The Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors cleared Richard McAfee of any wrongdoing in response to a complaint filed by Madison County Engineer Rudy Warnock.
Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler and Madison County Engineer Rudy Warnock skirmished a few months ago over his work for Madison County. WLBT reported:
"According to Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler, private citizens hired engineer Richard McAfee of Florida to review Madison County contracts with Rudy Warnock's engineering firm. McAfee is with PMA Consultants, LLC.
McAfee used public records from nine roadway projects. He claimed to have found multiple instances of excessive fees and two million dollars worth of questionable disbursements to Warnock & Associates, LLC.
"Principally, it appeared to be the result of the inadequate oversight and then some instances of Warnock & Associates potentially over charging or double charging. For the most part it appears to be a combination of the two,"McAfee told WLBT news in an interview Wednesday."
Mr. Warnock then took the offensive and filed a complaint on April 28, 2010 with the Board alleging Mr. McAfee engaged in the unauthorized practice of engineering since he is not licensed in Mississippi and identified himself as a professional engineer in the report. Copy of complaint (The "audit" starts on page four.). Mr. Warnock also issued a press release on the same day through his attorney, Dorsey Carson.
The Board took a nice long look at it all and told Rudy: sorry kid, better luck next time. The Board met yesterday and rejected Mr. Warnock's complaint. The Board informed Mr. Carson in a letter (obtained by JJ through a public records request and reprinted below in its entirety):
"The Board has concluded its investigation into Mr. Warnock's complaint against Richard McAfee.
It is the committee's opinion that Mr. McAfee's report is not an engineering report. The report contains no designs, analysis, judgments, conclusions or recommendations requiring licensure as a Professional Engineer. The report is an evaluation of Mr. Warnock's business practices by a peer.
The committee declines to determine the origin of the various versions of this report and the differing signature titles, because it would make no difference in the committee's conclusions. Mr. McAfee may sign with the P.E. title in the future, however, it is suggested that he either disclose the state(s) of his PE licensure, or that he avoid any confusion by not using the title in states where he is not licensed."
The next question to be asked is how valid are the charges in Mr. McAfee's report. It will be interesting to see if Stacey Pickering's audit reports the same findings found in McAfee's examination. Stay tuned. This is probably starting to heat up.
This earlier post contains Warnock's rebuttal to the audit and video of his press conference. The video is pretty good entertainment as it goes back and forth from Rudy to Mary several times.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Board of Engineers rejects Warnock's complaint
Tonight at AJ's: Hunter Gibson & salsa
Mac fires Mason
"HINDS COUNTY, MS (WLBT) - Three On Your Side has learned Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin has fired 20-year law enforcement veteran Victor Mason.
Sources tell WLBT it happened during a Monday Captain's meeting Mason was asked to attend.
We're told the reason for Mason's dismissal was that he raised his hand when McMillin asked if anyone in the room has talked about or contemplated running for sheriff.
Mason allegedly was told to pack his belongings up and get out, although an expletive was used instead of the word belongings."
Thoughts?
The Shamsid-Deen Chronicles: "They sell us out to white folks"
Jackson Municipal Court Judge Ali Shamsid-Deen is running for Hinds County Circuit Court Judge against Jeff Weill and Bruce Burton. Mr. Shamsid-Deed was a prolific columnist for the Jackson Advocate back in the early 1990's. His columns reveal some rather interesting thoughts. Since it is not fair for someone of Mr. Shamsid-Deed's abilities to be limited to the rather small audience of the Jackson Advocate, Jackson Jambalaya is making some of his past columns available to you in regular installments.
Here are some quotes from his column on July 7, 1992. It seems the local attorney was upset about blacks being nice to whites as evidenced by the title.
"The struggle to gain empowerment for the general masses of African-Americans has always met with opposition from the so-called elite class....
Their purpose is to mislead and misinform the rest of the African-American community.....
Their true allegiance is only to themselves as individuals and they only have faith in Caucasians as authority figures. They do what they are told to do by the Caucasian power structure for the meager rewards that are handed out to them.
These elitist see every attempt by the common people to organize themselves as an opportunity to capitalize off of our suffering by undermining our efforts as they sell us out to white folks."
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Court to Cynthia Stewart: deadbeat
Local criminal defense lawyer and former Ed Peters protege Cynthia Stewart has to pay former landlord Bridge Properties $35,263 after she reneged on her lease. Ms. Stewart signed a three-year lease in 2003 for office space on N. President Street. She rented office space to Cynthia Speetjeens and Judson Lee. Ms. Stewart didn't pay the lease in July 2005 and was two months behind on the rent of $1,700 a month. Tyson Bridge changed the locks in July. The delinquent rent was paid on July 22 and a key to Mr. Lee.
Ms. Stewart vacated the premises without sending any notice to Mr. Bridge of her intent to terminate the lease. Demand letters were sent to Ms. Stewart reminding her the lease was active and she was responsible for the unpaid remainder of the rent. He sued Ms. Stewart in Hinds County Court and won a judgment against the attorney.
Ms. Stewart appealed to Hinds County Circuit Court and lost. She then appealed to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. She raised every issue possible. The air conditioning didn't work. The building was uninhabitable. The landlord and his wife had fights on the property. Homeless people terrorized them. Nothing worked and the landlord wouldn't cooperate on anything. The Court said bull and that Ms. Stewart could not provide any evidence to support her claims. The Court affirmed the lower court ruling and ordered her to pay Bridge Properties the unpaid rent and other fees. The opinion is posted below and will be entertaining reading for some.
Forest Thigpen shines the light on Mississippi
Forest Thigpen's Mississippi Center for Public Policy announces its new tool to bring more transparency in government to Mississippi. The Center will hold a press conference today at 10:00 AM at its office at 520 George Street in Jackson. The press release states:
"Mississippi Center for Public Policy is holding a press conference to demo our new web site that gives unprecedented access to Mississippi government spending data. The site features a searchable state spending database with 137 state agencies, over 1,300 spending categories, and more than 145,000 vendors. With more than 2.9 million transactions, finding out where tax dollars are spent is now available with the click of a mouse. Future data sources will include: state revenue data, state contracts, county spending and revenue data, municipal spending data, and school spending data. Join us to learn more about the site, its features, and the benefits to the media and the public."
Sunshine in government? I'm all for it. Here is the link to the new website.
