Jackson Free Press

This story will appear in the print edition on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Two of Mayor Melton's young housemates are back in jail. Last week, Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Swan Yerger revoked the bond of 17-year-old Michael Taylor for a 2005 armed robbery after the teen allegedly stole a woman's car at gunpoint on Nov. 16, 2006, a story first reported by the Jackson Free Press. This week, WAPT broke the story that a Copiah-Lincoln Junior College student who lives at Melton's house when he's not at college, Jeremy Bibbs, 19, is sitting in a Copiah County jail after allegedly getting caught with a gun on campus.

"I thought he had learned his lesson and would do fine on probation, and I'm shocked to hear that this has happened," said Rankin County District Attorney David Clark, who worked with Melton last year to get Bibbs into a rehabilitation program after the youth was busted in 2004 for selling 3.9 grams of crack cocaine to an undercover agent in Rankin County in August 2003.

Clark told the Jackson Free Press that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has issued a warrant for Bibbs' arrest and will bring him before a Rankin County judge to determine whether or not he's violated his probation on the earlier plea agreement.

Bibbs' five-year probation included stipulations such as avoiding injurious or vicious habits, such as use of alcohol and drugs, avoiding people of disreputable or harmful character—and committing no offense against the laws of the state of Mississippi. Carrying a weapon onto a Copiah County school campus is a felonious charge carrying a $5,000 fine and/or three years of jail time.

Bibbs' immediate problem, though, is the possibility of his probation getting revoked. If it is, Bibbs will not be eligible for bond, with a judge simply adjudicating him as a felon. He could go to prison for 16 years if his probation is revoked. Copiah County, in the meantime, will place a hold on Bibbs for his gun charges on school property while waiting for the Rankin County decision on his probation.

Clark said he was puzzled as to why Bibbs violated probation. "Yeah, there were a lot of good things about (Bibbs), but the thing about it is he did, on two occasions, sell drugs, and we knocked it down to possession in order for him to be put on the RID program," said Clark. "I remember he told Frank Melton that, if I remember correctly, that he wanted a new bicycle or something like that, and that's why he sold drugs. His mother has talked to me several times, and she's a very loving person, who very much cares about her son, so I'd be surprised if he had a family problem."

Melton told WAPT Tuesday that Bibbs did not own the gun he had in his dorm room, but law enforcement responded that ownership does not matter.

Michael Taylor faces similar issues.

Stacey Burch and sister Tracey Cefalu both testified at a hearing last Friday in Yerger's court that Taylor stole Burch's vehicle at gunpoint Nov. 16, and then tried to sell it back to her for $300, using Burch's stolen cell phone to organize the extortion. Taylor was already out on bond and living off and on with Melton after allegedly committing an armed robbery, but Yerger put Taylor back in jail, calling him a danger to the community.

The teen's bond was not revoked, however, after the Aug. 15 Ridgeway Street incident. Judge Yerger, who quickly returned calls during his re-election campaign, did not return Jackson Free Press calls this week for comment on the Taylor situation.

Taylor gave Melton's address at 2 Carter's Grove as his home address when he was arrested on Nov. 18 for the carjacking. Melton told The Clarion-Ledger last week that Taylor may have tried to sell the car back, but he didn't steal it in the first place.

Burch, who identified Taylor in a line-up, said she had devised a sting operation to catch Taylor, with the help of Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks enforcement officer Randy Newell. She arranged for Newell to grab Taylor at a gas station on the corner of Lakeland Drive and Old Canton, after the women agreed to meet Taylor there. She told The Clarion-ledger that she turned to Newell because the Jackson Police Department was slow to help organize the sting—and that JPD was slow to show up to arrest Taylor when he showed up to sell her back her vehicle.

Jim Walker, public affairs director for the Department of Wildlife, said he was not sure when the police arrived on the scene or if they were involved in the initial grab.

"I do not know the exact time frames, but the bottom line is Yerger weighed the evidence and denied bond. We feel there's a strong case, and the evidence will prevail," Walker said.

Taylor may find himself saddled with additional charges of extortion for trying to sell the car back to the victim.

Melton may be having a bad influence on the young men living in his home. While living with Melton, and out on bond for the 2005 robbery, Taylor allegedly participated in the illegal demolition of a home on Ridgeway Street, also first reported by the Jackson Free Press in August.

