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Day 4: Dr. Ellen Melton in Front Row
Photo: Dr. Ellen Melton leaves the courtroom after closing arguments today with city employee Stephanie Parker-Weaver (left). Melton, the wife of the mayor, lives in Texas. Photo by Jaro Vacek. …
Day 3: Prosecution Rests; Final Arguments Thursday
Reporting by Brian Johnson
The prosecution decided not to bring a rebuttal witness, instead electing to submit another police report instead. (Details of police report to come.) The prosecution rested. The judge announced that …
City's War on Sex Toys Is Back
Just when you thought that the Jackson Police Department isn't up to the challenge posed by escalating crime, they prove you wrong. Per The Clarion-Ledger tonight:
Day 2: Welch Watching ‘Walking Tall' Before Attack
In the opening statements and first testimony in the Mississippi v. Melton et al. trial, prosecutor Stanley Alexander came out of the gate with a focus on the events of …
Day 1: JFP Blogs Figure Prominently in Voir Dire
On Monday, defense attorney Merrida Coxwell Jr. conducted voir dire for Melton. In his second question, he asked if any potential juror read or made comments on media blogs, specifically …
Melton Presents New D.A., Kept Distance During Campaign
Citizen bloggers are reporting that a jubilant Mayor Frank Melton introduced Robert Smith, his choice for district attorney, last night at Smith's campaign gathering. In his remarks, made before Smith's, …
Day 3: Stokes Testifies; Defense Rests
Reporting by Brian Johnson
The defense elected to call only one more witness this afternoon—Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Under direct questioning by Melton attorney Dale Danks, Stokes said he had lodged complaints about drugs in …
Melton Asks Warner to Oversee Ex-Con Staff
At District Attorney-elect Robert Smith's victory party, Mayor Frank Melton said that Smith is one of his long-time "kids" who will now help him with the young men of Jackson …
I Resolve, I Resolve, I Resolve
I just took a glorious week off. This hasn't happened to me much since we started the Free Press two and a half years ago. We managed to get away …
[Road to Wellness] Now We're Cookin', Weeks 3 and 4
I don't know about y'all, but this wellness shtick is not as easy as I thought it was going to be. The hardest thing I've found is that I have …
[Road to Wellness] We've Arrived! Weeks 11 and 12
When we started this trip, the word "wellness" made me cringe. Now it's what I strive for on a daily basis. I'm still not exactly where I want to be, …
[Road to Wellness] Onward and Upward, Weeks 5 and 6
Well, gang, we've put in a full month of trying to live a well-rounded, healthier life. Mr. Gunter and I are still (pretty) hard at it. He's discovered a new …
Don't Just Complain; Engage!
The Jackson Public Schools board meeting May 1 was packed. Parents and students who had recently learned about the district's rezoning plan lined the walls and stood in the halls …
To Do Its Job, Council Must Show Up
Jackson has a strong-mayor, weak-council structure. Some City Council members seem to want to weaken their own power even more by not attending meetings and work sessions—or leaving early when …
The Pursuit of Excellence
Every now and then, I have to lighten up in this space. Rather than taking on the troubles of the world or trying to pull at your heart strings with …
Getting Past the Rhetoric of Hate
Here in Mississippi, our history is filled with people, events and creations that stir pride in us. Sadly, our history also contains wrongs, violations and prejudices that cast a long, …
Boys Will Be Boys
I don't manage to get out of the office often these days for lunch. But Friday I was in the mood for a Two Sisters veggie plate (probably had something …
Wright Appointment Raises Concerns
At the Jackson Free Press, we believe strongly in second chances. People make mistakes, get caught up with the wrong crowd and follow the wrong people down the wrong rabbit …
Here and Now
"We have an appointment with life that takes place in the present moment." — Thich Nhat Nanh
In the Flow of Good Work
My obsession with the spirituality and science behind "good work" started innocently enough. We were about five years into publishing this newspaper and were working so much that I didn't …