The Shamsid-Deen Chronicles: "Apartheid must end in Jackson"
Did you know that Jackson's government was a "system of apartheid" in 1992? That is what local attorney and candidate for Judge Yerger's Hinds County Circuit Court seat wrote in the Jackson Advocate on August 13, 1992. The column is posted below for your reading pleasure.
If the article doesn't appear, try this link.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ladd: "You go girl"
Well well well, Ladd can't help it. This comment is made about Queen Mary on the JFP site:
"I can't help but remember, each time I read an article on the mayor of Madison, the very first day she walked into the state republican headquarters with her paperwork to file to run as a republican mayor. her skirt was inches below her panties, her high heels were bright cherry red and 6 inch fmps and her hair was bleached blond and down to below her waist. she looked more like a dancer for danny's than a mayoral candidate. we all laughed our selves silly after she left. the very thought that this woman would even consider running for any office, but most particularly mayor of madison. guess she showed us. posted by ejackson on 09/27/10 at 03:21 PM"
A post complained about it. Think Madame DeLadd had a problem with someone saying the Mayor looked like someone at Danny's? Read on:
"Bill, if you had comments removed about a person's appearance, I assure you that it was more salacious than a *description* that could be interpreted various ways. Personally, I read that one and thought, "Go, girl!" I also think Erin Brockovich is one cool and powerful woman and love the, er, mall-chick way she dresses. (I did remove a straight-on insult that commenter made of her and didn't allow it in.) Personally, I don't judge the Madison mayor because the way she dresses, but I don't think a description of it, allowing others to judge for themselves, is beyond the pale. In stories, we describe people and their dress all the time. I talked about the holes in Melton's pockets, his suits, WLBT polo shirts, etc.
I do hope you weren't part of the contingent coming on here anonymously a couple years back constantly talking about the size of women candidate's body parts, as if that had anything to do with their abilities. Those are the main comments about people's appearance that we've had to remove; they were vicious and very stupid. posted by DonnaLadd on 09/28/10 at 08:20 AM "
I can just imagine Ladd's reaction if I wrote on her site "the first time I saw Harvey Johnson, I died laughing because he looked more like Uncle Remus in Song of the South than a candidate for Mayor." Obviously I don't think that way because I DID vote for Harvey and still stand by my vote even when I criticize him. However, such is to be expected from Ladd. She thinks Guiliani was the worst mayor NYC ever had. Some pigs are just plain happy living in mud and Ladd is one of those them. She'd rather live in a crime-infested Big Apple than one in which law and order prevail. I know quite a few people who literally hate Mary-Hawkins-Butler and have never, not once, heard them impugn her in that manner. Considering Ladd grew up around white trash, perhaps her attitudes shouldn't come as a surprise. The fact Ladd not just allows but praises these type of comments while claiming to be a leading journalist is tells you everything you need to know about her and her way of thinking.
The Ali Shamsid-Deen Chonicles: Grace Simmons
Jackson Municipal Court Judge Ali Shamsid-Deen is running for Hinds County Circuit Court Judge against Jeff Weill and Bruce Burton. Mr. Shamsid-Deed was a prolific columnist for the Jackson Advocate back in the early 1990's. His columns reveal some rather interesting thoughts. These two columns were written in late August of 1992. Apparently he didn't think too much of Grace Simmons of The Clarion-Ledger back then. Ms. Simmons, now the editor of the Gannett newspaper, was a regular staff reporter. Mr. Shamsid-Deen had a few things to say about her in his columns posted below.
The August 20 column criticized Ms. Simmons and the CL for not posting the race of a bank robber still on the loose. Here is what he had to say:
"Most African-Americans have learned to observe this type of news coverage over the years and know that the omission of a description in these types of stories meant that the person involved is a caucasian."
"The reporter for this particular story was Ms. Grace Simmons, an African-American graduate of JSU's School of Communications. JSU has a very good school of communications. It is right now ranked tops among Historically Black Universities in the area of mass communications. Having such a well-developed program would indicate that Ms. Simmons did not learn her style of news reporting from there. She did not pick up this technique while she was an intern at the Jackson Advocate, so apparently this style of reporting was impressed upon her when she started working for the white media.
When Ms. Simmons reports on conflicts involving an African-American, she never fails to make it very clear that the African-American is the culprit...
He then "suggests" she go back to JSU for re-education and learn to "recognize her bias that causes her investigative reporting to be subject ot her attitudes toward the 'common' African-American, which in her eyes, seem to be all the rest of us"
However, Mr. Shamsid-Deen was just getting warmed up. He wrote another column the next week titled "Grace Simmons can you see yourself". He said a few things that not even Donna Ladd on her worst day would have written:
"It is absolutely shameful that we as African-Americans have to endure this type of attitude from the caucasian media and it is pitiful of an African-American such as Ms. Simmons to be so caught up in imitating the 'white folks' that they are of no use to us. They act as if everything that we as African-Americans do is wrong and that everything that the 'white folks' believe is right. They really believe that they are different from the rest of us just because 'white folks' say so....
Wake up Grace, you are chasing the dream of being excepted by the 'white folks' too hard. This will cause you to lose credibility with everybody, including the white folks that you are in awe of."
Yes, it is true, I support Jeff Weill in his candidacy but I would have fun with this stuff regardless of who the candidates are. There is plenty more where this came from and you will have an opportunity to read it on this website for the next few days. Its quite clear Mr. Shamsid-Deen has some racial attitudes that should disqualify him from sitting on the bench.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Les Miles is the most interesting coach in the world.
From Tigerdroppings.com thread:
He speaks a language only he understands.
He is the life of football watching parties where people are NOT pulling for his team.
He has a tatoo that says "Jordan Jefferson"
He once ran the option to the wide side of the field just to see what it felt like.
Other rival fans have a week dedicated to him.
He once managed the clock just to see what it felt like.
He can can coach Defense..in Offense.
Taylor & Palazzo in a slugfest.
