Jackson Free Press

Cosby Lawyers Say Prosecutors Using 'Casting Couch' Cliche

Bill Cosby's lawyers will argue Tuesday that prosecutors are reaching back to the "casting couch" era to round up female accusers and build a "stale" sexual assault case against him.

Mississippi Asks Court to Uphold Law Affecting LGBT Rights

Mississippi's Republican governor is asking a federal appeals court to uphold a state law letting merchants and government employees cite religious beliefs to deny services to same-sex couples.

Epps Sentencing Delayed in Mississippi Prison Bribery Case

A federal judge has again delayed sentencing in a bribery case for the former head of the Mississippi prison system.

Oklahoma State Trooper Kills Fugitive After Weeklong Manhunt

A weeklong manhunt for a suspect in a string of violent crimes, including the killing of two relatives, the shooting of three law enforcement officers and multiple carjackings, has ended …

NAACP: Stop Removing Voters from Rolls in North Carolina

Local elections boards in North Carolina are illegally removing thousands of voters from the rolls, and a disproportionate number of them are black, the NAACP said in a federal lawsuit …

Drought-like Conditions Lead to More Burn Bans, One Fatality

Droughts can lead to wildfires, which is why, in the midst of continuing drought in the South, Gov. Phil Bryant issued a burn ban for more than 50 counties on …

Clinton Has Big Cash Lead; Pence says Message Matters More

Donald Trump's campaign said Friday the billionaire businessman may plunge more of his personal fortune into his presidential bid after new federal filings that show Hillary Clinton with an $85 …

Electing Justice: The JFP Interview with Justice Jim Kitchens

Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens will complete his first full eight-year term on the state's highest court this year. Before joining the court in 2008, Kitchens worked primarily as …

Secret Tapes Reveal DA’s Private Side

Former Assistant District Attorney Ivon Johnson taped conversations with Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith on May 9 and June 18, the last session only four days before sheriff's …

JPS Board, Supe Under Fire Over Scores

When Cedrick Gray took the reins as superintendent of Jackson Public Schools in 2012, he had three preliminary goals attached to his three-year, $200,000 contract.

Hinds DA Can Keep His Counsel, Fails to Quash Indictment

Special Judge Larry Roberts ruled this morning that Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith can continue to retain Tupelo attorney Jim Waide, as long as he understands the potential …

Mississippians Give $12.3 Million to GoFundMe Campaigns

Scrolling through Facebook, it's almost impossible not to see a GoFundMe campaign these days. The Internet age has made generosity simple: the click of a button and a few online …

Trustees: Jackson State Must Act Now to Stanch Cash Drain

College Board officials are intervening in Jackson State University's finances, saying the 10,000-student university's cash reserves have been spent down to a dangerously low point.

In Search of the Wheel’s Hub

What exactly was Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith looking for when he subpoenaed a circuit-court judge in January?

How State Agencies Dance with Privatization

Mississippi children living in poverty may be among the neediest in America, but last year the State of Mississippi did not allocate $35 million earmarked to help poor families in …

Jailed 96 Days on Bogus Charge: It is No One's Fault?

Pulled over for traffic violations, Jessica Jauch was held for 96 days in a Mississippi jail without seeing a judge, getting a lawyer or having a chance to make bail. …

Mississippi’s Silenced Voters

Thanks in part to Mississippi's antiquated and disenfranchising voting-rights laws, Robert Banks still cannot vote, even though he has been off probation for over a decade.

Showing Up: Mayoral Hopeful Graham Pledges to Manage Crisis

Robert Graham traces his 35 years with the Jackson Police Department with a sense of resolve. Starting at JPD as a civilian who mopped the floors, he says it was …

Former Miss. State Senator Pleads Guilty to Bribery

A former state senator pleaded guilty in Mississippi's prison contract bribery scandal Tuesday, becoming the sixth person to admit to guilt in the investigation centering on former Corrections Commissioner Christopher …

Rep. Kathy Sykes, D-Jackson, said she has already pre-filed a bill to change the Mississippi …

• October 14, 2016