Jackson Jambalaya

I am all for this. If this guy is a crony of the mayor, he is more than likely incompetent meaning fewer of these thugs will get released.

Typical political favors. The only difference is that lumumba is either too incompetent or too arrogant to try to hide the corruption.

No shame! This Mayor doesn't even care about the perception of impropriety or conflict - he flaunts it. Doesn't care a lick about this city - a hustler through and through.

if this howard fellow is holding himself out as a corporation, and is in-fact not incorporated, isn't that fraud?

I have no doubt that all politicians do this.

I just cant decide if I am impressed by or disgusted by the fact that he is so ballsy he does not even attempt to hide his corruption as the rest surely do.

I guess it does not matter, really. This is government.

another example of it aint broke so lets break it, much like the garbage situation, which had NEVER been a problem, NEVER made the news, no one EVER thought about it, now its a complete catastrophe

publicly provided legal services is next on the list....

changing things for the sake of changing them is the hallmark of incompetent management

$15,000/month to Howard, and $5,000/month to the "big guy."

FYI, the SOS's web site is weeks behind in updating their data.

Palm grease-

That has to be the WORST JOB in the entire legal profession.

I'm no fan of the mayor, but I'm not seeing what's so nepotistic about this contract. It mandates Tim Howard retain two other attorneys and a support staff. The fee is $200 per case with a cap of $20,000. That's 100 cases per month. If you don't handle that many, you don't get that much. If you handle more, then the fee per case is cut.

@ 10:02 - No, it's not fraud for a principal to negotiate a contract for a company (not corporation) that is not yet registered. In fact, it might be wise in this instant. I wouldn't jump through the red tape of forming a company if the contract I'm asking for won't get approved. The only risk is if someone wants to sue "Premier Public Defender" and it doesn't exist, then Mr. Howard is personally liable. E.g if a client wants to sue him for malpractice they can get Mr. Howard's house, vs. just the assets belonging to "Premier Public Defender."

@9:34

You really don't understand how graft works, do you?

I'm all for it. If a company is not going to get paid for services performed for the city, it might as well be one of the mayor's buds.

Isn't this the same incompetent lawyer that was representing the public works department a few years ago that said yes, you can do this and then later said, it was illegal, and couldn't be done? Or am I remembering another one of the Mayor's appointees?

If this is a discretionary contract going beyond the mayor's term in office the council should reject it and limit the term to the mayor's term in office. Enough is enough.

I think we know where the extra $5k will be going.

to 10;28.....thats a lot of speculative BS.........you don't know much about politics ,do you?

@10:28 AM - I haven't researched MS but in most states it is illegal to claim that your business is an LLC when it is not. However, the SOS website is behind in updating.

"Contract steering" - it's what crooked mayors do. Right?

9:34 wrote: "If this guy is a crony of the mayor, he is more than likely incompetent meaning fewer of these thugs will get released."

Without competent trial counsel, the conviction gets reversed on appeal.

Competent defense attorneys are absolutely necessary in order to keep the guilty locked up after conviction.

Without competent trial counsel, the conviction gets reversed on appeal.

Competent defense attorneys are absolutely necessary in order to keep the guilty locked up after conviction.


Depending upon who these future defendants may be, you may be identifying a feature rather than a bug.

Ooops! The defense made another mistake that lead to the conviction being reversed and now they are out on bond again? Just in time to get a free turkey from Sister R? Gotsta hate when that keeps happening!

Open bidding for specified performance is anathema to this little tyrant.

I thought the Mayor was all about saving Jackson and its citizens money. But this is a $5000 a month increase or another $60,000 a year. Why not bid it out via an RFP as was done before, and see if the City can get a lower bid ? The present public defender may even agree to do it at the same cost of 15,000 per month.

12:07, I see your point. But, in general, attorneys tend to be competitive and pretty egotistical. They just aren't the type of personalities to throw a fight.

There are, of course, exceptions. Former Hinds County DA Robert Shuler Smith comes to mind. So does the army of lawyers representing a certain presidential candidate. That any lawyer would intentionally and publicly soil themselves in such fashion is beyond my understanding.

Was it approved ? Vote ?

2:11PM thought wrong.

Timothy Howard is clinically insane

I thought the Mayor was all about saving Jackson and its citizens money.

VS


The mayor would like everyone to think he is all about saving Jackson and its citizens money.


It's not likely that more than one of the above is true.

One more step of the High Mayan’s plan to totally destroy all Law and Order in Jackson and make it just like Mogadishu and other third world lawless cities….

@6:03pm - As opposed to paying lip service to “law and order” and then subsequently breaking 100+ laws.

Pick your poison I suppose.

Agreed @2:11 PM, this mayor will do anything to line his pockets - be it from the city he is single-handedly destroying or from straight up stealing from those who vote for him. Lies and games, smoke and mirrors.

Public defender seems woefully underfunded. So many poor's sit in jail forever, finally taking a plea, justice is not relevant.

Y’all act like Lumumba is somehow unique in his corruption. I am not defending him but white mayors have been doing this for centuries. Y’all seem especially upset at the African American mayor following the white traditions!

Jackson is lost and gone. Who can save it and how? Perhaps by informing the mayor we don’t respect him. His constituency seems obsessed with some concept they have of “respect” and “disrespect.”

I’m be disrespecting the mayor.

Redistribution of wealth and Jackson is the only municipality dumb enough to allow themselves to be the bank.

7:36 AM: There it is! The race card is finally played, albeit late in the game.

At an early age, every child learns that doing what everyone else is doing is not a reason nor an excuse.

To paraphrase Dr. King, the current mayor is being judged on the content of his character -- not the color of his skin.

Now comes #7:36 in to play, lining up in the halfbake position. There’s the snap. Now #7:36 with the ball, he runs around the left end and — whoa, Nelly! it’s the old “what about” play! — and 7:36 is dropped for a loss. They’re going to call time out to strategize now as the punting team goes ahead to take the field anyway.

Is this the same Tim Howard that the Mayor endorsed and hired as the city attorney during his first term, only for him to quit because it was too much work? Make it make since.....

Why is these not employees of Jackson? Why contract it out?