Witnesses describe Melton directing youths, including Taylor, to take sledgehammers and destroy the privately owned duplex that Melton claimed was a public nuisance. Melton and JPD officers Marcus Wright and Michael Recio face five indictments for destroying the house itself and its contents, including burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, as well as an indictment of directing or causing a minor to commit a felony.

Mississippi Youth Justice Project Director Sheila Bedi says teens like Taylor—who was 16 at the time of the Ridgeway event—are easily influenced by those around them.

"There's a lot of research into adolescent brain development showing that kids' brains function entirely different from adults. The part of the brain responsible for decision-making, the part responsible for weighing future consequences is completely undeveloped. This is something scientists proved using MRIs. These kids are highly influenced. When you look at the charges a lot of kids pick up, many of them are acting under the influence of older accomplices and older family members," Bedi said.

Julia Bryan, public information officer at the Mississippi Department of Human Services, said DHS has not been involved in Melton's home, despite the high number of arrests surrounding the mayor.

"We've been asked before about the kids that have been in and out of the mayor's home, and my understanding is that these children are there because their parents have placed them there, if you will. They're not under DHS, they're not foster kids, or adoptive children or somebody that we've placed there by any stretch, so we've not have contact, to my knowledge, with any of the children that have been at his home," Bryan said.

"We get involved if there is abuse in the home of the child. If these kids are breaking the law regularly, that's something that will go through the law enforcement channels."

Donna Ladd contributed to this story. Visit jacksonfreepress.com daily for updates on this and other breaking news.

Previous Commentsshow

Melton said he [Bibbs] didn't own the gun??? Oooooh k. Whose was it? Was it Melton's? Seriously. How long is this going to go on?

LawClerk

Dec 12 2006

Is Melton really defending this kid? Are you kidding

willwork4food

Dec 13 2006

Yes. Just like with Taylor. He defends the kids in his chosen circle the same way he defends himself—by making excuses. And if Taylor actually did the carjacking that Melton said he didn't do, the mayor is also lying on the young man's behalf. Now, of course, Taylor (and perhaps others) is in a position to turn on him in court so this is likely very, very complicated. But none of this is new. It's just been in the last couple years that media have started covering Mr. Melton closer. Ahem.

DonnaLadd

Dec 13 2006

OH MY GOD!!! Melton is outright lying to The Clarion-Ledger today (they followed up this story two days after WAPT broke it, and we picked up on it Monday night): Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, who has said he shared custody of Bibbs with Bibbs' parents, however, said he does not believe the weapon belonged to Bibbs. "I have never known Jeremy to be around any type of firearms," Melton said. "He's a good kid, and I stand behind him." Melton said Bibbs lived with him for about a year before he attended the boot camp. "The last time I saw Jeremy was when he enrolled in (college)," Melton said. "That would have had to be about a year ago." PEOPLE, I was with Melton, Bibbs, Chief Anderson, Asst. Chief Sandifer, Robert Smith, Christopher Walker and all sorts of other people in April at Melton's house. He was living there! I'm sure I have Melton on tape talking to/about Bibbs then! WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT HERE??? In addition, The Clarion-Ledger story needs to be factchecked: Bibbs did not go to the Parchman boot camp; Melton negotiated to send him to Chamberlain-Hunt Academy instead.

DonnaLadd

Dec 13 2006

Oh, and Melton had guns lying on the dresser. There were plenty of guns in that house.

DonnaLadd

Dec 13 2006

Maybe it is time to have "The Melton Interviews - Redux" so we can contrast and compare....

pikersam

Dec 13 2006

...and Julia Bryan, Public Information Officer @ The MS Dept. of Human Services, my question is this: Who is responsible if a child dies in the home of Melton? The record should evidence a death of a White adolescent in the home of Frank Melton some years ago. The cause of death was listed as a "suicide." "His brain were all over the floor." Maybe I'm crazy but something is very, very wrong with the approach or lack of involvement of the organizations who are paid to be responcible parties in the welfare of our youth. Where did this kid come from and who are his parents? How did he get the gun that he used to kill himself? I know that this article is about Bibbs but all of these cases seem to have a common germ - MELTON!

justjess

Dec 13 2006

Melton apparently wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on the - Well, let's just say he should move to Houston, because he has a problem.

Lady Havoc

Dec 13 2006

Just saw your post Ladd. Damn. He lied that blatantly? Why shouldn't he? The supporters will just ignore it and use the ends justify the means mentality.

