Jackson Free Press

Update: The jury just ordered a new election for the Ward 3 seat that LaRita Stokes currently holds. More details soon.

Voter coaching, radios playing campaign ads inside a polling location, racial campaign chants outside one precinct and one of LaRita Cooper-Stokes' campaign workers handing money to a potential voter were stories key witnesses told at the Ward 3 election challenge trial Wednesday.

Joyce Jackson, two of her sisters and City Clerk Brenda Pree took the witness stand and answered questions from Jackson's lawyer, John Reeves, and LaRita Cooper-Stokes' attorney, Imhotep Alkebu-Ian. Reeves focused on the irregularities the witnesses said they saw at election precincts during a special election Feb. 28. Alkebu-Ian countered by repeatedly drilling witnesses about their wording, their recollection of the number of people they saw and the witnesses relation to Jackson.

Objections on the basis of hearsay were a repeating delay in the hearing throughout the day. Several witnesses, including Jackson, repeatedly tried to tell the court what someone told them or what they heard on the day of the election, but Alkebu-Ian was quick to object. Judge Richard McKenzie had to repeat the rules of the court more than once and began to get visibly annoyed with the witnesses' lack of understanding.

Joyce Jackson took the stand shortly after the hearing returned from lunch and stayed there the rest of the afternoon. One accusation in Jackson's plea for a new election was that poll manager Linda Anderson characterized Jackson as a "half-white n*gger" to another poll worker at one precinct. When Reeves asked Jackson how hearing that made her feel, she began to cry. Alkebu-Ian asked that the court take a short break while Jackson composed herself. As she was leaving the courtroom, Jackson burst out crying.

When the court reconvened, the judge instructed Jackson not to show such emotional reactions in the courtroom. He also told the jury to disregard Jackson's outburst, at Alkebu-Ian's request.

Three different times, Jackson got up from the witness stand at Reeves' request and demonstrated for the jury what she saw poll workers doing. She said she saw them leaning over voters' shoulders and telling them who to vote for and where to touch the screen on the voting machines. She said that most of the voters the poll workers coached were elderly.

After several hours of questioning, Jackson could not hold her tongue about what she believed happened on election day.

"The election was stolen, and it was stolen in the lower socio-economic level," Jackson said from the witness stand.

Ruby Smith, Jackson's sister, took the stand earlier in the morning. She said that after the polls closed on election day, several of Jackson's campaign workers and family members went to Jackson's house for dinner. While there, the workers collaborated on what they saw that day. Alkebu-Ian was quick to jump on her wording, and repeatedly used the word "collaborated" while asking her and other witnesses about their conversations with each other on election day.

Smith said later that she should probably have used a different word.

As of press time Thursday, Jackson's attorney had rested his case, and the defense had asked for a verdict. The judge denied the request for a verdict, and court recessed for lunch. Follow the proceedings on Twitter by following @Jacob_JFP.

Previous Commentsshow

I *heard* that irregularities took place during the jury selection as well that perhaps compromised the whole process. Such as "election commissioners" walking in the jury holding room and asking which precinct each juror voted in. Of course, this is just hearsay.

Krystal

Jun 7 2012

I think the election results will stand, even if there may have been some shenanigans by pro-Stokes poll workers (which wouldn’t surprise me at all). It seems crazy in this age of cell phone cameras that no one on Jackson's team took a picture or video (since a direct voice recording might be illegal) of one of these alleged incidents. Or would that be inadmissible in court?

Jeff Lucas

Jun 7 2012

New election! Great news! On the negative side, Mrs. Cooper "Hatfield"-Stokes will probably be adding more of her homemade biodegradable signs on every power pole in Ward 3, as if there isn't enough worthless junk already littering those poles.

