Jackson Jambalaya

Local attorney Ken Walley provided this column that appeared elsewhere. 

I was aghast at the article I read by Mr. Jimmie Gates last week entitled “Is Getting a Law Degree Still Lucrative?”

Mr. Gates promotes sales pitches that law schools have been promoting for years to convince kids (usually 20 or 21 when they apply) to spend hundreds of thousands of federal student loan (read: taxpayer) dollars on a degree that there is little demand for. For instance, the article quotes Interim Dean Deborah Bell, who said that there are a lot of careers that a law degree can lead to. I have great respect for Prof. Bell, but she is wrong. A law degree does one thing: it qualifies you to sit for the Mississippi bar exam. It does not qualify you to do anything else.

Judge Larita Cooper-Stokes recused herself from State v. Robert Shuler Smith last week.  The court transcript states that a letter was sent to her husband.  Judge Cooper-Stokes said she would continue to preside over the case if both sides agreed to allow her to do so.   Smith's attorney, Jim Waide, said he did not oppose her remaining on the case but the Attorney General did oppose her doing so.  The transcript is posted below.

 Correction: JJ got one fact wrong.  The Robert Shuler Smith campaign paid Henderson $1,100 in May and June of 2015 for "consulting".  However, Henderson was not the campaign manager.   If JJ gets it wrong, it admits it and puts it at the top of the page.  The post has been changed to reflect the correct information. 

Updates: posted at end of story.  


Robert "Too Sweet" Henderson, Jr. was arrested yesterday for two counts of conspiracy to bribe a public official and is currently a tenant at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond.:

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following press release and transcript of his address at the Neshoba County Fair.

That Yazoo Clay must be some kind of mean.  Yet another bidness is leaving Maywood Mart.

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber hosted a forum about relations between the police and the community.  The video of the entire session is posted below.

Many readers are interested in the fight between Fondren Garage and its neighbors.  JJ obtained the various permits, licenses, and applications through a public records request submitted to the city of Jackson.  They are posted below.  Enjoy.

Highlights
-Former Hinds County Assistant District Ivon Johnson pleads guilty
-Johnson represented a criminal defendant  for nearly 2 years while ADA
-State law forbids prosecutors from representing criminal defendants.
-The Attorney General said there are no exceptions for ADA's.

Former Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Ivon Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy today.  The notice provided by the court states:

Public employee pensions nationwide face more challenges as their investment returns fall.  The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week:

Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill granted a $100,000 bond to Loren Shell-Blackwell.  A Hinds County grand jury indicted her and Walter Lee Young for capital murder in the death of 81 year-old Lee Kendrick last October. Judge Weill's order states:

It's time for the last call in the annual fund-raising drive for Jackson Jambalaya.  Thank you very much for your support of Jackson Jambalaya and reading the blog over the years. We've come a long way since we started up in 2007.  This blog couldn't have gotten as far as it has without support from the readers.  You've donated money, provided tips, and helped provide information when it was needed.  We are asking for your help again this year.

Highlights: 
-Judge Melvin Priester, Sr. filed a bar complaint against District Attorney.  
-Judge Tomie Green  reported Smith to the Bar for alleged incidents of misconduct . 
-D.A. allegedly tried to use his mother to influence Judge Green
-Judge Green accused D.A. of harassing Special Master Amy Whitten

 The Mississippi Bar filed a complaint against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith at the Mississippi Supreme Court after two Hinds County Judges reported him to the Bar. The actual complaint is posted below. The bar complaint provides the following information:

Attorney Generalissimo Jim Hood issued the following press release: 

This post is an open thread.   Slick Willie spoke at the DNC last night.  John Hinkley, Jr. is getting out of prison.  Jackson is still plagued with JATRAN problems.  The local media STILL ignores the Mississippi Department of Education audit on Jackson Public Schools.  Thank you for the traffic since you met me have that story all to myself, by the way.  It was substantial.  It also appears we will have to wait another week to find out who else will be indicted in the Chris Epps scandal.  Saint Teresa appears in court today.  It is not known if her appearance will be sponsored by any of the local photographers or facial clinics. Meanwhile, Clinton Police arrested a Texas woman who left her child in the car while she went shopping at Walmart.  She allegedly gave them a bogus story.  Her mug is posted below.  Comment away on this and any other topic.

JPD issued the following statement on Twitter:

Only in Mississippi will you see two men inducted into the state's sports hall of fame after they have been inducted into the national College Football Hall of Fame.

That's because Mississippi athletes continue to achieve on a national and international level. That’s the case with both Sean Brewer and Wesley Walls, who have gone into the national college football shrine shrine over the last couple of years and will go into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame this Saturday night in the ceremonies at the Jackson Convention Complex.

