Jackson Free Press

It's an odd world where Councilman Kenny Stokes is standing with FOX News celebrities who care more about profiling young blacks than protecting citizens' rights. But in the aftermath of the Frank Melton acquittals last week, we are living in a bizarro-land populated by strange bedfellows, led by a mayor and police chief who yelp about "drug houses" but arrest no drug dealers.

The trial wound down to a predictable outcome. It was clear from former Mayor Dale Danks' opening statement about "evil intent" being the standard that the trial was likely to spin out of control for the state.

Indeed, Judge Webster quickly lost control of the trial and allowed high-priced defense attorneys to use high drama to nullify sympathy from the jurors for a man trying his level best to take down "crack houses." All the while, the judge would not allow prosecutors to counter that perception by showing that Melton was likely on an intoxicated joy ride with a bunch of his young criminal friends with some sort of Virden Addition beef.

Meantime, Melton's closely held Jackson Police Department did not report one arrest for drug sales in 2006. Not one. They illegally took down more duplexes than they reported arrests for drug sales. Well, then.

Now, we learn that the mayor and "his" city attorney may try to make taxpayers pay his legal fees—half a million?—for their one documented effort at bringing down the drug trade (even though they found no drugs).

At least Webster scolded Melton a little at the end of the runaway trial, and Melton appeared a tad contrite. Danks even said the next day that Melton had "learned his lesson." The message seemed to be that Melton's days of living above the law and slinging guns and destroying without warrants were over.

We can all hope and pray that's true. Certainly, if Melton really did learn his lesson and decides to "go straight"—the scene in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" where Redford and Newman decide to move to Bolivia comes to mind—then every second taken up by this trial was worth it. Furthermore, the district attorney and the sheriff (as well as the attorney general) should all win medals for doing their jobs and reining Melton in before he killed someone or himself.

As it is, maybe we'll be out half a million in legal fees—a small price to pay to avoid a bloodbath. With the DA/sheriff/AG's help, we may have avoided a situation like that in Atlanta where the old lady fired at police officers who busted into her house by mistake and then killed her. That is, if Melton keeps his word and stays off the bottle.

Meantime, we are left with a citizenry divided among those who buy Melton's crime-fighting hype and those who are frustrated by the idea that the mayor might now consider himself "bulletproof" and will start gunning to populate the sheriff and DA's offices this year with people as obedient as Police Chief Shirlene Anderson.

This is a tough prospect for people who love Jackson, who want to build diverse coalitions to bolster our reputation and our development. Two years of Melton antics have beaten down many of Jackson's most stalwart supporters, as have plain old incompetence in city government and the constant trailer-park drama that his administration and his three council lapdogs cause each week.

The night of the verdicts, many weighed in on the JFP blogs, showing "fight or flight" fatigue in a way I haven't seen since the day after Bush was re-elected in 2004. Some even talked about giving up the fight and leaving the city to the people who pretend to be fighting crime while making no arrests.

The same night, I was part of an ACLU town-hall panel discussion at the Medical Mall about people's rights and mistreatment by the police. One by one, people stood up to relate stories about false arrests and mistreatment of young people, including a 15-year-old boy attacked by a police officer who never bothered to arrest him for anything. I heard stories about mentally ill people—like Evans Welch on Ridgeway—who keep getting in trouble because they cannot get the help they need.

I sat next to Cedric Willis, a young man who wrongly spent 12 years in prison. Police falsely arrested him, and Bobby DeLaughter, who prosecuted the case, suppressed the evidence that would eventually exonerate him for rape and murder. When I got the text message that Melton and his entourage were "acquitted on all counts," I was listening to Cedric talk about living in solitary confinement at Parchman for five years, allowed one hour a day out of his cell. They never even offered him a book, he said. Not one.

But Cedric found a book anyway, soaking up the Book of Job and refusing to give up hope that justice would be done, that he would get out to watch his son grow up after missing his first 12 years. As his mama listened from the audience, Cedric talked about how he used to be one of the people who would see someone—often a young black man—under arrest on the news, and just assume the man was guilty. He gave the police the benefit of the doubt, he said. Until it happened to him.