Jeff Lucas

Jun 8 2012

With this revote (if it stands), I pray that Ward 3 residents will look at this closely and realize that Mrs. Jackson was the best candidate the first time around. I don't think she will embarrass her ward and city as her predecessors.

golden eagle

Jun 8 2012

And there was joy in Mudville!

redlion

Jun 9 2012

Speaking as someone who was born and raised in Jackson, but moved out when the getting was good, I implore the readers of this journal who reside in Ward 3 to go out and vote Ms. Jackson in for their Council representative. The City of Jackson needs council members who will work to serve the city's interests and not their own. I love sitting on the sidelines and heaping stones and crap on all of the goings-on in Jackson because the lack of committed leadership has led to its continued decline in the 20 years since I left. My suburban neighborhood, Fondren-less it may be, has at least a clear plan for the future and works to fulfill that plan. That said, I would dearly love to see Jackson fully restored as the centerpiece of this state. From my perch, Jackson would be well-served to invest city servants who are just that, and not self-aggrandizing moochers such as the Stokes.

Darryl

Jun 10 2012

Well said, Darryl. Well said.

RobbieR

Jun 11 2012

but moved out when the getting was good What a weird statement. Want to clarify? My suburban neighborhood, Fondren-less it may be, has at least a clear plan for the future and works to fulfill that plan. Which one is that? And is your argument that there are no "self-aggrandizing moochers" in Jackson's bedroom communities? Finally, there is an argument that the voters of Ward 3 *did* vote for Mrs. Jackson as their councilwoman.

DonnaLadd

Jun 11 2012

Donna, I feel no need to clarify. As you are not native-born, I wouldn't expect you to understand. I am simply wishing that the voters would turn out in Ward 3 and heave Mrs. Stokes out. What plan, you say? Why, the pro-business and consumer-friendly ones...see County Line and now Renaissance, see Dogwood, etc. See companies leaving Jackson and relocating "while the getting was good."

Darryl

Jun 11 2012

Ah, the old "damned carpetbagger from Neshoba County" defense, eh, Darryl? What's funny to me is that those of you who ran "while the getting was good" think such an argument makes you sound anything but absurd. I hope the screen door didn't wallop your butt on the way out. So, you don't believe you guys have any elected "self-aggrandizing moochers" out there in paradise? I'm flabbergasted at your naivete.

DonnaLadd

Jun 12 2012

What plan, you say? Why, the pro-business and consumer-friendly ones...see County Line and now Renaissance, see Dogwood, etc. See companies leaving Jackson and relocating "while the getting was good." Ah, yes, if County Line isn't the pinnacle of big picture urban planning then I don't know what is. :-P

Todd Stauffer

Jun 12 2012

Shopping centers are not business plans.

golden eagle

Jun 12 2012

With respect, even retail beats no jobs. Which brings up a question: What was the most recent major job creator in the Jackson city limits? And could the JFP report on it?

Pilgrim

Jun 12 2012

With respect, even retail beats no jobs Won't disagree. There's a story about Irby's new distribution center. It didn't say if there are any new employees that were hired on as a result. Travelers Insurance arrived here a couple of years ago and Comcast moved from Pearl to the old K-Mart building on I-55 not too long after. And while construction hasn't started yet, UMC is planning a research park. I've read elsewhere that that may create at least 1,000 jobs. BTW, since this story is more about the Stokes-Jackson election, how about starting a new topic about this in the forums?

golden eagle

Jun 12 2012

Yeah ole jtown's booming now! A cable company, a warehouse (but we don't know if they hired any employees) and an insurance company that came here about 4 years ago are the pinnacle of economic success. We do know that "too sweet" has a job and is on the inside of that incredibly classy and eithical government that runs the fine city so that's a good thing. I'll bet it's hard to find someone willing to sell their home in this ebony eutopia so you were right to be rude and attack a man for simply saying he hopes jackson doesn't continue to embarass us nationally by reelecting hat woman wife of our newly elected county savior. But they will and it'll get worse and never get better. I tell people I'm from Southhaven now when they ask

Alex0393

Jun 15 2012