Brewer and Walls are two members of a diverse and accomplished MSHOF Class of 2016, joining basketball coach Kay James, football coach Jackie Sherrill, basketball standout Larry Smith and football pioneer Willie Heidelburg. I am proud to have witnessed and chronicled all six and have personal memories of each.

Former Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Ivon Johnson will plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy.  Federal prosecutors filed a bill of information last week that charged Johnson accepted bribes in exchange for reducing bonds for criminal defendants.  A notice filed in his case states:

Antwain Dukes pleaded guilty to depraved heart murder in the death of Carolyn Temple yesterday in Hinds County Circuit Court.  He also pleaded guilty to armed robbery.   Judge Winston Kidd sentenced him to 25 years for each count.  The sentences will run concurrently.

The Justice Department issued the following statement:

Who is going to be indicted in the Chris Epps scandal? All kinds of rumors are floating around today.  Stay tuned. Today might get interesting. Open thread. 

The Jackson Redevelopment Authority managed to sell $9 million of bonds to finance the construction of a Westin Hotel in downtown Jackson.  The city was even nice enough to guarantee the bonds in a 2014 contribution agreement.  However, JRA is also seeking bids for the construction of a convention center hotel.  Everyone loves a construction party.  However, a former USA Today reporter pointed out in a recent Wall Street Journal column how Cleveland has gone down this path  and reaaaally put itself  on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. Dennis Cauchin writes:

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright posted the following column explaining the school ratings and new tests on the Mississippi Department of Education website:

Beginning April 25, 2016, the majority of Mississippi students will take new assessments aligned to the state’s learning goals. The Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) will ask students in grades 3-8 and in high school Algebra I and English II to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in areas such as critical thinking, analytical writing, and problem solving.

Although it’s a new test, these concepts will be familiar to students. Our teachers have done an outstanding job of helping students meet higher academic guidelines for the past five years. MAP will measure what students are learning and inform parents and teachers whether students are meeting expectations for their grade level.

Original post: The Justice Department indicted Teresa Malone for one count of attempt & conspiracy and a count of bribery of a public official.  The indictment is not yet available but JJ obtained this copy of the cover sheet:

The U.S. Attorney's office in Jackson issued the following press release:

Stupid is as stupid does and stupid describes Pierre Smith, Jr.  Smith got a break in May after he was indicted last year for cocaine possession while possessing a firearm.  Smith struck a deal with the prosecutor that allowed him to avoid going to jail by entering a pre-trial intervention program.  Fast forward to this month and Smith decided to party in New Orleans with women but in this case, partying meant  child sex trafficking.  New Orleans police arrested him on July 13 for sex trafficking.  The victims were two teen-aged girls who Smith forced into prostitution.   Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Michael Henry moved to revoke Smith's pre-trial agreement two days after his New Orleans arrest.  Mr. Henry stated in his motion:

The University of Mississippi Medical Center issued the following press release:

Will Pizza Hut continue to operate in Maywood Mart? Pizza Hut of America, LLC is trying to stay in its current location facing I-55N while landlord Maywood Mart Tei Equities, LLC is trying to terminate Pizza Hut's lease.  Pizza Hut sued Maywood Mart in U.S. District Court on April 11. 

The Pearl Police Department posted this statement and accompanying photos on Facebook:

 A Madison County attorney had a bit of a conniption at last week's meeting of the Madison County Board of Supervisors last week when things didn't go her way.   Janice Jackson attempted to qualify for the District 1 Election Commissioner election but failed to submit her qualifying papers to the Chancery Clerk before the deadline.  She asked the Board to accept her candidacy but the Board rejected her request.  The Madison County Journal reported:

Wikileaks is having some fun with the Democrats and that is putting it mildly.  Wikileaks posted this message on its website:

It appears the Jackson Redevelopment Authority managed to sell $9 million of urban renewal bonds to fund construction of the Westin Hotel project that had stalled.   An official statement was registered yesterday with EMMA* that stated eight maturities were sold.  The project's progress stopped last month as it awaited funding from JRA.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

Hinds County Chancellor Denise Owens recused herself from the charter school lawsuit yesterday.  Read this post for more information about the lawsuit.  That leaves the following Chancellors available to hear the lawsuit: Thomas, Wise, and Singletary. Stay tuned. 

Republicans love to say that only in government does someone get rewarded for failure.  However, an article in National Review makes the case that the Republican Party has its own share of trough-feeders who fail and fall upwards.   The author calls it the "Republican-industrial complex has turned missteps into millions" in an allusion to Ike's classic term.   Polijunkies and Democrats will enjoy reading this essay that is rather thorough in nature.  Matthew Sheffield writes:

Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following statement: 

The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following press release:

One East Baton Rouge Parish deputy gets to go home to his family.

