Are Sheriffs held accountable in Mississippi? Jerry Mitchell and a team of reporters from the New York Times and Mississippi Today asked that question in a story published last week. The answer? Not really. Jerry Mitchell's team reported:
State authorities are responsible for investigating shootings and in-custody deaths involving sheriffs and deputies. But they are not obligated to investigate other potential wrongdoing by sheriffs’ offices, and may not even know about it: The sheriffs’ offices are also not obligated to report incidents to them. The Times and Mississippi Today examined dozens of publicly available federal lawsuits that described severe brutality and other abuses of power, reviewing thousands of pages of court records and interviewing people involved in cases across the state. At least 27 claims do not appear to have led to a state investigation, including accusations of rape, brutal assault and retaliation against sheriffs’ enemies. Many of the lawsuits depicted incidents that had eyewitnesses or significant physical evidence. Some included transcripts of deputies admitting under oath to troubling conduct. All but five of the cases were settled, according to court files that do not disclose the financial terms. Mississippi has a long history of powerful rural sheriffs breaking the law with little consequence. This year, The Times and Mississippi Today revealed how sheriffs and deputies dodged accountability after allegations that they had sexually abused women in their custody, tortured people for information or misused subpoena power to spy on others. The lawsuits underscored how many similar allegations have been leveled in the state over the past decade, especially in small-town jails. A man in Itawamba County said that in 2020 his jailers tied him to a chair, choked him and squeezed his genitals until he vomited. A woman in Bolivar County said that in 2016 a deputy held her arms behind her back and raped her in her cell. A man in Simpson County said that the sheriff in 2012, Kenneth Lewis, choked him and slammed his head against a cell wall until he passed out. All of their lawsuits were settled. Attempts to reach former Sheriff Lewis for comment were unsuccessful. Officials with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office said they could find no records indicating that either office had investigated any of the 27 allegations. Jim Hood, who was attorney general during most of these cases, did not respond to requests for comment.
36 comments:
Shocked. Totally shocked. I know during the Pontotoc Sheriff race a whole bunch of stuff came out about the current Sheriff using county funds for personal gains. It was all there with receipts. Nothing has happened to him. This probably goes on EVERYWHERE. AG's Office, MBI, Shad White, etc etc all won't touch Sheriffs.
Who investigates Jerry Mitchell?
MO of MT:
"Claims, accusations, allegations."
In a season when the First Amendment is under attack, Jerry Mitchell's work should be applauded. Few journalists take the time to investigate. One can disagree with Mitchell's views and the views of Mississippi Today. But, the service they are performing is valuable.
Meanwhile, the entire Rankin County power structure is silent. The Board of Supervisors has not weighed in on the county's criminal justice system. Nothing from Mike Guest. Nothing from Rankin civic and business leaders. One may argue their opinions are unnecessary but with position comes duty and no one is expressing outrage. Rankin County officials, it's not too late to do the right thing.
RMQ
Pontotoc even has a chief deputy that is not certified and been working for over 8 years. Nobody watches the Sheriff Department. They can do whatever they want.
People don't even realize we've had, at times, multiple FELONS as Sheriffs, in recent years. Maybe Sheriff Andy Taylor didn't carry a gun sometimes, but these guys couldn't.
The old Posse Comitatus crew really loved the unique nature of US Sheriffs. They believed that their buddy, felon or not, was the Emperor and could do whatever he wanted. Often, he did- such as running gambling rings, allowing brothels and dope and booze to flow.
The "Wild West" is not a thing of the past.
Do folks realize we have a nuclear plant protected by a Sheriff and like 8 Deputies? (thank God for heavily armed private security force there, though).
Or that in many counties, at night, the person answering the phone at the SO is a convict, a trustee? With one Deputy on patrol somewhere in the county?
That's why country folks pack heat, but it's also why crime is so out of control. Lawlessness. Same as Jackson.
You get what you pay for, and the other article states Republicans want to cut property taxes? Are we just going full primal Battle Royale or just anarchy?
To be honest, the NY TImes crew has NO idea of that. They are in a city with 35,000 NYPD Officers. Total restriction on gun ownership for the law abiding. Cameras everywhere. And crime everywhere. And astronomical taxes and home costs. The opposite extreme with similar lawlessness for the poor and middle class.
What is sad is the AG's office has had reports of corruption but chose not to pursue the cases. Until a "well know politician or leader" is held accountable, things will continue to be swept under the rug. Thankfully the Feds have stepped up to assist in investigating PUBLIC INTEGRITY.
They are elected right? So the people do.
This is one time I agree with Jerry. Its so common, it would be more of unicorn to find a county without a corrupt Sherriff.
One county in Mississippi had a Sheriff who was charged with a dozen crimes including sex with inmates, using and selling drugs, stealing guns and tampering with evidence.
They even had to keep paying him his salary (and his replacement) while the case wound through the courts.
Who watches the "journalists"?
I am not surprised by this type of "reporting." They interviewed the guy who has sued every county in North Mississippi and reported his allegations as the truth. MS TODAY is a rag.
Maybe don't break the law to get into jail . . . .
Long, long ago, and far, far away (not really-Madison County) they say there was a sheriff that would bring his cattle to town, turn them loose to graze on the highway ROW, and use county prisoners to walk along with them to keep them off the road. They say he carried a blackjack in his back pocket. Oh yea, not much crime back then either.
The case against Sheriff Lewis was dismissed not settled.
