Jackson Free Press

A federal judge has dismissed a $600,000 judgment against the City of Jackson that dates back to a 2012 lawsuit.

Don Hewitt of Advanced Technology Building Solutions filed a civil-rights lawsuit against the city, then-Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., the Jackson Redevelopment Authority and JRA officials for what he characterized as violating "the natural right of a person to do business" by blocking his attempts to develop three real-estate projects in Jackson—most notably the Deposit Guaranty Building, now known as the Regions Building.

Furthermore, Hewitt, who is black, claimed that Johnson blocked economic-development projects to which he personally objected, which represented a violation of Hewitt's due-process rights. Another part of his suit alleged that two white members of JRA "acted in conspiracy with racial animus" to deprive his company of opportunities.

Judge Guirola dismissed the claims against JRA and its officials—including former Commissioner Brian Fenelon, current Commissioners Beau Whittington and Bishop Ronnie Crudup and former Executive Director Jason Brookins—with prejudice.

After a jury trial in September, a federal jury issued a judgment against the city, which the city appealed.

In a recent order, Guirola dismissed that judgment. In a news release, Jackson officials said the city would "continue pressing forward on behalf of its citizens to let all know that Jackson is open for business.”