Mississippi
Madison Co. man who killed 13-year-old boy loses another round in Mississippi Supreme Court
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The state’s highest court has denied a death row inmate’s request for discovery to determine whether his attorney failed him during the jury selection process.
On Thursday, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that Tony Terrell Clark’s petition to appeal a lower court’s order denying discovery should be upheld.
Clark, who was sentenced to death in 2018 for killing a 13-year-old boy working at his father’s convenience store, argued his attorney failed to provide the court proof that several Black jurors had been improperly dismissed from his case, while several white jurors were allowed to remain.
The Mississippi Court of Appeals rejected Clark’s motion for discovery seeking documentation to back up his claims.
In a one-page order, the Supreme Court rejected his petition to appeal that decision.
It’s a ruling that Justice Leslie King decried in a seven-page response.
“This court consistently finds that defendants have not proved pretext when the state strikes Black jurors,” he wrote. “This court now hinders a defendant’s attempt to prove pretext. It seems to demand that defense counsel go above and beyond, and read the collective mind of the state’s prosecutors in order to show pretext, but when a defendant attempts to conduct a thorough investigation to meet this court’s impossibly high standards of proof… this court denies him the opportunity.”
Clark argues that three Black jurors were dismissed because the state alleged that they shared the same last names as others who had been arrested and convicted in Madison County.
However, Clark alleges that several white jurors also shared names with “people prominent in the Madison County criminal justice system,” but no list proving that was ever provided.
He claims that his attorney should have sought that information during the voir dire, but the attorney did not.
King wrote that appellate procedure rules allow for discovery in death penalty post-conviction proceedings to gather information that could support applying for relief.
“Notably, the petitioner need not prove to any certain degree that the discretionary discovery will render his petition for post-conviction relief successful; he [needs] only show that it is ‘likely’ to be ‘helpful’ in the ‘investigation, preparation, and presentation’ of the issues,” King wrote. “Thus, if it is ‘likely’ to be ‘helpful’ merely in furthering better investigation, it should be granted.”
King goes on to say that this is Clark’s first petition for post-conviction relief, and he likely would lose additional discovery rights on future PCRs.
“Thus, this is likely his only substantive bite at this apple,” he wrote.
King was joined by Justice Jim Kitchens.
The majority order was written by Justice Dawn Beam. She was joined by Justices Michael Randolph, Josiah Coleman, James Maxwell, Robert Chamberlin, David Ishee, and Kenneth Griffis.
The ruling comes about a year after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal, arguing that Clark’s sentence should be vacated and replaced with life without parole after the state unfairly disqualified potential Black jurors.
The jury had 11 white members, one Black member, and two white alternates.
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Mississippi
Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi
Political newcomer and Capitol Hill attorney Evan Turnage proved no match for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who defeated him and one other challenger to earn the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.
Some politicos thought Turnage – who went to Yale and later worked for some of Thompson’s Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) – wouldn’t necessarily win but could make waves as one of the more viable candidates to challenge Thompson in recent years. However, that wasn’t the case as Thompson garnered approximately 85% of the vote when the race was called.
Thompson, 78, is seeking an 18th term. The civil rights leader who chaired the Jan. 6 Committee was first elected in 1993 and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He will face either Ron Eller or Kevin Wilson on the Republican side, a race yet to be called as of late Tuesday night, and independent Bennie Foster in November’s general.
All of Mississippi’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs this year.
In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Trent Kelly ran unopposed, while civil rights attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law professor Cliff Johnson beat former state lawmaker Kelvin Buck in the Democratic primary. Libertarian challenger Johnny Baucom awaits Kelly and Johnson in the general.
In the 3rd Congressional District, both Republican Rep. Michael Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran unopposed. They will meet Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the general.
In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Ezell had over 80% of the vote when his race was called against former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and political staffer Sawyer Walters. State Rep. Jeffrey Hulum easily won the Democratic nomination over Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover. Ezell and Hulum will face independent Carl Boyanton in the general.
Arguably the most watched races of the night occurred in the state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in this year’s cycle. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had no problem with Ocean Springs doctor Sarah Adlakha, seeing her name bolded around 30 minutes after the polls closed. It wasn’t long after that when Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom was announced the winner of the Democratic primary over Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Independent Ty Pinkins will meet Hyde-Smith and Colom in the general on Nov. 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mississippi
Mississippi First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results, Buck vs. Johnson
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Staff
Sunday, March 15, 2026
1. (tie) “The Irish Goodbye,” Beth Ann Fennelly, Norton; and “Vigil,” George Saunders, Random House
2. “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi, Atria Books
3. “The Widow,” John Grisham, Doubleday
4. “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans, Random House
5. “When It’s Darkness on the Delta,” W. Ralph Eubanks, Beacon Press
6. “Eradication,” Jonathan Miles, Doubleday
7. “Neptune’s Fortune,” Julian Sancton, Random House
8. “The Dean,” Sparky Reardon, The Nautilus Publishing Company
9. “Kin,” Tayari Jones, Random House
10. “Brawler,” Lauren Groff, Riverhead
Children and young adults
1. “The Bear and the Hair and the Fair,” Em Lynas, Little Brown
2. “The Hybrid Prince,” Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Press
3. “One Mississippi,” Steve Azar,Sarah Frances Hardy (Illustrator), The Nautilus Publishing
4. “If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone,” Gideon Sterer, HarperCollins
5. (tie) “Fancy Nancy: Besties for Eternity,” Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator), HarperCollins; and “The Dark is For,” Jane Kohuth, Simon and Schuster
Adult events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)
Amy McDowell in conversation with Jodi Skipper for “Whispers in the Pews,” 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262
Tayari Jones on Thacker Mountain Radio Hour for “Kin,” 6 p.m. Thursday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262
Children’s events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)
No Cap Book Club (kids 10-13) will be reading “A Kid’s Book About…,” 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Storytime, “Clifford: Dream Big,” 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Chapter Captains Book Club (kids 6-9) will be reading “Princess in Black: Bathtime Battle,” 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Storytime, “What a Small Cat Needs,” 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Story Time, “Very Hungry Caterpillar” Day! 10 a.m. Saturday, Lemuria Books, 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-7619
— Sales and/or Events Reported by Lemuria Books (Jackson); Lorelei Books (Vicksburg); Square Books (Oxford).
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