The Tarrance Group, a respected Republican national polling firm , revealed in a memo Republican Steve Palazzo was only four points behind Democrat incumbent Congressman Gene Taylor. JJ obtained a copy of the memo sent on September 23, 2010 to the Palazzo for Congress campaign. Here is the memo:
It is not known what the proportions of Democrats and Republicans were in the sample. These numbers would explain why Barbour and other members of the Republican first team have been visiting the fourth district lately to help Palazzo. A Taylor loss would be a huge upset as he is considered the bluest of the Blue Dog Democrats. These numbers will undoubtedly energize Palazzo's supporters and bring in more money to his surprising campaign. Stay tuned.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Fire Tyrone Lewis
When will the Tyrone Lewis show end? First he gets caught letting his son make money off of JPD training facilities in violation of the law. While Chief, he pimped himself out as an expert witness, charging an up-front retainer of $3,500 and $200 an hour. Now the Supreme Court busted him for lying in court. The Clarion-Ledger reported:
"The court this week threw out the Jan. 30, 2009, jury award and ordered a new trial in Hinds County Circuit Court in the wrongful death lawsuit against management and owners of Rebelwood Apartments off Terry Road.
The case stemmed from the shooting death of Crystal Coleman, whose body was found in her car Jan. 11, 2007, at Rebelwood, where she resided. The lawsuit alleged the complex did not provide adequate security.
Dwight English, father of one of Coleman's two children, was awarded $3 million in January 2009, a decision based largely on the belief Coleman was killed on Rebelwood property. But Rebelwood defense attorneys alleged the shooting did not take place on their property."
That presented a little problem. Tyrone Lewis, Deputy Chief of JPD, yes, the Deputy Chief testifed as an expert witness for the plaintiffs even though it involved his department. Last time I checked, expert witnesses usually get paid for their services. The opinion focuses on Mr. Lewis's testimony:
"Another of English’s expert witnesses, Tyrone Lewis, Deputy Chief of JPD, testified as follows: “[T]here is no documentation, no written statements or anybody to come forward to say that it did not happen [at Rebelwood].” He further testified that he read on the police report where the shooting occurred."
The police report actually stated the shooting took place at another location. Mr. Lewis had access to all police reports as a Deputy Chief a JPD. The Mississippi Supreme Court pretty much called Tyrone Lewis a liar and perjurer:
"Part of the excluded exhibit included findings of fact contained in a sworn affidavit Jones presented to a court to obtain an arrest warrant. The erroneous ruling allowed plaintiff’s expert, Tyrone Lewis, to testify with impunity and without fear of exposure, “[T]here is no documentation, no written statements or anybody to come forward to say that it did not happen [at Rebelwood].” The trial court should have known that Lewis’s statement was untrue. In fact, repeated references and statements to the contrary exist throughout the investigative reports. A cursory examination would reveal this truth. Under either scenario, Lewis’s statement was patently erroneous and violated the purpose and construction of our Rules." Opinion
There should be simply no room in JPD for a deputy chief who takes money to testify for JPD or lies about what is in the police reports on the stand. Its hard to decide which is worse: Tyrone Lewis committing perjury or prostituting his position at JPD. It does not matter how many friends Mr. Lewis has or that everyone says "he's a good guy". The fact is Tyrone Lewis helped his son break the law two years ago. He exploited his position as Chief for personal financial gain. Now he broke the law and probably committed perjury in his capacity as a law enforcement official. One can only wonder what else Mr. Lewis has taken money for in his eagerness to pad his checking account. Mayor Johnson should fire Tyrone Lewis and ask the District Attorney to investigate his statements for perjury. Mr. Lewis should be setting examples for police officers, not prostitutes. Mayor Johnson should kick him to the street where he can work the street.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Games today
Ole Miss v. Fresno State? Hate to say it but Fresno State. Hate it because an SEC team has no business losing to that school. UGA-MSU? Toss up. Bama-Arkansas? Bama. Won't be close. LSU-WV? Close. LSU's defense shuts them down and LSU grinds out another win while Jefferson looks inconsistent as usual and Crowton keeps calling his stupid plays. Only question will be how many times does he try to run the option with JJ.
Click Here to Read More..
Stokes bombast from the past
Old letter he wrote in the Jackson Advocate back in 2002 about WLBT. Don't feel too bad Marshall, Dennis caught hell too.
JJ poll: JA most popular
What is the most popular high school on JJ? Jackson Academy followed by St. Andrews, Jackson Prep, Madison-Central, and St. Joseph's.
St. Andrews | 69 (13%) |
Provine | 9 (1%) |
Murrah | 26 (5%) |
Jackson Prep | 61 (12%) |
Jim Hill | 4 (0%) |
Terry | 3 (0%) |
Clinton | 18 (3%) |
Jackson Academy | 92 (18%) |
Madison-Central | 54 (10%) |
Brandon | 17 (3%) |
MRA | 28 (5%) |
University Christian | 4 (0%) |
Callaway | 10 (2%) |
Pearl | 6 (1%) |
Ridgeland | 6 (1%) |
NW Rankin | 24 (4%) |
St. Joseph's | 52 (10%) |
Florence | 7 (1%) |
Richland | 2 (0%) |
Lanier | 8 (1%) |
Friday, September 24, 2010
What do you think?
Rankin County School District principals and department heads get ipads. Must be nice. Wonder if they get a Fuelman card too.
Click Here to Read More..
Ike Brown had many supporters at the Department of Justice
Wow. Don't have time to write much about this now but Chris Coates, former Voting Rights Section Chief at the Department of Justice, testified against his former employers today.
Start on page 3. Its worth reading.
Judge Patton can run but he can't hide.
The insurance company for Hinds County Court Judge Houston Patton filed suit in federal district court on July 30 seeking to deny him coverage in his legal fight with James Jennings. Judge Tom Lee ruled in February Judge Patton would have to stand trial. Judge Patton appealed the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and requested a stay, which was granted in April. The Fifth Circuit has not ruled on his appeal.
Zurich American Insurance Company argues the alleged actions of Judge Patton took place before coverage was provided to Hinds County. Consequently, coverage should be denied to the jurist as it was outside the scope of the policy. Judge Patton will be forced to pay for his own legal fees if Zurich has its way.
Its a crazy case. Keep reading....
Mississppi Bar's finding of fact
Background of Jennings case:
"The nightmare for James Jennings,Jr. began ( According to a finding of fact by the Mississippi Bar) "on September 24, 1993, as a judgment in favor of Jennings in the amount of $35,000 by Judge Houston Patton (p.4)."