Update (4:45 PM): Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority issued the following press release:

A Jackson doctor and North Jackson Medical Clinic are trying to move a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the children of deceased Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, Sr.  out of the Jackson metro area.  Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Jr. filed a wrongful death action against St. Dominic Hospital, North Jackson Medical Clinic, and several doctors in February in Hinds County Circuit Court.  Attorneys Dennis Sweet, III and Dennis Sweet, IV are representing Mr. Lumumba.  The case is assigned to Judge Winston Kidd.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement: 

4:00 PM update: U.S. Magistrate Keith Ball set a $10,000 unsecured bond for Dr. Reddix. Dr. Reddix was represented by attorney Lisa Ross. He admitted to the court that he is currently undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse.


The U.S. Attorney's office  issued the following press release:

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith  asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to dissolve a court order barring him from participating in cases.  Mr. Smith was arrested and charged with six misdemeanor counts of improperly helping criminal defendants. Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill issued the order shortly after the arrest took place.   The D.A. also asked the County Court of Hinds County to unseal several documents that he claims will help his case. The various motions provide new information and a look at what has been taking place behind the scenes in Hinds County.  Mr.  Smith apparently tried to bring one judge before a grand jury.  The filings are posted below. 

I have on my desk a perfectly preserved game program from the Mississippi State-Ole Miss football game played Nov. 24, 1945. On page 1, it tells us about school colors: “For Ole Miss, Red and Blue; for Mississippi State, Maroon and White.”

That hasn't changed. Most everything else has.

 Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill set trial for the capital murder prosecution of Gerome Moore on September 12 at 9:00 AM.  A Hinds County grand jury indicted Moore for the shooting death of Carolyn Temple in January 2015.

The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following press release: 

Check out this building behind the King Edward hotel:

The Clarion-Ledger is conducting a poll for your favorite reporter and other forms of media coverage.  Vote here.  
Remember, this is Mississippi so vote early and often.  It is not known if absentee ballots are available.  

The blog Hypeline reported that some bedwetters in Cleveland freaked out over the police living in campus dorms during the Republican National Convention:

The release of the school accountability ratings last week drove the Parents' Campaign's Nancy Loome into a frenzy last week as she sent out several blast emails blasting everything.  Ms. Loome is the Executive Director and lobbyist for the non-profit organization funded by Jim Barksdale and Dick Molpus. She blasted the Mississippi Department of Education. She blasted legislators. She blasted her fellow lobbyists.  She blasted standardized tests.  It is not known yet if she blasted herself.  She sent out the first email early last week:

JPD issued the following statement:

Louisiana State Police Colonel Mike Edmondson briefed reporters about the attack and provided a great deal of new information and photos at a press conference today.  Three officers were killed yesterday.  One East Baton Rouge Parish deputy is fighting for his life while another faces more surgeries.

 Start watching the video at 11:30.  Colonel Edmondson takes viewers through the timeline and diagram at 18:00. It is a very informative part of the briefing.  He takes the readers through the attack.

Can you stand some good news?  A group of men spent sixteen years restoring a B-29 Superfortress.  It made its first flight since restoration yesterday.  Fightersweep.com reported:

JPD issued the following press release and mug shot:

Does MBN have a good ole boy culture of crude sexual jokes, harassment of female employees, and a dreaded "Perkins Scale"? that rates women based on looks? The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics settled a sexual harassment suit last month for undisclosed terms.  MBN Special Projects Officer Mary Katherine Sullivan sued MBN on September 4, 2015 for alleged acts of sexual harassment committed by MBN Deputy Director Mike Perkins. 
Ms. Sullivan alleged in her complaint:

It appears defendants were paying bribes to Hinds County prosecutors to reduce bonds. The U.S. Attorney filed a bill of information in U.S. District Court Friday that alleged Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Ivon Johnson and an unnamed co-conspirator fixed bonds for criminal defendants in exchange for cash payments.  The bill of information states:

Here are some of the latest news on the attack in police officers in Baton Rouge today.

Three police officers were killed this morning in Baton Rouge.  Three other officers were injured as well and their status is currently unknown.  The story is moving fast and is constantly updated online every few minutes.  The best way to keep up with the news is to read media feeds on Twitter. There were two to three shooters.  One witness said one covered his face with a mask while another hid in the bushes.  The attack took place near the intersection of Carolyn and Airline Highway.  It is between I-12 and BRPD Headquarters a few blocks away on Airline Highway.  Louisiana State Police report they are still looking for two shooters.

