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City & County
Officials Question Drug War's Effectiveness
Lee Vance, an assistant police chief with the Jackson Police Department, participated in a roundtable discussion at the Mississippi Black Leadership Summit, under way at the Jackson Convention Center.
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City & County
The Drug War’s Crossroads
Cedric Willis, who was arrested in 1994 and charged with murder, rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault, and was exonerated 12 years later, doesn't buy the argument that law-enforcement officials …
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Crime
Hinds DA Facing Different Kind of Trial for Alleged Abuse, Stalking in Rankin County
In the last year, Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith has avoided a conviction in two trials for hindering prosecution in Hinds County that would have forced him from …
Entry
'Taking Back Our Community' Meeting Planned for Thursday in South Jackson
By Todd StaufferCouncilman Tyrone Hendrix is calling together some heavy hitters to discuss strategies for dealing with crime in South Jackson, this Thursday, February 11, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place in the cafeteria of Wingfield High School (1985 Scanlon Drive).
“The time to take action is now,” said Hendrix in a press release. “We must work collectively and engage in an open conversation to take a community-oriented approach to take back our communities.”
The panel for the discussion includes Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance, District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, Hinds County Sherriff Victor Mason, and Creston Hills Watch Group President Johns Sledge.
The meeting, which is open to the public, is said to focus on developing strategies to combat crime, engaging local leaders in an open conversation about community-oriented solutions to crime and empowering residents to improve the safety of their neighborhoods.
Citizens, business owners, neighborhood association leaders, clergy, educators and others are encouraged to attend. For more information call Hendrix's office at 601-960-1089 or email [email protected].
http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/feb/09/24509/
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Crime
Hinds DA's Motive Doesn't Matter in Conspiracy Case, State Argues in Court
The State of Mississippi rested its case against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith Friday, bringing the first week of his second trial to a close, even as the …
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State
Twists, Turns, Rats and Secret Tapes
Who's ratting out the district attorney? That's just one of many questions swirling around Attorney General Jim Hood's arrest and investigation of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
Story
Miss. Supreme Court Won't Undo Block on Gun Law
The Mississippi Supreme Court says it won't undo a circuit judge's order that's blocking an open-carry gun law from taking effect.
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
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Meeting Focuses on Crime Solutions
Local law enforcement officials, justice advocates, clergy members and Jackson residents came together last night to discuss solutions on tackling crime in Jackson.
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
Story
Politics
UPDATED: Top Jackson, Hinds Officials Fight Charges, Settle Lawsuits for Harassment, More
The "Weinstein era" of exposing sexual misconduct has launched many powerful and high-profile men out of their career posts and into the spotlight for their raunchy and violating behaviors in …
Story
Dedmon Indicted by Grand Jury
On Monday, a Grand Jury indicted Deryl Dedmon on capital murder charges for the murder of James Craig Anderson.
Entry
Jackson NAACP: Hinds Elex Commish Connie Cochran Should Resign
By R.L. NaveThe Jackson branch of the NAACP is calling for the ouster of Connie Cochran, the chairwoman of the Hinds County Election Commission, for problems during the Nov. 4 general election.
Some precincts saw unexpectedly high turnout. Some of those polling places ran out of ballots late in the evening, which touched off a mad scramble to print more. Agitated by the long waits, some voters left without casting their ballots.
Later, Connie Cochran—the chairwoman of the Hinds County Election Commission—admitted that the commission failed to follow a state law mandating that enough ballots be printed for 75 percent of registered voters. Cochran took responsibility for making the call to save the county money.
Wayne McDaniels, president of the local NAACP, said through a press release: "Ms. Cochran violated thousands of Hinds County residents’ constitutional rights and broke the state law by not having enough election ballots at the time of voting. In addition, the Jackson City Branch NAACP is also asking for any other commissioner’s resignation if they voted with her or supported her actions."
Board Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen told supervisors that Cochran's statements to local media would likely result in legal action. He cited a state law that makes violating state-election requirements a misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fee.
This week, supervisors took the additional step of formally asking Robert Shuler Smith, the county's chief prosecutor, and Attorney General Jim Hood to sanction the five-member election commission after amending a motion to single out Connie Cochran, the District 4 representative, for reprimand. District 4 Supervisor Tony Greer voted against the motion to ask for sanctions.
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
Story
A Three-Point Plan for Public Safety Built on Youth Success
Driven by research and common sense, law enforcement leaders are advocating for quality early education and reduced school suspensions and expulsions.
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Development
Stokes, Graham Blast New Jail Planning Committee
In response to the seemingly never-ending bad news out of the Raymond Detention Center, county officials this morning took an incremental first step toward finding a solution.
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Ed Peters Demands Legal Fees from City
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's assurance that he would be covering court costs in his April 2007 felony trial did not apply to his co-defendants, judging by a Nov. 30 letter …
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Cover
The Case Against the Hinds DA: A Long-Running Hinds County Whodunit Ends
Jackson has been enveloped in a seemingly ripe "whodunit" case involving Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith since 2011.
Story
Candidate
Bomp, Bomp: Law & Order and the Race for Hinds County District Attorney
It's hard to tell whether Robert Shuler Smith, the top prosecutor in Hinds County, is confident he'll coast to a third term as district attorney—or if he's scared out of …