Jailtime for Jennings
Unfortunately, Jennings was unaware his ex-wife filed telephone harassment charges against him. On February 1, 1994, Justice Court Judge Clyde R. Chapman signed an order and mittimus to place Jennings in the county jail until a bond was posted.... (p.4) On February 11, Justice Court Judge Raymond Bates signed a warrant for Jennings' arrest...... It should be pointed out Jenning's ex-wife then hired local attorney James Bell (remember him?). Jennings became the Man in the Iron Mask as Judge Patton sent Jennings back to jail without ever affording Jennings the opportunity to have counsel..... (p.6. He was imprisoned on March 5).
Ten days later, Jennings was still in jail. Bonds were refused, release orders were found, then revoked by judges. Jennings was tried in absentia. His new attorney was not allowed to represent him. Every legal trick in the book to keep Jennings in jail was used as he continued to rot in a Hinds hellhole. Finally his lawyer cornered Judge Patton on March 15. Ms. Pierce spoke with Judge Patton in the foyer of the Hinds County Courthouse and asked Judge Patton what it would do to get Jennings out of jail. Judge Paton replied "get the agreement (giving up his judgment of $35,000) signed." (p.9)
"It became clear to Ms. Pierce that in order for Jennings to be released he would have to give up his $35,000 judgment against Kenney. Mr. Kirstine (Jennings' other lawyer) drafted the agreement for Jennings to sign. Jennings at first emphatically refused to sign the agreement. After much protest, Jennings eventually signed the agreement and was then immediately released.
It is important to note that at no time during Jennings' incarceration was he ever charged or tried for any alleged conduct but instead was simply held in jail until he agree to give up his rightfully obtained judgment against Kenny. Jennings was apparently deprived of due process which would give rise to claims under 42 U.S. Code Section 1983." Jennings sat in jail for nearly two weeks as he became a pinata for Judge Patton and his judicial cronies.
Jennings later filed a complaint against Judge Patton with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance and hired Jackson attorney Keith Shelton to represent him in a Section 1983 action against the Hinds County Jurist. It should be noted the narrative for this ordeal is taken directly from the Mississippi Bar's finding of fact and is not just hearsay or some outrageous claim made by Jennings. (There are many more details, including some that are very juicy, but in the interest of presenting a story easier to follow, they have been omitted from this post. Please read the rest of the findings and accompanying affidavits).
The Empire Strikes Back
While discussing a possible settlement of the lawsuit, Judge Patton informed Jennings' lawyer, Shelton, he would settle if he dropped the complaint with the Commission. It is a pretty well established point of judicial ethics in Mississippi that once a complaint is filed against a judge or lawyer, it cannot be dismissed by the person who signed the complaint. The two sides agreed to a sum of $25,000 for settlement, with Judge Patton paying Jennings $5,000 up-front and the rest in installments. Meanwhile, Judge Patton contacted law enforcement and told them Shelton and Jennings were attempting to extort him, while neglecting to mention he himself was the subject of an ethics complaint filed by Jennings and a possible Section 1983 lawsuit.
Patton wore a wire to the meeting. He paid Jennings the $5,000 and both parties signed the settlement agreement. Shelton and Jennings were later arrested and then indicted. The charges were later dismissed as Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Robert Taylor (served from 1982 to 2006). Taylor stated Judge Patton deviated from the script he was given. Taylor said he didn't understand why they were indicted and said seeking the indictments "was an egregious error". Taylor testified to the bar "it's clear in retrospect we didn't get the complete story." Earlier post
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Vote in latest polls.
Posted two polls for Hinds County Circuit Judge races. Consider this an open thread about the judicial races. Next week I'm posting the county court polls. Keep it nice and no family attacks. There are three circuit judge races in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties and two county court races that are contested in Hinds and Madison counties. Feel free to comment on both circuit and county court races. Have at it.
Click Here to Read More..
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ridgeland settles with Crooks
The City of Ridgeland settled a lawsuit with Mike and Patricia Crook for an undisclosed amount Friday. Federal Magistrate Keith Ball signed an order on September 17 dismissing the case with prejudice. Mr. Crook confirmed to JJ today the case settled for an undisclosed amount. It should be noted the case settled before discovery was to occur. Order of dismissal.
Post on lawsuit, Later post on case
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Bored?
Want something interesting to read? Here are some old columns from the Jackson Advocate written by current Jackson Public School Board member Dr. Ivory Phillips. I think they speak for themselves.
Ely's scrum slogs on while landlord files another lawsuit
Jackson Street Property Management is the owner of the Old Towne development in Ridgeland and the landlord of Ely's, the fine-dining restaurant. The two parties are embroiled in litigation after Jackson Street sued Ely's for back rent Ely's supposedly owed to the landlord. Supposedly because the claim arose after Jackson Street resurveyed the building and shazam!, discovered an extra 270 square feet in the restaurant and demanded nearly back rent for nearly two years covering the alleged extra square footage. Ely's counterclaimed for half a million dollars in damages. Earlier post
The two sides have now deposed each other and Jackson Street has filed notices with the court stating who its expert witnesses will be. All of this over an alleged $7,000 or so in rent Jackson Street claims it is owed by Ely's. Meanwhile, Jackson Street sued a contractor for work on Old Towne in April. The lawsuit states Jackson Street hired Structural Solutions to do repair the drainage system in the development. Apparently SS filed a construction lien on Jackson Street after the plaintiff alleged shoddy work by the contractor and refused to pay. Copy of lawsuit. Jackson Street asked for the usual: damages, court costs, attorney's fees, and expungement of the lien.
SS wasn't having any of it and filed an answer and counterclaim in May. SS denied all charges and asked the court to award it $56,628 it stated it was owed by Jackson Street. SS also asked for interest, attorney's fees, and punitive damages and accused the plaintiff of fraud. Answer Jackson Street filed its answer a month later in Madison Circuit Court. So are these lawsuits just coincidence or is a landlord trying to put the squeeze to those he deals with in Old Towne? Shoddy work or a property owner trying to stiff a contractor? Who knows but these cases should be interesting if they go to trial.
Stacey staying put.
Much speculation has centered around the Lieutenant Governor's race as rumors swirled that three current office-holders were interested in the position: Treasurer Tate Reeves, State Senator Billy Hewes, and State Auditor Stacey Pickering. JJ can report Mr. Pickering will avoid the Lieutenant Governor's race and run for re-election.