An eyewitness posted a rather intense video of the shootout on Facebook. She later removed the video.  However, JJ was able to record the video itself.  The audio is posted below and is rather intense.  The video component was removed so no one could identify the woman recording the video.  Most of the video are shots of the roof and vehicle of her SUV.  There is no video of the actual action taken place. 

A man is Samuel L. Jackson.  A man provided a recap of the Game of Thrones series in rather colorful fashion for newbs:  

The Dallas Morning News reported  a robbery went awry earlier this week:

The Sun-Herald's Anita Lee continues to school journalists in Mississippi.  She busted a big-time boondoggle that took place on the coast.  Wrap your head around this opening sentence: "The state of Mississippi has spent $158.5 million on a road that does not exist."  Ms. Lee waded through the weeds and provided more horrifying details:

The Clarion-Ledger published a story about Judge Melvin Priester, Sr. recusing himself from State v. Robert Shuler Smith Wednesday.  JJ broke the story on Tuesday but the newspaper reported some very interesting information:

It is a rather simple equation.  Bar + neighborhood homes = conflict.   Fondren residents are upset that a bar/pizza joint/pool hall/whateveryoucallit opened at the corner of Patton and North State Street.  The complaints soon arose and Patton Avenue residents took their fight to City Hall this week.  The video posted below shows a stream of neighbors addressing the City Council. 

Twin Creeks, Kior, Stion.... the names roll off the tongue more easily after awhile as the list of failed alternative energy experiments grows longer.  Jack Weatherly reported in the Mississippi Business Journal reported solar panel manufacturer Stion will probably not meet its goal of creating 1,000 jobs after receiving a $75 million loan from Mississippi:

State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued the following press release:

The Mississippi Department of Education released the PARCC results and issued the following statement:

JPD issued the following statement:

This video is better than the smell of napalm in the morning.    Warning: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE!!!

Public Service Commissioner Cecil Brown submitted this column to JJ. 

The Mississippi state budget is a mess. For the state budget year that began on July 1, the legislature authorized spending millions more dollars than the state can expect to collect. The leadership admits that nearly $57 million of the projected 2017 revenue does not exist. In addition, Attorney General Jim Hood has said that some $70 million more of their estimated revenue will not be available as a matter of law. And, if current revenue shortfalls continue, the budget hole will be deeper by many millions more.

Hinds County Court Judge Melvin Priester, Sr. recused himself from the Robert Shuler Smith Case.

My old and good friend Nick Kolinksy, a patriot if ever there was one, died on July 5, a day after his 77th Independence Day.

Nick was an Army veteran, who loved his country and the men and women who fought for it. But he was much more than that, as we will see. He was a football star, a square-jawed, bull-strong linemen on a national championship (1962) team at Southern Miss. A Pennsylvania native, Nick learned about USM when he was in the Army and drinking beer with some other soldiers in a German beer hall. One had attended USM and raved about it. Nick decided right then he was going to go to college in the funny-named town of Hattiesburg. And he did. When he left Pennsylvania, he told his mother he was headed for Mississippi. Her reply: “Son, that's a river, isn't it?”

It appears the nephew of Hinds County Chancellor Denise Owens is the aunt (by marriage) of Jody Owens, II.  The Southern Poverty Law Center website states:

The Clinton Police Department issued the following statement:

Will Mississippi's two charter schools close?  The Southern Poverty Law Center asked a Hinds County Chancellor yesterday to declare Mississippi charter schools unconstitutional and illegal.  The nominal plaintiffs are  John Sewell, Kimberly Sewell, Evelyn Araujo, Charles Araujo, Cassandra Overton-Welchlin, Lutaya Stewart, and Arthur Brown*.  The case was assigned to Chancellor Denise Sweet Owens.   The suit names Governor Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Department of Education, and the Jackson Public School District as defendants.

It looks like our Mercedes-Benz dealership is moving.

A Terrence Williams posted this studious social commentary on Facebook about the recent troubles in America:

JPD issued the following press release AND mug shots.

Remember when the Mississippi Department of Education said the school ratings would be released in June?  Well, it is now July and MDE still has not released the A-F ratings for public school districts and their individual schools.  The ratings are normally published around Labor Day each year but were not published last year.  JJ reported in May:

Major Max Geron of the Dallas Police Department wrote this essay that appeared on the Homeland Security Watch website.

"Hey man this is Reuben. I don’t know if you heard but there’s a city-wide assist and reports of officers down at the demonstration. I’ve got some guys and we’re headed that way and I just wanted you to know in case you hadn’t heard.”

