Some overpaid EEOC lawyers apparently need to justify their salary. The Washington Post reports:
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Someone needs to tread on the EEOC.
SOS receives award for website
Secretary of State Gibbit Hosemann issued the following press release:
Selling the wages of sin
Look at these cars that are going on the auction block:
Help the ladies get their rings
The Murrah High School Lady Mustangs did the city proud in bringing home a tenth state basketball champeenship this year. However, they need your help as they have not been able to purchase their rings. Mr. Charles Irvin sent out this email to supporters:
Click Here to Read More..
Ivon dropped indictment against (alleged) drug dealer that he presented.
It appears former Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Ivon Johnson was involved in the controversial dismissal of an indictment against a suspected drug dealer in 2014 even though he presented it to the grand jury. Johnson pleaded guilty in federal court last week to accepting bribes in exchange for providing favorable treatment to defendants. JJ reported in November 2014:
Senators oppose SNAP reforms
Senator Thad Cochran issued the following press release:
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Epps defendant pleads guilty.
Mark Longoria waived indictment today in U.S. District Court. The following notice was posted by the court:
Click Here to Read More..
JPS third-grade reading scores improve, media can't be bothered.
One wouldn't know it from reading the Clarion-Ledger but the Jackson Public Schools District made a substantial improvement in the third grade "reading-gate" tests this year. JPS students performed very poorly on the tests last year as 28% of the district's third-grades failed the test. The Mississippi Department of Education began testing for third-grade literacy last year after the Legislature passed the mandate as part of Governor Bryant's education reform package.
MS Litigation Review asks if MC Law School should exist.
Should Mississippi College continue to operate a law school? The question was asked in a column posted by attorney Ken Walley on the Mississippi Litigation Review website. It is no understatement to say the law school is facing its share of challenges right now. Mr. Walley wrote:
Steven Turner is back in jail
Northeast Jackson's newest star hoodlum is back in jail. Little Steven Turner celebrated his eighteenth birthday last December by getting out of the Youth Detention Center and going on a small burglary spree. He stayed in jail for a few weeks before he posted bond. However, Turner just couldn't help himself and allegedly began robbing again. Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd revoked his bond and sent him back to jail on July 29.
Rick Cleveland: We knew #4
In Mississippi, we knew Brett Favre long before he started an NFL record 321 consecutive games, long before he threw 508 NFL touchdowns, and long before he threw for nearly 72,000 yards.
We knew No. 4 before became a three-time NFL MVP, before he was an 11-time Pro Bowler, before he played through injuries that would have required hospital care for normal humans, and before he was generally recognized as the toughest hombre in sports.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
D.A. tries to keep Gulley in jail
Update (8/4/16): Gulley is represented by The Eich. Revocation hearing is on August 11.
And.......... Assistant District Attorney Randy Harris moves to revoke the bond of Kellen Gulley:
Mayor to give State of the City address tonight
Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following press statement:
Case sours more for Too Sweet
Judge Melvin Priester, Sr. set bond at $100,000 for Robert "Too Sweet" Henderson. Henderson was arrested Friday on two counts of conspiracy to bribe a public official. Henderson was pardoned by Governor Haley Barbour in 2012 for several convictions of cocaine possession and receiving stolen property.
Sicko gets 25 year sentence
Madison-Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest issued the following press release:
Blackmon loses big trucking lawsuit
Attorney Robert Gibbs issued the following statements:
The Clarion-Ledger stands up and fights.
The Clarion-Ledger is fighting the sealing of several files and documents in cases involving Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith. One problem in reporting this entire saga is there is another fight going on behind closed doors that involves in varying degrees two Circuit judges, a Special Master, the District Attorney, and several Assistant Attorneys General. They are all public officials and these documents are all public records yet the public is not able to see them nor see what their public officials are doing. The newspaper said enough and filed several motions in court.... which of course were sealed. Anna Wolfe and Molly Bryant reported in the Clarion-Ledger a few days ago:
Monday, August 1, 2016
Gulley busted... again
Note: See this 2008 post about Gulley and his father.
The Clinton Police Department issued the following press release:
Click Here to Read More..
The Clinton Police Department issued the following press release:
West Nile & Zika update
The Mississippi State Department of Health issued the following press release:
Vote for Top 50
Y'all Politics & Supertalk Mississippi (WFMN) teamed up create the Top 50 Award. No longer will the beautiful people just tell each other they are beautiful, now you get to nominate them as well. ;-) Y'all Politics announced the contest today:
Durant wants guns and cash
The city of Durant is apparently trying to get real aggressive in confiscating guns and keeping cash bonds even when the defendant is acquitted. See this July 22 Attorney General opinion. Hmm.... does misdemeanor charge include a traffic ticket or moving violation?
Did Mississippi get hustled again?
Remember that $36 million help the Mississippi legislature gave earlier this year to Edison Chouest? It appears the company played a similar game in Louisiana using the same tactics: promise jobs, promise investment, or promise the world and watch the politicians fall all over themselves as they rush to dole out the dough. Unfortunately for Louisiana and the working people who pay the bills, this friendly bout of crony capitalism has not worked out too well. Fox 8 (NOLA) reported Friday:
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Is it worth it to become a lawyer?
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 Stokes recuses herself due to letter sent to Kenneth
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.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Things go sour for Too Sweet (Update #2)
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.:
Friday, July 29, 2016
Tate addresses Neshoba County Fair
Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following press release and transcript of his address at the Neshoba County Fair.
And another one leaves........
That Yazoo Clay must be some kind of mean. Yet another bidness is leaving Maywood Mart.
Us & Them
Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber hosted a forum about relations between the police and the community. The video of the entire session is posted below.
Update on Fondren Garage
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.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Ivon pleads guilty. Was his moonlighting legal?
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:
WSJ: Public employee pension returns falling
Public employee pensions nationwide face more challenges as their investment returns fall. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week:
Bill Crawford asks how can we break the Iron Circle of Poverty
As legislators gather in
their working groups to study programs and budgets, they should also take note of long-term phenomena with significant impacts.
One of these is a
downward spiral that can cripple communities. It’s named “The Iron Circle of
Poverty.” It’s called the “iron circle” because it is extremely hard to break.
Few communities have the talented leadership and sense of common purpose needed
to do so. Without help from state leadership and resources, many will not.
Click Here to Read More..
Accused Kendrick killer gets bond.
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:
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Last call to support Jackson Jambalaya
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.
Bar files complaint against Robert Shuler Smith
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:
AC thief gets jail.
Attorney Generalissimo Jim Hood issued the following press release:
Open thread.
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.
Rick Cleveland: Meet the 2016 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame class
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.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
FLIPPED!
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:
Dukes gets 25 years in Carolyn Temple murder
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.
Who is next?
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.
Click Here to Read More..
Is Jackson becoming Cleveland?
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:
Dr. Wright explains what new tests will mean for students
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.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Indictment: Former State Rep's wife paid kickbacks to Epps (Updated)
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:
Drug testing company CEO charged in Epps scandal
The U.S. Attorney's office in Jackson issued the following press release:
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