The prospect of a three-way race was an interesting one. Mr. Reeves lacks charisma but managed to raise the most financial support at this early stage of the game. A quick review of his fund-raising invitations reveals a heavy dose of Republican heavy-hitters. Mr. Hewes lacks the resources Mr. Reeves currently possesses but probably is the most qualified for the job and is a decent candidate. Mr. Pickering possesses looks and the family connections but sources informed JJ he was way behind in the money race.
Mr. Pickering called Mr. Hewes, Mr. Reeves, and other auditor hopefuls to inform them of his decision this morning. One can only imagine such a decision was difficult for Mr. Pickering as he matches the other candidates in terms of experience and ability. However, it is hard to beat the other two without a natural base such as the Coast or the amount of money needed to overcome Mr. Reeve's huge financial advantage.
JJ can also report the much-heralded audit of Madison County is completed and undergoing final review by Mr. Pickering's office, according to numerous sources. The law (Section 7-7-69 of the Mississippi Code) mandates his office shall give the Board of Supervisors thirty days to address the findings. Be that as it may, the race for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor is now down to two horses. Stay tuned.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Irby update: Karen's mom to be deposed.
Stuart M. Irby filed a subpoena to depose Gayle Lang in Hinds County Chancery Court on September 10, 2010. Ms. Lang is the mother of Karen Irby and the grandmother of the child of Mr. and Mrs. Irby. The child is five years old and currently living with Joe and Diane Irby in Little Rock, Arksansas. Earlier post
Click Here to Read More..
Charles Evans trial postponed until December.
Judge Tom Lee issued an order postponing the trial of Charles Evans until December 6, 2010. Charles Evans is being held without bond in the Madison County jail. Mr. Evans resisted arrest and tried to grab a handgun when two federal marshals tried to take him into custody after Judge Neal Olack issued an arrest warrant. The sad part is when Charles finally goes to trial, he will have served more time in jail for resisting arrest than he ever did for ripping off over thirty banks for tens of millions of dollars.
For a collection of all posts on the Evans case, see Evans page under "JJ special coverage" on the right side of the page.
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help with the MARL food drive on this website for the last few weeks. Y'all donated 600 lbs of dog and cat food MARL will be able to put to good use. When I visited the Mississippi Animal Rescue League a few weeks ago, they were very low on dog food. Every bag donated made a difference. StilettoGOP and I delivered the last batch yesterday and Ms. Boswell was very grateful for the donations. If you want a cat, adopt one from the MARL. As of yesterday, they had everything but a Russian Blue. Siamese, Calicos, Tabbies, and just plain black cats, they had them all. Some kittens, some full grown. They were all pretty friendly. There were quite a few dogs that were pretty friendly and want to go to a new home. Shi-tzu, dachshunds, Chihuahuas, labs, setters, a husky, some Jack Russells, and a beautiful little spotted Fiest. Ms. Boswell sent an email for me to publish on my site showing her appreciation for your donations. Once again, thanks for your help.
I want to express my sincere appreciation for Jackson Jambalaya's active support of animals and your MARL Food Drive. We definitely were in need of food and we really appreciate you teaming with the Briarwood Pet Store in Canton Mart and the Snooty Pooch in Madison. Thanks to Bill at Snooty Pooch for discounting food being bought for MARL. Thank you JJ for collecting and delivering this badly needed food for this drive and earlier in the year. We have some great pets for adoption and appreciate you featuring the doberman and corgi/beagle mix. Thank you for all you do for the animals at MARL. See you at the Fur Ball.
Debra Boswell, Director, MARL
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Jere Nash sneers at his own peril
Jere Nash had this to say in the Clarion-Ledger a few days ago:
"For much of the past month Andy has been saying that the only suspense left in the 2010 election season is whether Republicans will take control of the U.S. Senate. His side of the aisle got more suspenseful this week when Christine O’Donnell won his party’s Senate primary in Delaware. She and Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Nevada’s Sharron Angle constitute the Republican Party’s gift to us Democrats. It is because of these nominees that we will maintain our majority in the Senate" Jere's blog
Hate to tell you this Jere, but Rasmussen put the Paul-Conway battle in the solidly Republican column on September 8. Rasmussen also reported a few days ago Angle and Reid were tied at 48%. Reid has failed to get above 50% in the polls- a fact that is bad news for an incumbent. Then there is Ms. O'Donnell. I'm going to give you some advice Jere. I hope the Democrats for your sake don't go overboard with the attack ads as you did when you handled Mabus's campaign against Fordice.
Christine O'Donnell. Should be target practice for pros like Jere, right? Well, there is a trap for the Democrats in this race if they are not careful. We all know what the playbook is going to be: she's a nutjob, she's a liar, she hates women, is a member of the radical religious right, blah, blah, blah. She's even given some ammunition to use against her. Not a particularly strong candidate either- yes, I said it. She's a weak candidate.
I never saw her on tv until Wednesday. I watched several of her interviews as well as some of her speeches on Youtube. Guess what? She came off as a very attractive, articulate, and likable candidate. The Democrats can completely blow it by going too far and presenting ads bearing little resemblance to the candidate herself. They need to remember sometimes the enemy doesn't always cooperate. Reagan of course was the master at using that type of campaign against his opponents. She is obviously no Reagan, but the history lesson is worth noting. Such ads won't work if Ms. O'Donnell doesn't look or sound like a kook,. Keep in mind Delaware is a small state where the voters have ample opportunity to meet the candidates for themselves.
There is also the issue of whether Castle was more electable than O'Donnell. Mr. Castle probably had a better chance at beating Coons in the election but there is one thing most discussion on this topic are failing to mention. It does not matter how moderate the Republican is, he is going to be demonized no matter how liberal his record is. Arnold's record as Governor aside, he probably was as liberal on social issues as any Republican. Pro-choice. Environmentalist. Gay rights. He's right there with the Democrats. Did it matter during the election? Nope. They literally called him a Nazi, the son of a Stormtrooper, racist, and rapist. John McCain. The media's Republican darling for standing up to the so-called religious right in 2000. Conservatives call him RINO. He is the Democrats' best friend when it comes to the issue of illegal immigration. Wrote a campaign finance law favoring the Democrats. Worked with the Democrats to keep the Republicans from using the "nuclear option" in passing Bush's judicial nominees. Did any of this collaboration matter when he ran for President in 2008? Nope. They still trashed him and even attacked his war record. Its about time some so-called Republican "strategists" started realizing the Democrats will smear and distort the record of any Republican candidate regardless of how liberal or conservative he is. Castle's vote for cap and trade and other liberal causes wouldn't have mattered because he is a Republican.