Kingfish

Dec 13 2006

Yes. I was speechless when I read it. He has to know how many people know that he's been with Mr. Bibbs much more recently than a year ago. I can't imagine why he'd say such a thing.

DonnaLadd

Dec 13 2006

When you take aderoll, your short term memory sucks in many cases. or if you are not taking it and suffer from ADHD, I forget which it is.

Kingfish

Dec 13 2006

Well, that would one excuse for getting caught in lies on a regular basis. The constant lies, alone, are enough reason to keep kids away from him.

DonnaLadd

Dec 13 2006

I think this would help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqh46noollY&mode=related&search=

Kingfish

Dec 14 2006

Well, if DHS has no authority this case, do the probation officers or parole officers have any say so about living conditions and availability of weapons. What is really needed here is a timeline, if known, of who has lived at Melton's home and when. Also, some type of coherent list of known or indicted criminals who are friends of of persons mentored by Frank. OK, there is agreement regarding a suicide in the 1990's at Frank's house. Let's get the year and the circumstances down on this time line. There were several people transported to Raymond by Frank and company and booked during the campaign. Who were these people and where are they now? Reportedly there have been people living at Sunchase Apartments whose rent is paid by Melton. Likewise, at the Passport Inn. Wonder how many and who these were. Would Murrah High School have any idea of who has been enrolled there with a 2 Carter Grove Address? Is this information public? Are there any interviews with successful people who have been put on the 'right path' by Melton? If, as was stated during the campaign, some 70 children have been adopted by Melton, and/or his wife, over the last 20 years, where are they now. Have any come forward with praise and gratitude for all this care and education? Just a few questions that I would like to know more about!

ChrisCavanaugh

Dec 14 2006

ChrisCavanaugh, you made some wonderful points and if these leads are followed, I am sure that it will carry this community to the "Real Wizard of OZ." You know, ain't nothing WRONG but, something ain't RIGHT.

justjess

Dec 14 2006

Quite a while ago ladd and I debated the publishing of minors’ images by the media, of which if I recall correctly there were no exceptions within her position of not doing so. Without remotely defending Mr. Taylor or overlooking something how did his image come to be on here?

K RHODES

Dec 14 2006

To make a long story short, Frank is and has always been a troubled individual himself. He has failed to get help and fix himself; so how can he fix and help anyone else? He probably cares deeply for the kids but he is inept and unprepared for that job too. Inept as mayor. Inept as police chief. And inept as a mentor. If he weren't rich and powerful, we wouldn't have ever heard of him. He shoud spare himself and us, and resign form all three failed jobs. And that's my friends is the real bottom line with facts to prove it.

Ray Carter

Dec 14 2006

K, it's a legitimate quesiton, and I address it on another thread already. In a nutshell, there inevitably is an exception to everything even if you think it isn't, and in this case, it is important to air out fully what Mr. Melton is doing with young people who are getting in trouble as, perhaps, the only way to help this situation that has gone on for years now. Personally, I feel sympathy when I look at Mr. Taylor. He's in deep, and he needs someone to pay attention to him and help him, not direct him to commit crimes. That much seems clear. Certainly, had Mr. Taylor's image not already been all over the mainstream media, this would have been a harder decision. But with all factors weighed, I believe exposure will ultimately help him. That, however, is unusual, but Mr. Melton's brand of halfway house is unusual. I actually have refrained so far from publishing interviews with some of the even younger people that Mr. Melton put in front of me to defend him. He has no hesitation in exposing them for his own need, but I'm trying to go about this very carefully.

DonnaLadd

Dec 14 2006

"In a nutshell, there inevitably is an exception to everything even if you think it isn't, and in this case, it is important to air out fully what Mr. Melton is doing with young people who are getting in trouble as, perhaps, the only way to help this situation that has gone on for years now. Personally, I feel sympathy when I look at Mr. Taylor. He's in deep, and he needs someone to pay attention to him and help him, not direct him to commit crimes" Understood!

K RHODES

Dec 14 2006

Thanks, K. And I appreciate the challenge. It was a question I wrestled with.

DonnaLadd

Dec 14 2006

Just wanted to comment briefly on the publication of minor's information. Unfortunately, because Taylor is charged as an adult, all his information is a matter of public record. Juveniles in circuit court have no privacy right--unlike juveniles in youth court. Anyone could easily find all she wanted to know about the fourteen year olds in MDOC custody. This is just one of many reasons why the Youth Justice Project will be working to change the way MS tries children in adult court.

SheilaB

Dec 15 2006