Tuesday, November 22, 2016

$118,906, $235,000, $388,906

The Mississippi Legislature appropriated $388,906 for the settlement of Mississippi Highway Patrol lawsuits earlier this year.  The bill included $235,000 paid to victims of former trooper Christopher Hughes and $118,906 to Training Director Gayle McMullin for racial discrimination.  DPS settled two more lawsuits since the bill became law.  SB #2924 states:


 (c)  Gayle Miller McMullin v. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, et al, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Civil Action No. 3:13CV68-CWR-FKB.. $   118,906.00.

 (e)  John A. Hawn v. Christopher (C.G.) Hughes, Michael Berthay, in their individual capacities, and the Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Mississippi, for declaratory relief; Northern District of Mississippi, Aberdeen Division, Cause No. 1:13-CV-36-GHD-DAS.. $    35,000.00.

 (t)  John A. Hawn, Bryan Lindsey, Heather Seawrite, Ronnie Horton and Matilda Moore v. Former Trooper Christopher Hughes and Former Director of the Highway Patrol, Michael Berthay; United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, Civil Action No. 1:13-CV-23-NBB-DAS....$  235,000.00.

Ms. McMullin's case settled in October 2015.  JJ reported:

  Lieutenant McMullin claimed Mississippi Highway Patrol Colonel Don Barry discriminated against her when he promoted Master Sergeant Marshall Pack to the vacated position of Training Director. The plaintiff is white while Colonel Berry and Master Sergeant Pack are black. She argued -and two courts agreed- she was better qualified for the job. U.S. District Judge Carleton Reeves dismissed her case with prejudice on a motion for summary judgment but the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Reeves and ordered him to hold a trial. Judge Reeves is black and a former president of the Magnolia Bar in Jackson.  However, the Fifth Circuit took the unusual step of publicly correcting Judge Reeves.  Earlier post reporting sordid history of this case.

The other two settlements involves the lawsuits where Christopher Hughes was a defendant.  Hughes had a nasty habit of savagely beating suspects.  Fractured jaws, pulp-looking faces, and brain damage are some of the injuries that are mentioned when discussing the record of Christopher Hughes. One victim was an elderly lady.  He served three years in federal prison for beating suspects and destroying evidence.

The bill is posted below.  The relevant sections are highlighted in yellow.

Kingfish note: Several readers asked about the settlement for the Christopher Hughes lawsuit.  The lawsuit is posted below as well and warning, it will make your blood boil.   The actual events took place several years ago and were in North Mississippi.  Thus the news coverage and the lawsuit were missed by us down here.




27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kf. What period of time did these abuses by Hughes occur? Somehow have missed reading about these lawsuits.

Anonymous said...

I'm really confused. The State will publicize the legal issues but the State employees are protected from scrutiny by the public on employment issues. We pay THEM. They are our employees.

Anonymous said...

To: 12:04PM

Please see the option "Click Here To Read More". You will find it located below the "substance" and above the comment/question where you Posted your comment/question.

Anonymous said...

Thanks 1228. I still don't see anything there that says when these,abuses KF talks about occurred. If it's there I muse be reading right over it. So -maybe you can read it fir me and answer - over how many years, and which era, was he beating the crap out of people.

Thanks.

Kingfish said...

That will be enough, Bernard.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't look like anything to me

Anonymous said...

Research it yourself. KF has all but spoon fed peopl like 12:04 and 12:46 for years. Perhaps you do not read any better than you spell.

Anonymous said...

Damn - it was a legitimate question. Wanted to know under whose administration these beatings he mentioned occurred. The settlement case numbers, etc don't say. The post doesn't say. I haven't read the bill appropriating the money but I would assume that it wouldn't be in there.

If it is in the post I'll be damned if I can find it. Is there any secret why you Mr. 1:28 don't want to say since you are so damned smart? Didn't know there was anything wrong with a little friendly discourse on this site. Don't understand why jackasses like you have to make a fu**ing federal case out of anything just to be a smartass.

Anonymous said...

Don't know either 2:08 or the theirs but it seems that he/she has an anger management issue. Let's all try to get along.

Anonymous said...

