Jackson Free Press

Day 5: DA's Attorney Takes Stand ... for Prosecution

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith had the opportunity to ask his own attorney questions on the stand after the prosecution called Tupelo attorney Jim Waide as its latest …

Mistrial for Smith, But Bribery Question Lingers

The trial of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith for conspiracy to hinder prosecution by aiding or assisting a defendant ended last week with a mistrial after a simple …

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 …

Hinds County DA Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes

A former employee of the Hinds County District Attorney's Office has admitted in court that he is guilty of accepting bribes.

'Nobody's Puppet'

Candidates for the Hinds County District Attorney's office spoke at a Jackson 2000 forum at Schimmel's last week, taking questions from audience members.

Survivors of Murdered Women File Suit

The families of two women murdered last September by the men who professed their love for them say they have yet to receive justice.

UPDATED: DA Smith Puts Ben Allen on Trial Jan. 30, DJP Suing 'Whistleblower' Claiming Forged Checks

The trial of Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen, who faces 10 counts, including embezzling a 1989 Chevy truck and tens of thousands of dollars from the business improvement district, …

DA Files: ‘Too Sweet’ Reverend, Old Faces Back in News

Names of men who were involved in the late and controversial Mayor Frank Melton's universe keep popping up in the convoluted accusations encircling Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.

Music Reviews

Olympic Records act, the Da Vincis, make exactly the music teenage boys should make. Their loose, jazzy pop songs possess a purity free from the baggage that comes with age …

Archive: Investigations Involving R.J. Washington and Frank Melton

Following are links to Donna Ladd's 2008 investigative series on the murder of R.J. Washington, as well as stories about the "mysteries of Frank Melton." A list of PDFs to …

Conspiracies Grow in DA Smith Trial

There might be a bribery conspiracy in the Hinds County justice system, and even an admitted member of it said he did not know how "deep it goes."

Fresh Off Victory, NRA Holds Convention in Houston

Fresh off a huge victory over President Barack Obama on gun control, the message from the National Rifle Association is clear: The fight has just begun.

Chokehold Case Stirs Debate on Special Prosecutors

After a police officer wasn't indicted in a fatal chokehold caught on video, some officials are reviving calls to entrust such cases to special prosecutors, rather than local district attorneys.

Left Behind: Public Defenders Underpaid, Have Little Oversight

When Michele Purvis Harris was city attorney of Jackson, she heard troubling remarks from the people her office was supposed to prosecute. "I don't want the public defender, I want …

Hinds Judge in the Hot Seat

Houston Patton may have a busy docket as Hinds County Court judge, but he must also contend with an increasing number of cases that feature him as a defendant.

JPD Officers Allege Sexism, Racism, More in Lawsuit Against Mayor, Police Chief

Former and current Jackson Police Department officers have filed a lawsuit accusing Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and Police Chief James Davis of abuse of office, infringement of civil rights, fostering …

AP: Feds Seize $425,000 from Ed Peters

AP is reporting:

Federal authorities have seized $425,000 from a former district attorney linked to the most sweeping judicial bribery investigation in Mississippi in years. While no formal charges have been made public …

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.

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.

The Dark Side of the Hinds Justice System

It will be a tough slog, but we need confidence and accountability in the Hinds criminal-justice system again.