Jere Nash finds the tea parties quite amusing as he regularly lampoons them on his blog. Perhaps he should take a break from his literary laughter and read something Kristen Powers, yes, a Democratic columnist and strategist wrote last week in the Dallas Morning News:
"It's time to stop mocking the tea party.
Whether they are loons, principled conservatives or a mix of both, they are a potent force that won't be intimidated off the national stage by snarky media coverage and clueless attacks from the establishment.... Column
The Washington establishment has its nose out of joint because a rag-tag group of misfits have deigned to challenge the entitled incompetents who run the U.S. Congress. Somehow, because a few of the tea party candidates support abstinence training, or other garden-variety right-wing notions, they are more dangerous than the people who were actually in charge of our country as it was being run into the ground economically..."
Ms. Powers goes on to compare the treatment of the Tea Parties to Goldwater and his followers. The Jere Nash's of their day made great sport of them up until they actually won the Senate and the Presidency. Something Jere Nash and others like him would do well to remember every time they feel the urge to sneer at the tea parties.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Thoughts on LSU-MSU game tonight.
If I'm a State fan, I'm praying Gary Crowton handles all the playcalling tonight.
Click Here to Read More..
Mandalay: gone.
My protege over at The Rez News reported yesterday a trustee's sale is scheduled for the land that once was home to Rapids on the Reservoir and Steve Bryan's Mandalay project. Nice work by TRN.
I think Stiletto, Queenfish, and me might go to the sale and bid five bucks for the land. Would be a pretty cool spot to lay out and work on the tan on a Sunday afternoon.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Gunn file
Here is the file containing the plea bargain of Bennie "Bookie" Gunn, who "allegedly" gunned down a pizza delivery driver in Jackson last weekend. A Hinds County grand jury indicted him for armed carjacking. Mr. Gunn pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. Judge Gowan signed the plea. 5 year sentence with 4 years and five months suspended. He was given credit for time served and was released the day he signed the plea. Below is the file for the case. WLBT had a pretty good story on the background of this case. He turned state's evidence against the gunman in the case and cut a deal. The assailant got twelve years in jail.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
JJ poll: Harvey favorite Democrat
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson was voted "Favorite Democrat" in a poll JJ conducted recently. Former Governor William Winter was second.
Jere Nash | 36 (5%) |
Cecil Brown | 31 (5%) |
Harvey Johnson | 144 (23%) |
Ronnie Musgrove | 20 (3%) |
Gene Taylor | 50 (8%) |
Ed Blackmon | 12 (1%) |
Oliver Diaz | 18 (2%) |
Billie McCoy | 7 (1%) |
Jamie Franks | 3 (0%) |
Jim Hood | 17 (2%) |
Mike Moore | 20 (3%) |
Malcolm McMillin | 103 (16%) |
Hob Bryan | 21 (3%) |
William Winter | 134 (21%) |
Should Mississippi Valley Title have been aware something was amiss?
For a collection of all posts on Evans case, click on Evans page in "JJ Special Coverage" section on the right.
One question to be asked in the Evans case is how much responsibility does Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company bear? The Evans case is (allegedly) the largest real estate fraud case to ever take place in Mississippi. A multitude of lawsuits and exhibits allege Charles Evans used his position as an approved attorney for Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company to issue phony title certificates and mislead over two dozen banks into issuing large commercial real estate loans on land the borrowers did not even own.
An approved attorney for a company such as Mississippi Valley Title is allowed to issue title certificates on land and little else. He is not a title insurance agent as most real estate closing attorneys are and collects no commissions on sales of policies. The lawsuit filed by G&B Investments against Mississippi Valley Title and its parent Old Republic raises the issue of whether Mississippi Valley Title was negligent in supervising and auditing Charles Evans. Complaint, Earlier post on G&B complaint
G&B pointed out in its complaint Mississippi Valley Title approved received title certificates and applications from Charles Evans with the signatures of both Charles and Chris Evans (A copy of the exhibit is posted below). The dates of the submissions and the Evans-owned companies are:
6-9-03 Highland Development Group
2-9-05 Snowden Grove Investors
2-8-06 Highland of Ridgeland
10-27-06 Old Agency Business Park
11-15-06 Madison Avenue Development Company
12-19-06 Madison Avenue Development Company
11-7-07 463 Development Co.
11-30-07 Parkway Crossing
1-10-08 CE Development
7-8-08 Cedar Lake Investors
7-8-08 Snowden Lane Investments
JJ obtained a copy of another similar submissions: 9-17-08, White Oaks Investment. Ironically White Oaks is one of the defendants in the G&B lawsuit.
The exhibits all run in similar fashion. The first page is a request for final title endorsement application and attorney's final title certificate. The second page is the final certificate (of title) and always has the signature of Charles Evans. Attached to each application are two exhibits submitted by Charles. The exhibits are various forms of property descriptions and in most case have the signature of Chris Evans at the bottom of one of the page (His initials are signed at the bottom of one description.). Mississippi Valley Title thus received a dozen applications with the signatures of both Charles and Chris Evans.
A basic rule of underwriting, any type of lending or insurance underwriting, is the transaction must be at arms-length so as to prevent any fraud from taking place. Arms-length means the parties must not be related. Most fraud cases have several common characteristics. The most common of the common is probably parties related to each other. Whether it is same names on purchase agreements, appraisals, loan applications, and title insurance policies, the rule remains the same at most financial institutions: all transactions should be conducted at arms-length and if the parties are related, the underwriter must explain in writing why the transaction is allowed to proceed. Whether or not that is the practice at Old Republic remains to be seen but it is the practice in the industry.
Mississippi Valley Title strongly opposed turning over to several banks its policy manuals in a hearing earlier this year (Earlier post). It claimed the information was proprietary in nature and could be used by its competitors. The question must be asked if Mississippi Valley Title was resisting so fiercely because its underwriting practices in this case might deviate from its established policies and procedures on arms-length transactions. If such is indeed the case, then one can easily imagine several other parties will be very interested in pursuing similar action against Mississippi Valley Title. What is clear is a pattern developed: Charles Evans submitted a series of applications to Mississippi Valley Title over a period of five years containing the signatures of both Charles and Chris Evans. The question raised by the lawsuit is whether the applications constituted sufficient notice to the title insurance company fraud took place.