What is so special about America is that we don't—or we're not supposed to—operate like a police state. Our Constitution provides every person with the same rights, and no one is above the law. And if we believe in these principles that Americans die to uphold, we have to believe in them for every single person, including the accused. If we don't want our home searched (or destroyed) without a warrant, we can't wish it on someone else. If we don't want a member of our family to be treated like scum with no rights, then we cannot stand for it happening to other people. The true test, always, of our patriotism is whether we can demand rights for those we despise the most, or those who do not have the power to stand up for themselves.

Americanism failed miserably last week in Jackson. It failed miserably when Bobby DeLaughter did not do more to keep an innocent man out of prison nearly 13 years ago.

But sitting next to Cedric Thursday night, seeing "acquitted" appear on my Treo, I knew that hope was not lost—not for our city, not for Cedric, not for our weakest citizens. Much like the Confederate flag vote of 2001, this verdict simply revealed how much work there is yet to do. Let's roll.

Previous Comments

ID

74858

Comment

Has anyone ever thought what would happen if the "drug trade" in Jackson was actually shut down or even slightly curtailed by law enforcement? According to figures recently confirmed by the Feds, marijuana is the number 1 cash crop in both Mississippi and the USA as a whole, far surpassing grain, cotton, and corn. I would expect that the largest employer in the city of Jackson outside of government employment is the "drug trade." Money earned from drugs (all tax free) supports a great deal of the economy in the metro area. Look at the growth businesses in the city: pawn shops, check-cashing places, auto accessories, etc. These businesses are largely supplemented by drug money or people seeking money to buy drugs. Without the "drug-trade" there would be much less need for the law enforcement apparatus that provides the incomes for hundreds of officers, attorneys, social workers, medical professionals, rehab facilities, etc. Without illegal drugs the Jackson economy would collapse. Besides the fact that the drug trade, especially in powder cocaine, serves as a type of income redistribution from Madison and Rankin counties back into the inner city. No one is going to do anything that will seriously affect the drug trade because so many jobs and power structures depend upon its continuence.

Author

Willezurmacht

Date

2007-05-02T14:40:32-06:00

ID

74859

Comment

Wille, on the Coast and in Vicksburg, pawn shops are numerous because of gambling. Well, gambling addictions. Just thought I'd point that out. Also, marijuana is the #1 crop in many states. It's not like they are producing more product (bushels, pecks, whatever:) than cotton, corn and soy. For that matter, saffron could be a #1 cash crop compared to cotton, corn and soy just from one or two farms. My guess is the pine nut market has dropped because you can buy 1/2 lb bags of them at Sam's! ;-) Speaking of pine nuts. How about that Melton trial? Meantime, we are left with a citizenry divided among those who buy Melton’s crime-fighting hype and those who are frustrated by the idea that the mayor might now consider himself “bulletproof” and will start gunning to populate the sheriff and DA’s offices this year with people as obedient as Police Chief Shirlene Anderson. Yep! Obedient is an understatement. Wait... ZERO drug arrests? This is a tough prospect for people who love Jackson, who want to build diverse coalitions to bolster our reputation and our development. Two years of Melton antics have beaten down many of Jackson’s most stalwart supporters, as have plain old incompetence in city government and the constant trailer-park drama that his administration and his three council lapdogs cause each week. Couldn't say it better.

Author

pikersam

Date

2007-05-02T18:15:01-06:00

ID

74860

Comment

I can't understand why this article has not gotten any attention. It is full of interesting facts. A judge losing control of a trial. Stokes being on FOX. DeLaughter suppressing evidence. Come on folks let's get it going!!

Author

Truthseeker

Date

2007-05-06T07:14:29-06:00

ID

74861

Comment

Did any of you hear about Melton moving his office to the Farish Street Y "to perosnally[sp] supervise the tearing down of abandoned homes in the area"?

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-06T18:09:56-06:00

ID

74862

Comment

Thought I'd throw this in too: Mayor Melton's Bugdet Plan This includes getting rid of the redevelopment authority and selling the Standard Life building. Could the JFP get more info on this?

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-06T18:48:15-06:00

ID

74863

Comment

Oops, "budget", not "bugdet".

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-06T18:49:56-06:00