It won't be Ali-Frazier but July 13, 2026 is the day the wheels of justice turn for Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Ward 6 City Councilman Aaron Banks, and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.
A federal grand jury indicted the trio on public corruption charges last year. The defendants all filed motions for continuances. The indictment charges the defendants with the following crimes:
Aaron Banks: conspiracy and bribery
Chokwe Antar Lumumba: Conspiracy, bribery, Use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, honest services wire fraud, money laundering
Jody Owens, II: Conspiracy, bribery (3 counts), use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, honest services fraud, money laundering.
After hearing it all from prosecution and defense, U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III postponed their trial to July 13, 2026.
FBI undercover agents posing as developers met with the defendants as well as then-Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee and insurance salesman Marve Smith. The "developers" wanted to build a convention center hotel, long a goal of the Mayor. The indictment alleges the FBI paid bribes to Banks, Owens, and Lumumba in exchange for rigging the bid process for the convention center hotel RFP. The Mayor stands accused of laundering the alleged bribe through five campaign contributions of $10,000 each. Earlier post.
Judge Jordan cited a gargantuan amount of discovery that must be reviewed before trial:
At the (March 7) hearing, the Court asked counsel for the status of the Government’s discovery production and the Defendants’ review of what they had already received. It also asked for best estimates of the time necessary to complete the discovery production, Defendants’ review, motion practice, jury selection, and trial. The parties revealed that the Government had already produced around 44,000 pages of documents (many of which are “dense” financial records that may require expert review); (2) over 500 hours of audio or video records; (3) partial transcripts; (4) grand-jury testimony; and (5) other materials. The Government also announced that it anticipated producing "around 20 more transcripts, cell-phone data from each Defendant’s phone, additional witness statements, and other disclosures.
The Court issued a schedule:
April 7, 2025: All "in scope" cellphone data and audio/video transcripts must be provided to defense by this deadline.
October 1, 2025: Status conference
February 1, 2026: Motions deadline
April 1, 2026: Status conference
May 29, 2026: Deadline for filing intent to plead guilty.
Banks attorney Carlos Tanner tried to get the trial pushed back to September or October 2026 but Judge Jordan said while his client has a right to a fair trial, the public had a right to a speedy trial as well.
28 comments:
Banks if you're reading this get out while you can plead guilty Marshand didn't heed the warning now he's in West Virginia probably thinking about why he didn't. This is not your fight you took the money they know you did & you don't have any money to fight do your family a favor & get out. They have you linked in with 2 other people it won't look good when trial start you think you're drinking now you will become a real alky & won't be good for your mind or body. God Bless
Nothing but a political witch hunt by the main stream media just like the welfare scandal.
Lol. LMAO. People did go to prison over the welfare scandal. Maybe not your preferred people but the people responsible for disbursing monies.
Trial of the century? I think not. Yes, we know that was tongue in cheek, but whose cheek (pun intended)? More like dumb and dumber. Hopefully Chokwe and the side piece that was in Florida will be unemployed shortly. It will be interesting to see who is foolish enough to put his incompetent ass on their payroll after he loses the runoff.
It's going to be Chokwe Antar Lumumba Jr. who folds after he loses the election on the 22nd. He will turn like a scared rabbit to become a witness against the other two. .......
Politics in the 'SIP can make strange bedfellows!
Mayor Lumumba will persevere again just like he always does and the fish will be petty and make an ass of himself like he always does.
Maybe some guilty people did not go to prison.
It's not mayor Lumumba. You have to say all 3 names just like WLBT, pay homage peasant, CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA!!!!
What if you had to report to prison in 24 hours. What would you do with that time?
A solo practitioner could review hard copies in a month….there are no depos in criminal trial…no written discovery…..this is a delay to get one of them to stab the other (and others)….fat sam is turning states evidence
You're right. He must do it now, while in the news. Cold Antar is wretched.
I hope Chuck gets his bond revisited after he gets his Ass stomped in the runoff. He will then be a flight risk. He has experience taking plane rides.
Coming soon, another continuance regardless of any previous orders.
is the yacht they met on still named THE LEFT HAND? maybe lumumbles and jody need to study upon the history of that yacht.
its been responsible for more prosecutions than j.edgar hoover and melvin purvis combined.
but of course that would require these two little hip-hoppers to study up on some real, not revisionist, history . neither are gonna do that.
The should have scheduled the trial on election day.
1:40 must be tuff’n it out in that tall building…which insurance co gets billed for your comments?
Anyway, it’ll be an interesting trial if it actually goes. However, I bet that 5-10yr offer starts looking better and better as we approach the trial date.
Any word on the Rudy Warnock trial? Maybe 1:40 can shed light on why that one has been continued so many times…
Is John Horhn going to be any better? Just wondeing. I don't know him. I'm asking more about competency to run the city rather than corruption.
@3:56 PM The yacht name may have been changed to "The Hand Job."
And you'd have to prove that in court.
Narcissists don’t plead guilty.
This won't qualify as "the trial of the century" unless there is also a "low speed chase." Right OJ?
Upset by Crappy federal judges with zero accountability? Chill bro, it’s just another day in Jackistan!
Rocket Docket it ain’t!!
But, but , Jody said he had checked them out. They should all be jailed for a level of stupidity that is amazing.
Sure hope Joseph Wade secures the perimeter during the trial with that fleet of crime fighting drones.
The 'situation on July 13 will last all of an hour, during which a continuance will be requested and granted....the first of many to follow.
Hat Tip To Rudy Warnock - King of Kontinuences.
@ 6:20 PM Well, Horn is an unknown as a mayor, and CL has proven he is a completely incompetent, dishonest, and infinitely bribable mayor, so it's a pretty easy choice. CL's most recent posts on city social media also promote straight up communist practices (taking from anyone who has any financial means and reallocating to those who don't support themselves - even if it is due to their unwillingness to work/contribute in any way).
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