Synopsis of Evans case:
Charles Evans, Jr. was an attorney approved by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company to provide title certificates to MVT and lenders showing a borrower had clear title to property. MVT filed a lawsuit in September accusing his brother of using over 30 LLC's to obtain fraudulent loans from over 30 banks in Mississippi. Chris Evans would allegedly use one company to purchase a large tract of prime commercial real estate in Madison and Desoto Counties. Another company owned by Evans would obtain a commercial real estate mortgage on a smaller section of the tract yet that borrowing company never obtained a deed showing ownership of the land from the other company. Thus the smaller tract was actually non-existed as the larger tract was never actually subdivided. Charles would allegedly provide a title certificate however showing the borrowing company owned the land even though it didn't.
Over 80 loans for nearly $50 million were issued by Mississippi banks to companies owned by Chris Evans for lands those companies either did not own. MVT has testified federal authorities are currently investigating the case. Chris Evans filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 26, which stopped the Mississippi Valley Title's lawsuit against him as federal bankruptcy law stays most state civil court proceedings once a bankruptcy petition is filed. Mississippi Valley Title testified 65 title insurance claims for approximately $41 million have been filed by banks affected by the Evans case.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Dear Trent Walker,
If you are going to run for Judge and advertise how you will uphold the law, THEN DON'T PUT YOUR DAMN SIGNS IN MY YARD WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I know some judges think they are above the law, like Houston Patton, but wait til your elected before you act like one of them.
Click Here to Read More..
Jeff Weill's website up and running.
Jeff Weill's website is now operational. Mr. Weill is running for Hinds County Circuit Court Judge to replace the retiring Swan Yerger. The address is Jeffweill.com.
Democrats screw small businesses yesterday
Jobs jobs jobs. The Obama mantra last week was jobs and small business. Think that mattered one bit yesterday in the Senate when push came to shove? Hell no. WebCPA.com reported today:
"The Senate was unable to produce enough votes to end debate on two amendments that would have repealed or scaled back the expanded 1099 reporting requirements for businesses in the health care reform bill.
The controversial requirements, which were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, would require businesses to report to the IRS any purchase from a vendor of goods or services worth $600 or more during the calendar year. The new requirements would be effective for purchases made in 2012 that will be reported on 1099 forms filed in 2013.
Two separate amendments introduced by Senate Democrats and Republicans to the Small Business Jobs Act were unable to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to cut off debate on Tuesday and be included in the final bill. One amendment, introduced by Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., would have repealed the provision, but would have made more people exempt from having to buy health insurance by lowering the affordability exemption for the individual mandate. The amendment was defeated on a procedural vote of 46-52.
The Democratic alternative, introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would have increased the threshold for reporting the purchases on a 1099 from $600 to $5,000, and exempted businesses with 25 or fewer employees from the new reporting requirement. His amendment was defeated on a vote of 56-42, also failing to reach the 60-vote threshold..." Article
Section 9006 on page 1961 of the Health Care Bill, applicable IRS code section
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Food drive for MARL
Update II: Delivered 300 lbs to the Mississippi Animal Rescue League last week. 300 lbs you donated. It was much-needed as the picture above shows. That is ALL the dog food they had, not including our donation. Not much food and they need the help.
Update: Bill at Snooty Pooch said if you tell him its for MARL drive, he will knock $3 off the bag.
FOOD DRIVE: The food drive JJ conducted for MARL earlier this year was very successful. You donated 400 lbs of high-quality dog food that the MARL was able to put to good use. Here is the deal. If you go to either Briarwood Pet Store on Canton Mart or La Chateau la Pooch (The Snooty Pooch) by the railroad tracks in Madison and buy dog or cat food, leave it there and I will deliver it to the MARL. These two stores sell good-quality pet food that is needed by MARL. Needed because most people donate grocery-store pet food but as Ms. Boswell informed me, the food you donated was given to the animals recovering from surgeries (and MARL performs quite a few surgeries at its facility). 5, 15, or 30 lb bag, treats, doesn't matter, just donate. Pictures don't lie. Food drive ends the day of the Fur Ball, September 16.
Most people don't have the time to drive thirty minutes out to MARL. You've got kids, you've got work, soccer, dance lessons and all that keep you busy stuff so I will make it easy for you. Buy the food, leave it at these pet stores, and I will deliver it. Thanks for all of your help this year. The food drive will run through the day of the Fur Ball Click Here to Read More..
Webcast of government hearing on retirement plan "issues"
The march on your retirement plans continues today. Click on the link and watch the webcast.
Click Here to Read More..
G&B goes after Mississippi Valley Title in Evans case
See bottom of the post for a synopsis of the Evans case and right side of page for a collection of all posts on the Evan's case.
Highlights:
-G&B Investments sues Mississippi Valley Title in Evans Case
-The Evans brothers borrowed over $5 million from banks on land owned by G&B. Charles issued phony title certificates showing an Evans-LLC owned land in question.
-G&B sold land to Evans brothers for $16 million
-G&B charges MVT & Old Republic with failure to audit and supervise Charles Evans as an "approve attorney" and seeks economic as well as punitive damages from the title insurance companies.
G&B Investments opened another front in the war known as the Evans case. It filed an amended complaint in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Friday against Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company, its parent Old Republic, Trustee Derek Henderson, Bankfirst, Merchants & Farmers, Bank of Forest, Heritage Banking Group, and several companies owned by Chris or Charles Evans (Copy of second amended complaint G&B filed a complaint on July 26 and and an amended one on September 1.).
