnesty Days," covers traffic violations and all misdemeanors except those involving domestic violence, weapons, crimes against a person and driving under the influence.
Campaign Finance Report: John Horhn
According to a campaign finance report (PDF) obtained by the Jackson Free Press, state Sen. John Horhn has $5,620 cash in hand leading up to Tuesday's Democratic primary. Among Horhn's largest campaign contributors are attorney John and Melody Maxey, of Jackson, and Jackson surgeon Dinesh Goel, both of whom donated $10,000. Horhn also received $1,000 each from businessman Leland Speed and fellow state Sen. Cecil Brown, as well as $2,000 from the Home Builders Association of Jackson and $2,500 from the Mississippi Association of Builders and Contractors.
Legislature Opens Today At Old Capitol
Mississippi lawmakers will convene today at 11 a.m. for the beginning of the 2009 regular session. On a celebratory note, legislators have agreed to open the session at the Old Capitol building, the seat of Mississippi's state government from 1839 to 1903. The building closed for renovations and repair in 2005 after suffering damage from Hurricane Katrina. In 2006, the Legislature approved the $14.2 million needed for repairs, including replacement of the building's copper roof.
Attorney Objects to Proposed Jury Questions
Federal prosecutors are trying to make inappropriate points about race and class in a jury questionnaire, Mayor Frank Melton's attorney John Reeves argued Tuesday. Responding to the government's list of proposed questions for potential jurors, Reeves said that prosecutors were trying to elicit sympathy for Evans Welch and Jennifer Sutton. Melton is scheduled to be re-tried May 11 on charges that he violated Welch and Sutton's civil rights in a Sept. 2006 raid on a Ridgeway Street duplex.
‘Evil Motive' Question Looms as Melton Trial Delayed
A federal judge agreed today to delay the civil rights trial of mayor Frank Melton and his former bodyguard, Michael Recio, until Jan. 5. Judge Daniel Jordan granted a last-minute motion for continuance filed by Recio's attorney, Cynthia Stewart.
BRAVO! Goes Smoke-Free
The Smokefree Jackson Coalition honored BRAVO! Italian Restaurant Tuesday for voluntarily prohibiting smoking indoors before a citywide ban takes effect Feb. 1, 2009. City Council President Leslie McLemore commended Bravo co-owner Jeff Good for setting an example and jokingly declared "Jeff Good Day" in Jackson.
UPDATED: Judge Finalizes Jury For Melton Trial
After five grueling days of questioning potential jurors, Judge Dan Jordan seated 12 jurors and 3 alternates for the federal civil-rights trial of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton and his former bodyguard Michael Recio Friday afternoon.
Education Falls Under Barbour's Knife
Governor Barbour announced $171.9 million in budget cuts to state agencies today. Education, which accounts for over half of the state's budget, will pick up the brunt of those reductions, after state lawmakers protected it during a tight-fisted budgeting process this spring.
Christopher Miner
Fondren resident Christopher Miner is one of 10 artists appearing in the Mississippi Invitational, an exhibition opening at the Mississippi Museum of Art today. A panel including New York-based art critic Peter Plagens picked Mineralong with fellow Jacksonians Brent Fogt, David Lambert, Matthew Puckett and Amanda Sparks, and five othersfrom a field of more than 100 artists to showcase local developments in contemporary art.
A-1 Pallets Owners Sue Melton, City
Charlotte Reeves and Carl Monte Reeves, owners of the A-1 Pallets Company, are suing mayor Frank Melton and the city of Jackson for $100 million. Alleging that the mayor made false public statements and used city personnel to force the closure of their Mill Street recycling facility, the Reeves' suit asks for $50 million in actual damages and $50 million in punitive damages.
Plans for Tunica Hybrid Plant Move Forward
A start-up company that is seeking to build hybrid cars in Tunica County is moving forward after settling a lawsuit with a former business partner. According to court documents, Southaven-based Hybrid Automotive Corporation has made plans with the Mississippi Development Agency to invest $6.5 billion in a plant that would employ up to 25,000 people. The company plans to make hybrid automobiles, prototypes of which should arrive in Mississippi "in the near future," according to filings.
DeSoto Parents Sue Schools, Police for Racial Discrimination
Parents of six DeSoto County students are suing the city of Southaven, school district employees and police officers for alleged racial discrimination during an incident on a school bus last year.
Supreme Court Rules Sample Ballot is Illegal
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled against Gov. Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann today in their appeal concerning the contested sample November ballot. Justice Jess Dickinson's majority opinion (PDF, 496 KB) stated that the sample ballot, which listed the U.S. Senate race between Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove near the bottom, is illegal.