Jackson Free Press

The FBI's Turn on Frank Melton?

Photos by Jaro Vacek and Brian Johnson

The FBI has subpoenaed documents from the city of Jackson, including but not limited to the activities of Mayor Frank Melton, according to Special Assistant to the City Attorney Pieter …

Irby Receives 18 Years Behind Bars

Karen Irby, who pleaded guilty March 26 to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of two doctors, was sentenced this morning to 18 years in prison for each count, …

BREAKING: Mother of George Bell Indicted

More details as they emerge.

The Jackson Free Press has confirmed that Robbie Bell, the mother of a young man accused of bludgeoning his girlfriend, Heather Spencer, to death, has been indicted in the case …

Release JPD Officers' Names in 72 Hours, Task Force Recommends

The rise in officer-involved shootings under Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, now at nine, and the lack of transparency thereafter posed an issue for the self-proclaimed most radical mayor in America.

BREAKING: Melton and Bodyguards Indicted on Civil Rights Charges

The Jackson Free Press has obtained a copy of a statement that the Department of Justice is about to release announcing that Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards have …

The 2009 JFP Interview With Marshand Crisler

After serving as Jackson's Ward 6 Councilman for eight years, Marshand Crisler wants to give the executive branch a try.

Melton Drug-Dealing Rumors Back

A recent deposition raises years-old questions about Frank Melton and past investigations.

PDFs of Documents Filed in U.S. v. Melton

Most recent filings are listed at the bottom.

Crisler Leads In Funds On Election Eve

Councilman Marshand Crisler has a substantial edge in fundraising over former Mayor Harvey Johnson going into tomorrow's mayoral run-off election. Crisler raised $140,470 from April 26 through May 9, according …

Mayor Takes the Gloves Off

April 13, 2005 Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. pulled no punches against the campaign of political adversary Frank Melton at a conversation in the home of a Belhaven supporter last …

Payment Protection Program: A Lifeline to Mississippi Small Businesses During COVID-19

Many Mississippi small businesses and their employees are currently wondering how they are going to weather the economic downturn the coronavirus has caused. A new law could help.

BREAKING: Did Mayor Fire Cops for Muddling Domestic Case?

Sources tell the Jackson Free Press that Mayor Frank Melton may have fired police officers who muddled the response to reports on Ludlow Street Monday that Henry Phillips, 50, was …

A New Sheriff? JFP Interview with Malcolm McMillin

My opposition in this race, their mantra is, "It's time for a change." Not that I've done a bad job, but that it's time for a change, just a change …

[Kamikaze] What We've Learned

It's frustrating. Those of us who preach progression, who practice tolerance, see it daily. Despite the Herculean efforts of most of us, we still have some among us who are …

[Balko] Sticklers for Procedure

It would be difficult to cite a more shameful episode in the history of America's criminal justice system than the pedophilia panic of the 1980s and '90s. Hysteria overcame police, …

The Dropout-Crime Connection

What if there was a way to stop people from committing crimes before they started? Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a nonprofit organization that advocates for quality education and …

Seale Appeals to U.S. Supreme Court

Attorneys for James Ford Seale, convicted in 2007 on federal kidnapping and conspiracy charges related to the 1964 killings of two 19-year-old African Americans, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme …

Appeals Allege Federal Tampering

In 2007, a federal jury convicted Mississippi attorney Paul Minor, who had made a name for himself in tobacco and asbestos litigation, of corruption. Last month Minor's lawyers appealed that …

AG: Entergy Admits to Over-charging Mississippians

[Verbatim from AG Jim Hood] Jackson, MS - After months of denials, Entergy Mississippi has now admitted to overcharging Mississippi ratepayers for power, and to engaging in part of the …

Creaming the Bad Guys

On March 10, Mayor Frank Melton called a press conference to thank the U.S. Attorney and the FBI for helping Jackson "clean up corruption" that Melton called "systemic" in the …