What would it really matter what administration it happened in. The person should not have been on the force. There is no excuse for that to happen anytime in any administration. Why would anyone keep a person who would beat up on an elderly woman. That isn't scraping the bottom of the barrel, that is turning the barrel over and digging down in the dirt and scum.

Kingfish said...

If y'all will sit tight I'll add the lawsuit to this post in a couple of hours.

Anonymous said...

Looks as if our state law enforcement is corrupt.

Anonymous said...

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/09/17/former-highway-patrol-director/15780715/

Anonymous said...

http://djournal.com/news/ex-trooper-faces-charges-five-years-after-incident/

Anonymous said...

http://www.leagle.com/decision/In%20FDCO%2020140909811/HAWN%20v.%20HUGHES

Anonymous said...

Looks as if 2:08 is really insecure or just got up on the wrong side of the bed. Give it a rest and take some time to do your own research.

Anonymous said...

5:24 etal. thanks.

Anonymous said...

This is not news, we all know that the highway patrol is a collection of scumbags, thieves, misogynists, and liars; and taxpayers suffer because a feckless administration fails to take action. News would be that a new commissioner is taking the helm and will fix these issues.

Anonymous said...

@7:37 PM
HOW TRUE! Tell it sister/brother.

Anonymous said...

@ 7:37

The Highway Patrol is NOT a collection of scumbags, thieves, misogynists and liars. The good ones don't make the news and there are plenty of them.

The biggest problem with the highway patrol is all of the bullshit political correctness they are forced to deal with, plus the forced hiring of some people that "yes",are idiots. The guys "on the road" had to survive the academy and so far it's still tough as hell to make the cut. Yes, some "Rambo's" occasionally slip through, but most are filtered out and never graduate.

They have my respect.

Anonymous said...

Y'all are taking this shigity too serious!

Anonymous said...

8:42 pm Describe the " political correctness".
I hope you don't think sexually harassing women or condoning the harassment of any employee on a job is anything other bad management and inappropriate.
I agree with you that there are many fine highway patrol officers .
I question the leadership and management that hasn't " weeded out" the Rambos and those who cannot control their emotions on the job.
On the job, an employee that can't control their anger or their hormones should get one warning with specificity about what is unacceptable and what is expected. The next time they " lose it", they are out. No employer should tolerate " drama" in the workplace.

Anonymous said...

8:42 - all evidence leads to the contrary. The department of public safety is rotting from the head down and whatever hooks the commissioner has into the governor must be both substantial and potentially damaging. The entire organization is led by a fool who may or not be suffering from dementia and protects (and thereby tacitly endorses) improper, unethical, unprofessional and illegal behavior. Real leadership demands that leaders admit when they have a problem and deal with it in a decisive and deliberative way; what we have in Santa Cruz could not be any further from that. How many more of these incidents have yet to be reported, and how much longer will the governor choose to tolerate the commissioner's embarrassing excuse for leadership?

Anonymous said...

Could someone post a link to a PHOTO of Christopher Hughes? Or maybe just a physical description? I'm just wondering...

Anonymous said...

@ 5:19...

Not making any excuses for upper level management at MHP, but if you haven't managed an agency as big as MHP, you just can't grasp the "drama" present. Employees in general are a PITA to deal with, but you put them in a position where it's damn near impossible to fire them and you have just what we are seeing.

Hats off to the guys out here pulling bodies out of cars, dealing with the lowest life forms on the planet and dodging bullets.

Last time I went to the HQ in Jackson, I thought I was in Somalia. Now, that's another matter.

Anonymous said...

Drama begets drama, and when you don't deal with your problem employees (e.g. thieves, liars and troublemakers), the entire workforce is emboldened to test the organization's leadership. And after a period of time this behavior becomes part of the organizational culture. Since when is it ok to screw informants, commit payroll fraud and steal evidence and keep your job? Please, name one other organization where this is acceptable. DPS is a joke and an embarrassment in and to Mississippi, the region and the nation, just ask any LSP troooper what they think of our troopers.

Anonymous said...

Time has finally caught up to MHP. The truth has finally caught up with MHP. This "elite" is nothing more than a façade. There is more integrity, and character and honesty in many ten person departments than this group of elitists. Humility will help this agency more than anything.


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