G&B Investments sold a 105-acre tract of land on Hwy 463 to Chris and Charles Evans of Hanover Group on July 23, 2008 for $16 million. Hanover is an LLC based in Mississippi. The Secretary of State's website states Lynne Knight is the registered agent and managing member. SOS website However, the signature of Lynne Knight is misspelled and the signature bears a very strong resemblance to that of Charles Evans. The signature is also different from the one appearing in a letter she sent to the SOS stating she was resigning from the company and to remove her name from all corporate documents. Hanover even submitted to G&B a Copy of a corporate resolution stating Charles and Chris Evans were members of the LLC. Earlier post on signatures
Hanover paid $5 million cash for the property and executed a deed of trust to G&B for $11 million (translation for those of you at the JFP: owner-financing). Hanover pledged 77 acres as collateral. G&B alleges at the time of closing, the land was worth at least $16 million. Hanover defaulted on the loan. G&B purchased the property for $7 million at a foreclosure sale (p.14 in above link). Original complaint
The closing itself was rather interesting. G&B paid Mississippi Valley Title $27,000 for its policy. William Smith, III of Watkins & Eager handled the closing and charged G&B $80,000 in fees (Yes, the same Smith involved in Lost Rabbit.). Closing statement Mr. Smith also prepared the warranty deed showing the conveyance from G&B to Hanover. Copy of deed. While it is curious Mr.Smith's office was used to handle the closing, there is no evidence Mr. Smith conducted anything but a straightforward commercial real estate transaction.
There was just one little angle unknown to G&B at the time: The Evans brothers went to several banks and borrowed money on the land prior to buying it from G&B. The banks fell for it because Charles and Chris used phony title certificates stating the brothers did indeed own the land even though G&B actually owned the land. The Evans brothers borrowed $5,078,840 from M&F, Heritage, and Bank of Forest on nearly thirty acres of someone else's property.
G&B alleges Mississippi Valley Title issued title insurance policies on every single one of these transactions even though the title certificates were phony. G&B argues Mississippi Valley Title sold so many title insurance polices in such a short amount of time Mississippi Valley Title should have known something was amiss when it issued policies on what amounted to 200% of the property involved. G&B also claims the $5 million cash paid by Hanover was gained through fraudulent means from the banks mentioned earlier in this post. G&B posits "the lynchpin of the scheme was the use by Charles H. Evans, Jr., of his role as Approved Attorney/Agent of the Title Companies to cause the Title Companies to issue title insurance binders to insure the fraudulent titles, which binders were relied upon by the banks to issue the fraudulent loans." See pages 8-12 of the second amended complaint for further details of these phony transactions. Once G&B sold the land to the Evans brothers, they obtained more phony loans through Charles's patented method of issuing phony title certificates as an "approved attorney" for Mississippi Valley Title.
G&B argues (p.15) it would not have closed the sale if it had known fraudulent loans were used as down payment or Mississippi Valley Title issued title insurance binders to Evans-owned companies.
The plaintiff asked the Court to provide several forms of relief. It requests the court determine the validity of the liens. In the other Evans transactions, the Evans brothers usually owned the parent tract through one LLC and would obtain loans on smaller portions of that tract using other LLC's. However, the Evans brothers never owned the land in question when the three loans were obtained. Its hard to see how a court could determine they have valid liens when the Evans brothers didn't even own the land when the loans were made.
The suit charges Hanover, Charles Evans, and Chris Evans with fraudulent misrepresentation. G&B then aims its fire at MVT and Old Republic (p.20). It accuses MVT of a "negligent failure to monitor/supervise/audit their approved attorney Charles Evans." G&B argues MVT had a "duty" to audit and inspect the files of its approved attorneys and agents.
G&B's position is since the issue of valid title is so crucial to a successful real estate transaction, Mississippi Valley Title has a duty to properly supervise its "approved attorneys" if its going to provide title insurance binders to lenders stating title is clean and vested in the borrower. The complaint also states Mississippi Valley Title had a responsibility to inform G&B there were "conflicting" title insurance policies within a week prior to the closing. G&B argues such actions are "gross negligence and negligent misrepresentation" and it suffered damages due to its failure to disclose the conflicting title insurance policies. The suit further charges Mississippi Valley Title with acting in bad faith and thus breaching its title insurance policy. G&B stated various economic damages (p.28) and asked the court to levy punitive damages specifically against Old Republic and Mississippi Valley Title as well as the Evans brothers in an amount to be determined at trial.
Mississippi Valley Title filed a motion to dismiss on August 10. A hearing was held last week in Judge Olack's courtroom. Judge Olack gave G&B until September 10 to file an amended complaint, which G&B did (It is referred to in this post as the second amended complaint.). Mississippi Valley's main argument is G&B never filed a claim on its title policy. What is interesting is G&B is apparently claiming the policy was void when Mississippi Valley Title sold it a policy allegedly in direct conflict with three other policies. Stay tuned. The Evans Case will keep going and going and going....
*G&B purchased an owners policy for $27,000 a few days after MVT issued policies to the banks. Note- Lender's policy covers lender's exposure. Owner's policy covers the owner's equity.
Synopsis of Evans case:
Charles Evans, Jr. was an attorney approved by Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Company to provide title certificates to MVT and lenders showing a borrower had clear title to property. MVT filed a lawsuit in September accusing his brother of using over 30 LLC's to obtain fraudulent loans from over 30 banks in Mississippi. Chris Evans would allegedly use one company to purchase a large tract of prime commercial real estate in Madison and Desoto Counties. Another company owned by Evans would obtain a commercial real estate mortgage on a smaller section of the tract yet that borrowing company never obtained a deed showing ownership of the land from the other company. Thus the smaller tract was actually non-existed as the larger tract was never actually subdivided. Charles would allegedly provide a title certificate however showing the borrowing company owned the land even though it didn't.
Over 80 loans for nearly $50 million were issued by Mississippi banks to companies owned by Chris Evans for lands those companies either did not own. MVT has testified federal authorities are currently investigating the case. Chris Evans filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 26, which stopped the Mississippi Valley Title's lawsuit against him as federal bankruptcy law stays most state civil court proceedings once a bankruptcy petition is filed. Mississippi Valley Title testified 65 title insurance claims for approximately $41 million have been filed by banks affected by the Evans case.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Stuart Irby responds to mother-in-law's motion.
The Irbys are at it again. Gayle Lang, the mother of Karen Irby, filed suit recently against Stuart Irby seeking custody of Stuart and Karen's son. The five-year old child lives in Little Rock with Mr. Irby's brother and his family. Ms. Lang also filed a motion of habeas corpus for Karen Irby to appear in court. What is interesting is Mr. Irby and his lawyer filed a response opposing Karen's appearance in court. His wife is in jail for 18 years and he files responses to prevent her leaving the prison even for a few hours. Ouch. There was supposed to be a hearing this morning but it did not take place this morning.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Pics of the SUV recovery at the Rez
Here are some pics of the recovery of the recovery of the SUV that went into the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Driver had gotten her license only a few weeks earlier.