That was my first indication that something had gone horribly wrong. I glanced at social media and immediately saw throngs of people scattering from the anti-police brutality protests going on in downtown Dallas. I knew it was bad. They reported one officer having been evac’d to the hospital in a squad car – you know it’s bad when cops are evacuating other cops in squad cars and not waiting for ambulances.

Yes, these NYU students are that dumb:

It's been a deadly week in America and I'm sure many of you are still absorbing what took place this week.  Consider this thread to be your chance to vent.  Feel free to posts links to relevant stories.  Read your comment if it is not approved and I'm sure you will see what was wrong with it.  No racist comments, no personal insults.

A New Orleans freelance journalist blew up on Instagram when her New York Daily News cover photo about the Albert Sterling shooting in Baton Rouge was pushed to the side in favor of coverage from Dallas.  She busted her butt to get a photo that was going to get some national recognition for it and then boom!  Her photo gets bumped for an even bigger story.  Needless to say, she did not take it too well.  See for yourself.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey posted this message on Facebook: 

JPD issued the following statement:

The organization "No One Stands Alone" issued the following press release:

A Hinds County grand jury indicted Joshua Dukes on June 24 for four counts of capital murder.  The case is assigned to Judge Bill Gowan.  JPD Chief Lee Vance called him a "serial killer" when he announced his arrest. The four counts of the indictment state:

The Hinds County District Attorney and Attorney General traded licks in Hinds County Circuit Court today.  District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith asked the court to dismiss all charges against him.  Mr. Smith was arrested two weeks ago on six charges of illegally helping criminal defendants.  (A.G. press release) The charges are misdemeanors.   Mr. Smith is represented by Tupelo attorney JIM Waaaaaaiiiiide.  Circuit Judge Jeff Weill barred Mr. Smith from handling cases before him after the arrest took place. 

The New York Times published an expose on the Kemper fiasco. It ties in Mississippi Power, former Governor Haley Barbour, and a friendly legislature that greased the wheels for the construction of the plant.  The reporting is thorough and included interviews with several engineers.  Read the entire story for yourself  or read some excerpts published below.

Here are the public records requests filed with the city of Jackson since March 1, 2016.  Enjoy.

The recent report that Mississippi State and Southern Miss will renew their basketball rivalry came as welcomed news to this observer.

State and USM will play four games over the next four Decembers, all in Mississippi Coliseum in the Capital City. Good for State. Good for USM. Good for Jackson. Good for Mississippi basketball.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement:

Are Jackson public schools safe? Tis the question asked by auditors from the Mississippi Department of Education.  Their audit unfortunately found JPS students attend too many schools where discipline does not exist and violence is all too often a normal part of the school day.  The report doesn't pull any punches as auditors visited every school in the district.  Security guards aren't trained and are often absent from their posts.  One high school teacher played on his phone instead of teaching. Kids come and go as they please at some schools.  Students are often unsupervised.  Meanwhile Superintendent Dr. Gray and his staff forbid principals to call JPD when needed and are effectively handcuffed when they try to impose discipline.

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release: 

Our condolences go to Marshall Ramsey and his family.  His father passed away today.  Please keep the family in your prayers. Here is a picture of Marshall and his Dad:

JPD issued the following statement:

A male teen was killed and another seriously injured in a wreck that took place by John Deer Landscaping on Fannin Landing Circle today.  The driver and passengers were all males and ranged in age from 17 to 19 years old.  The deceased is Cole Kirby.  He was a member of the MRA baseball team and the National Honor Society.  The other teens are Peyton Horton, Parker Madeo, and Tyler Price.  They are all in critical condition. 

The boys were riding in a 2000 Jeep Wrangler.  Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said the Jeep went off of the road and the driver overcompensated in trying to get back on the road.  The Jeep flipped several times.  Sheriff Bryan Bailey said his office is investigating.

Update (9:00 AM, 7/5/16): Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued this statement:

The Ridgeland Police Department issued the following press release and mug shot:

JJ will publish its next post about the dismal JPS audit Tuesday.  JPS faces the real possibility of losing its accreditation.  Readers may remember that JPS narrowly avoided losing its accreditation back in 2012.  The district cut a deal with the Mississippi Department of Education that kept JPS off of probation.  However, some school board members threw tantrums as this video shows.

It's time to go back to work and get caught up on the local scene.  The coverage about the District Attorney's arrest has picked up steam so we will pick up where we left off last week. Mollie Bryant reported in the Clarion-Ledger:

JPD issued the following statement and mug shot:

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement on the HB #1523 decision:

JPD issued the following press release and mug shots: