Jackson Free Press

US Wonders: Why Stolen Data on Federal Workers Not for Sale?

The Obama administration is increasingly confident that China's government, not criminal hackers, was responsible for the extraordinary theft of personal information about as many as 14 million current and former …

SCOTUS: Prayer at Govt. Meetings OK

Outside the Bible Belt, it may seem odd for so much praying to take place at government meetings, considering the longstanding doctrine of separation of church and state. Is this …

[Balko] Progress and Challenges in Mississippi

Last week Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed House Bill 1456, which would require anyone conducting autopsies in the state to be certified in forensic pathology by the American Board of …

‘Fair and Even-Handed'

Jackson Municipal Judge Ali ShamsidDeen is not trying to be a politically divisive figure, but his background as a editor of the Jackson Advocate in the 1990s and an associate …

Here Comes Da Judge

Damn, it's time for more Morgan-Quitno rankings. The last time we got dinged, it was for being the 10th most dangerous city, based on 2001 crime statistics and released last …

Think Global, Shop Local

<i>Vote for your community with your dollars</i>

"There's Johnson's Hardware and Morgan's Jewelry. … They were the little men. … I go back now, and it's as if they've never existed. … There goes the little man."

District Attorney Owens: Hinds County Diverted 300 From Criminal Justice

Three hundred first-time non-violent offenders went through a diversion program last year in Hinds County in exchange for dropped charges, District Attorney Jody Owens said at a press conference Tuesday.

‘They Murdered My Brother’: Judge Drops Murder Charges Against JPD Officers

Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley, two Jackson police officers indicted for 62-year-old George Robinson's death, walked free on Thursday, May 20, after Hinds County Circuit Judge E. Faye Peterson rendered …

Fresh and Easy

Daniel Guaqueta, tall and dark-headed with a half-grown mustache and goatee, is sitting in the control room at the WLEZ radio station and unwrapping a CD as quickly as he …

How Cellphone Companies Have Resisted Rules for Disasters

In a natural disaster or other emergency, one of the first things you're likely to reach for is your cellphone.

The Year in Hip-Hop

This has been one hell of a year in hip-hop. It may have been a little bit of a rollercoaster ride for some artists, but on the local side, this …

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Billy Graham, Primary Coverage and JFP VIPs

"If a male politician elects to follow the "Billy Graham Rule," it really is incumbent upon him to make the accommodations necessary to meet with women—reporters, constituents, policy advisers and …

False Claims in Tate Reeves' 'Obamacare' Mailers on Waller Plan

A mailer from Tate Reeves' campaign made several misleading claims about Republican runoff opponent Bill Waller's Medicaid expansion plan.

Hinds County Extends COVID-19 Emergency, Reduces Jail Population

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors is extending its COVID-19 state of emergency for non-essential employees until May 1, waiving penalties for overdue, late and new license plates, and taking …

Melton Claims No ‘Evil Motive'

In a new motion filed in federal court (PDF) late today, Mayor Frank Melton claims that prosecutors must show that he had "evil motive" when he allegedly directed and helped …

Langston Suit Moves Ahead Through Political Thicket

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd has lifted a motion to stay a politically tinged state lawsuit against disbarred attorneys Joey Langston and Timothy Balducci and the Langston Law …

Mayoral Candidate Announces First "Jackson Speaks"

Jackson mayoral candidate and Democratic state Sen. John Horhn has announced the first of seven town-hall style meetings called "Jackson Speaks." The purpose of the forums is to give Jacksonians …

[Balko] Another Senseless Drug War Death

The Jonathan Ayers story was already outrageous enough. Last September, a North Georgia narcotics task force gunned down Ayers, a 28-year-old Baptist pastor from Lavonia, Ga., in the parking lot …

Melton: Taxpayers Should Pay My Fine

Photo Graphic by Darren Schwindaman

Attorneys for Jackson Mayor Frank Melton argued in a Meridian court on Oct. 20, over whether Melton can be sued as a private individual or if the state has to …

Innocent Man Freed; Shabby Prosecutor Now a Judge

Bernard Baran served 22 years on dubious child molestation charges, yet the prosecutor who convicted him isn't even inconvenienced.