Jones Drafts Legislation to Protect Abuse VictimsA Mississippi Gulf Coast lawmaker is drafting a bill that will protect domestic-violence victims from being victimized again. Rep. Brandon Jones, D-Pascagoula, vice-chairman of the House Insurance Committee, says his legislation will prevent health-insurance companies from denying victims coverage.
Crime Reports Mixed: Jackson Crime Stats for Oct. 19-25Major crimes in Jackson last week stayed level with numbers from the previous week, according to a report released today at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting. Officers reported 216 total property crimes and 26 total violent crimes last …
[Mott] The Cost of ExecutionsQuitman County, Miss., population 10,500, raised taxes for three years and borrowed $150,000 to provide legal counsel to Robert Simon and Anthony Carr, sentenced to death for the 1990 murders of four family members. A death-penalty case "is almost like …
Obama to Sign Hate Crime LegislationIn a ceremony today at the White House, President Barack Obama will sign a bill into law that has been in the works for more than a decade. The bill updates the 1968 federal hate crime statutes that currently protects …
Barbour Appoints Malcolm Harrison to DeLaughter's Old Judge SpotJackson, Mississippi – Governor Haley Barbour today announced the appointment of S. Malcolm O. Harrison, of Jackson, as Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Judicial District, Sub-district 4, serving Hinds County. Harrison will serve the unexpired term of former Judge …
Hinds Supes Go to Executive Session on Detention CenterHinds County Supervisors considered adopting a memorandum of understanding with a youth justice advocacy organization at a board meeting this morning. The proposed memorandum, which the board discussed in a closed executive session, would establish acceptable staff-to-youth ratios at the …
Jackson Police Putting Focus on Property CrimeAssistant Police Chief Lee Vance called on Jackson police to concentrate on property crimes in the city, noting at a meeting today that the Jackson Police Department has a "realistic chance" of finishing the year with an overall crime reduction …
[Balko] Scenes From a CrackdownPolice overkill, such as that displayed at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, is becoming more common every day.
Kristen ThigpenBefore accepting her new job with the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Kristen Thigpen didn't personally know anyone who had been a victim of intimate partner abuse. Since she took the job Oct. 1, she's been researching the issue, which …
Navy Names Ship After Medgar EversThe U.S. Navy is naming a ship in honor of Medgar Evers, the civil rights leader who was assassinated outside his Jackson home in 1963. Navy Secretary and former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus is expected to announce the honor when …
Farish Street Nightclub to Increase SecurityAttorneys for the Birdland Restaurant and Lounge reached an agreement with Jackson city attorneys yesterday to close the Farish Street nightclub for 30 days while addressing security concerns stemming from a recent fatal shooting.
Lessons of Spencer's DeathAwareness has a huge role in making Mississippiand the U.S.a safer place for women. Created in 2006, the Attorney General's Office Domestic Violence Division, works with the entire judicial system to raise awareness of the issues surrounding domestic abuse.
Honoring HeatherIt is truly a small world that we live in. I attended high school with Mary Heather Spencer, and even though we ran in different circles, I remember hearing of her as a truly nice person with similar adolescent aspirations …
It is truly a small world that we live in. I attended high school with Mary Heather Spencer, and even though we ran in different circles, I remember hearing of her as a truly nice person with similar adolescent aspirations …