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Politics
Reeve’s State of The State Touts Accomplishments Amid Troubles
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City & County
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Military Plans Would Put Women in Most Combat Jobs
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Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime for Murdering Transgender Woman for Her Gender Identity
By Tim Summers Jr.The following was released by the Department of Justice and reprinted here verbatim:
First Case Prosecuted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act Where Victim was Targeted Because of Gender Identity
WASHINGTON – Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman. Williamson, born Michael Wilkins, was 17 years old and resided in Alabama at the time of her death. Vallum was charged with violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The plea was announced by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson Division.
“Our nation’s hate crime statutes advance one of our fundamental beliefs: that no one should have to live in fear because of who they are,” said Attorney General Lynch. “Today’s landmark guilty plea reaffirms that basic principle, and it signals the Justice Department’s determination to combat hate crimes based on gender identity. While Mississippi convicted the defendant on murder charges, we believe in the fundamental value of identifying and prosecuting these bias-fueled incidents for what they are: acts of hate. By holding accountable the perpetrator of this heinous deed, we reinforce our commitment to ensuring justice for all Americans.”
“Congress passed the Shepard-Byrd Act to protect our most vulnerable communities, including the transgender community, from harm,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “No conviction, even such a historic one, can relieve the grief and anguish facing this victim’s family. But this guilty plea sends an unequivocal message that violence based on one’s gender identity violates America’s defining values of inclusivity and dignity. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute hate crimes, which not only target individuals for harm, but also deny entire communities the promises of true freedom and equal protection.”
“The defendant committed a horrific and reprehensible act of violence against the victim because of her gender identity,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “This type of attack threatens the harmony of our diverse community and undermines America’s principle of equality under the law. The U. S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing its work, in conjunction with the DOJ Civil Rights Division, to ensure that the federal laws prohibiting violations of civil rights will be aggressively prosecuted in the Southern District of Mississippi. I commend our law enforcement partners, including the FBI, George County Sheriff’s Office and Office of the District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District, who worked tirelessly in this case to ensure that justice was done.”
“Hate crime has no place in our society, especially by those targeting victims solely for their sexual orientation or identity,” said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. “This guilty plea will go towards demonstrating hate crime will not be tolerated in the …
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The Game That Cost a Coach His Job
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WJTV is providing video of the post-game press conferences plus the firing announcement of the Ole Miss coach:
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Politics
COVID-19 Curve Still Rising in Mississippi With 181 New Cases, 3 Deaths
Mississippi saw its biggest increase in novel coronavirus cases in a single 24-hour period today with 181 new cases and 3 deaths for a total. The Mississippi State Department of …
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Palestinian Leader in New UN Bid to End Occupation
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Friday of conducting a "war of genocide" and a "series of absolute war crimes" during the 50-day summer conflict in Gaza, but stopped …
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Hood Takes Gloves Off Over Barbour Ballot Scheme
[Verbatim from Attorney General Jim Hood] Jackson, MS-Gov. Haley Barbour's ill-conceived attempt to gain a partisan political advantage for his party and violate state law is an embarrassment for both …
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Of Anger and Alternative Endings
When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a civil-rights attorney. I had visions of righting the kinds of wrongs done in my hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. …
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[Hammond] It's a Dry Hate
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Injustice in Noxubee
There was a story in yesterday's New York Times that reminded me of the Cedric Willis story.
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Editor's Note
EDITOR'S NOTE: Stepping into a Mentor's Shoes, Hoping They Fit
"As future-oriented as I am, I understood early on that I needed to work really hard in school to help me achieve my goal. ... I continue to learn my …
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City & County
JPS Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against BOTEC, Alleged 'Cruelly False Assertions'
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A Correction Forthcoming, Mr. Agnew?
In his "we do community journalism, too; really, we do" column today, Clarion-Ledger Executive Editor Ronnie Agnew makes an interesting statement about his paper's Web site that we believe deserves …
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LOTT: FEMA should be a "freestanding agency…"
AP reports:
Lott didn't want to blame anyone for the government's response to the disaster, saying he doesn't want to "bite the hand" that's trying to save him. His own home in …
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[Lott] Iraq: Neither ‘Wrong' Nor ‘Distracting'
It's inconsistent for any songressman or senator to wake up one day and say our troops don't have enough equipment or that the reconstruction of Iraq isn't going well, when …
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‘Evil Intent': Why Frank Melton Was Acquitted the First Time
After Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards were acquitted in a Hinds County court last year for the Ridgeway duplex demolition, the JFP's Brian Johnson wrote this analysis of …
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Opposition to Iraq War Grows in South
A new poll of the region hit hardest by the war in Iraq finds that the South is steadily losing patience with the war in Iraq:
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The Clean, Green Power Machine?
A pro-nuclear rally was held on the south steps of the State Capitol June 28 to gather support and attention for The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's public meeting later that evening …
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Yolanda Denise King, 1955-2007
The eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King, passed away Tuesday night in Santa Monica, California. She was 51.
