‘The Nightmare Is Over'After serving 18 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Levon Brooks walked away from the Noxubee County courthouse a free man on March 13. Arrested for the rape and murder of his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter, Courtney …
One in 100 Behind BarsAmerica reached a new record this year, but it's not one that comes with bragging rights: We've reached the point where one in every 100 adults is behind bars. In Mississippi, one in every 97.3 adults is in prison or …
Finding James Ford Seale Alive: A TimelineMedia folks often ask the Jackson Free Press to clarify why the timeline in the original story, "I Want Justice, Too," published in the JFP on July 20, 2005, about Thomas Moore's July 2005 trip to Meadville varies from the …
Dongles Back in Action?One of the most conservative U.S. appeals courts in the nation outlawed Texas' ban on sex toys last week, and local retailers could use the decision to overturn a local municipal ban. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled …
Immigration: Myth Vs. Reality"They can vote themselves in a pay raise, but they can't do nothing about all this illegal immigration," says Jackson talk show host 'JT,' of the JT and Dave show, after the House approved a raise for government officials, including …
DNA Says 'Not Guilty' 16 Years LaterArthur Johnson may be returning home in a matter of days, 16 years after his arrest for a rape he did not commit. On Friday, Jan. 4, the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered Sunflower County to review Johnson's case based on …
Hate-Crimes Grossly Under-ReportedThere were no hate crimes in Mississippi in 2005 or 2006, according to the most recent FBI statistics. Nationwide, say the stats, hate crimes rose 7.8 percent in '06, with 7,722 incidents.
Jackson's "No. 1" IssueIn an editorial last week, The Clarion-Ledger climbed dramatically onto its bird's eye perch of deniability and proclaimed: "Mayor Frank Melton was elected to do something about the No. 1 issue in Jackson—crime. But it is apparent that Jackson's No. …
ACLU to Protest JPDWhen ACLU Public Education Coordinator Brent Cox attempted to observe a police interdiction in front of Rainbow Whole Foods Co-op Grocery on Sept. 14, police arrested and charged him with "disobeying a police officer" and "interfering with the duties of …
MBN Confiscates, Returns ACLU TapeLast month, a Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics officer confiscated a videotape of an interdiction from ACLU workers who had gathered outside their offices on Jefferson Street to observe the arrest, which was taking place in a parking lot across the …
Willis Fires BackFormer Parchman inmate Cedric Willis is suing the city of Jackson, the police department, and officers Gerald Jones, Ned Garner, Jim Jones and Joe Wade for $36 million for wrongful arrest and prosecution in a conviction that locked him away …
ACLU Worker Arrested For Observing PolicePolice arrested ACLU Field Coordinator Brent Cox for surveying a police interdiction last month, though Cox said he was fulfilling his constitutional duty in observing the activity.
Good News for VictimsAnnouncing some good news on the domestic violence front, Attorney General Jim Hood says that the Domestic Violence Division has made significant progress in educating the state's law enforcement, judges and attorneys. In the past year, the division has sponsored …
It's Time to Save LivesDomestic Violence Awareness Month, which started Monday, has taken on a new urgency this year. Given the recent spate of domestic murders in Jackson that might have been prevented, it's clear that the people who most need their awareness raised …