You should contact the Simpson County Board of Supervisors attorney for confirmation this suit against him was dismissed.
Poor lil Jerry Mitchell, still seeking the attention he never got as a child!!!!
What a great team. Jerry Mitchell, ms Today, and NYT. Fake News for sure.
11:12 while an interesting story, only partially true. It wasn’t a sheriff, it was a jailer and the cattle were already “in town” behind the jail. No one was ever killed because no one ever questioned said jailer.
why are people leaving this state , reason 1001
any dissent or divination from the norm they ask you to leave
11:12 while an interesting story, it is only partially true. It wasn’t the sheriff it was the jailer and the cattle were already in town, they were behind the jail.
No one was ever killed though because no one ever questioned said jailer.
Why do people leave Mississippi? Why do people make fun of Mississippi? As usual, just take a look at more than half the comments on this post. Fake News? Who’s investigating Jerry Mitchell?
You people really are going to defend corrupt sheriffs? Of course you are. You don’t believe in facts. Just the status quo and attacking the city of Jackson.
You get what you deserve.
Trump, Tate Reeves, the worst in education and health care, educated people leaving in droves, government and law enforcement corruption, and all the rest of it.
Sheriff Bailey "I got this."
Jerry Mitchell is more interested in telling a compelling story than seeking the truth. That makes him just as dangerous as a dirty cop. And just as honorable.
So, here's a question for the smart people. What should we, citizens, do to change it? If Sheriff's are corrupt, how do we change it? How do we change the Rankin Sheriff department when we just had a vote and nothing was changed?
Cows in the median are better than panhandlers.
This a prelude to a Jerry Mitchell book.
Lot of great comments here
.... Thanks
9:43 AM for the win. Who decided Jerry Mitchell is any kind of moral compass?
The SSun may be about to come up on the Other side?
9:48 nailed it .
There was more to Kenneth Lewis than just when he was Sheriff. He was a constable back in the day. There is a story there as well.
Yea 9:43 AM’s “Who investigates Jerry Mitchell?” is the winner!!!
9:48 AM, as a hardcore despiser of rogue cop Pigs, this Jerry Mitchel report is a plus for sure.
Just understand though that Jerry Mitchel, the New York Times, et al aren’t on top of this Goon Squad Pig bad Sheriff’s story because they really care about “victims” of crime.
If Jerry Mitchel, the New York Times, Bill Crawford, Sid Salter and other leftist propagandists cared at all about “victims of vicious crimes,” they would be calling out Chokwe’s and the NAACP’s all out fight against making Jackson, MS a safer place to live. Should there not be a “bipartisan” goal of making inner cities safe for children to grow up in???
But murdered children aren’t even enough to get this group to criticize leftist Democrats destroying inner cities like Jackson. But hey, they can’t risk losing those inner city Democrat votes come statewide and national election time; can they?
Social media is ruining everything. I remember when a sheriff was a real man. Paul Barrett in Warren County for example.
I’ve dealt with the current sheriff of RCSO both personally and professionally. There is no way he has an IQ over 80. I am certain it is the same for most sheriffs in Mississippi. These are not intelligent men. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are “bad” but they likely couldn’t successfully run an oil change or a fast food business. They are bottom feeders like the rest of government employees.
It frustrates me to infinity and I can never understand why no one in government will come save us from someone in government.
For the "Whose investigating Jerry Mitchell?" commenters:
So...I have watched the GOP make accusations and call for "investigations" almost for several years now. I can't hope but notice that even when the GOP investigates, they seldom can find evidence.
See, that's the thing...put up or shut up.
OH..oops! The GOP made us put up lots of tax dollars to investigate Hilary Clinton for how many years and still nothing you could take to a judge?
There was all the investigations into voter fraud. Well after all that time and money you never found enough mistakes in registration to overturn even local races in small towns.
Seems a like the only thing the GOP is good at is fermenting anarchy and pardoning their loyalists.
What crime do you think Mitchell has committed? He hasn't been sued. He hasn't been found to have written anything that wasn't true. He doesn't seem to live above his means like some of your favorite news people...some were even clinically paranoid and there's the drug addicted "news" people you believe in.
Are you that clueless about what "probable cause" and " evidence" is? Do you want someone to be able to haul you to court because they " suspect" you or someone who dislikes you started a rumor?
There was enough evidence and probable cause not just to arrest those you support that GOP judicial appointees, ruled against your good old boys and juries found them guilty.
So, are you really a GOP blind loyalists or a criminals who benefit from corruption?
You believe everyone is corrupt because YOU are?
YOU do more harm to Mississippi's reputation than Jerry Mitchell could ever do. See, it's not the story, it's that when it's clear proof his factual, it's that you aren't outraged and worse some of you defend the perps.
Some of you ought to read what happens to people like yourselves. You'll be surprised how many fervent supporters and loyalist are killed by their "leader" and his " party". It's that embarrassment vs usefulness vs could be popular or smart enough to be or become a threat not just at the higher levels, but the lower levels. There are massive murders of loyalists by other loyalist who want what their competition locally has. Always single women truly hard times and find their sons or son in laws are too eager to get them out of the way so their star will rise faster.
There's thousands of years of history about what charismatic leaders do when they succeed in controlling government. And, now it's easier as Putin et.al. have demonstrated.
But, the bottom line is elect honest leaders and THEY will end corruption with arrest and with tougher laws. That's just no happening enough.
7:02
You are totally not seeing the big picture
Post a Comment