Mississippi

Judge hears arguments after Garth Brooks’ accuser files motion to seal Mississippi case

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

Judge hears arguments after Garth Brooks’ accuser files motion to seal Mississippi case

Lawyers for both Garth Brooks and his alleged rape victim stood before a Mississippi judge Friday to argue their positions on two court motions both parties, at times, viewed as an attack on their clients.

Brooks and his accuser, who the Clarion Ledger is only identifying as Jane Roe, are involved in two lawsuits with one being in the U.S. District Court of Mississippi.

Last month, the country music artist filed a lawsuit in Mississippi federal court under pseudonyms to prevent Roe from going public with allegations that he raped and sexually abused her back in 2019 while Roe was working for him as a hairdresser.

Roe filed a complaint Oct. 3 in California state court outlining her accusations of sexual assault against Brooks, and five days later, Brooks filed an amended complaint revealing his accuser’s name. Although the woman’s name is listed in public records, the Clarion Ledger does not release the names of those alleging rape or sexual assault.

Garth Brook names his accuser

A day after Brooks released the name of his accuser in court records, attorneys for Roe filed an emergency motion Oct. 9 to seal or redact the filings showing Roe’s real identity. Roe’s attorneys also filed the motion requesting sanctions against the singer for “unlawfully and intentionally disclosing the identity of a rape victim without her consent.”

Brooks and his attorneys have continued to deny all wrongdoing and labeled the accusations as extortion.

Neither Roe nor Brooks were present for the Friday morning hearing at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse.

U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate heard both parties’ arguments but did not make a ruling on this matter. Wingate said he decided not to issue a ruling Friday because an affidavit expected to be filed by Roe’s attorneys on Monday, Oct. 21 “might have bearings” in his final decision.

Country singer speaks in legal filing: Garth Brooks names his rape accuser in Mississippi lawsuit. Says he’s ‘victim of shakedown’

What did attorneys for Brooks and Roe argue?

On Sept. 13, Brooks filed a lawsuit to obtain relief from Roe’s alleged attempt to extort, defame and inflict emotional distress through “outrageous conduct” and “false allegations of sexual misconduct” deemed harmful to Brooks reputation and family. In this compliant, Brooks said Roe sent him two demand letters where she threatened to go public with the allegations and sue him unless he paid her millions of dollars. Brooks asked the court to preserve the parties’ anonymity by allowing them to use pseudonyms to protect them from harm and distress.

David Kaufman, one of Brooks’ attorneys, said before the Mississippi court could rule on Brooks’ compliant, Roe filed a lawsuit in a California court in which she did not state her name but identified Brooks. Kaufman said this was Roe’s latest attempt to “smear” his client’s reputation.

Kaufman said on July 17, an attorney acting at Roe’s direction sent Brooks a demand letter alleging a litany of sexual misconduct by Brooks, ranging from allegations of sexual grooming to unwanted sexual touching, none of which were based in fact, according to Kaufman. Roe allegedly threatened to publicly file a civil complaint containing the allegations.

Kaufman said in an Aug. 23 follow-up letter, Roe offered to refrain from publicly filing her “false and defamatory lawsuit” in exchange for a multi-million-dollar payment. Kaufman said Brooks “has been victimized in an attempted shakedown.”

Kaufman said the demand letters led to Brooks filing his lawsuit on Sept. 13, and Roe identifying Brooks in her California lawsuit led to Brooks identifying Roe in his Oct. 18 court filing.

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Kaufman said there is a plan to move the court to Mississippi because Roe lives in Madison County.

“They wanted a public fight, and they got one,” Kaufman said in court.

In response, Roe’s attorney Jeanne Christensen said that Brooks “intentionally” and “presumptively” filed their complaint in the Mississippi court to conflict with the California lawsuit.

Christensen said Brooks is attempting to work around the Anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation provision, also known as Anti-SLAPP, designed to protect people from meritless lawsuits that aim to intimidate someone from exercising their First Amendment rights.

Christensen stated Brooks filed his Sept. 13 lawsuit against Roe based on a letter that was not in public records, calling Brooks an “improper Plaintiff” in the Mississippi case.

Christensen also mentioned Brooks’ attorneys received a two-month notice of Roe’s intent to commence action in filing her lawsuit before Oct. 4. Christensen said that meanwhile, Brooks did not give her client the same courtesy before filing his amended complaint.

According to Christensen, Roe never took the steps to publicly reveal her full name and Brooks revealing Roe’s identity was “purely out of spite.” Christensen requested for the court to seal any legal documents that identify Roe by her real name.

“To say they had her best interest in mind is very hard to believe,” Christensen said.

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Christensen also clarified to the court that Roe’s October filing in California was not in an attempt to subvert the Mississippi’s court authority. Roe’s attorneys are expected to file an affidavit containing a timeline of events in regard to this case before filing a motion to dismiss the case.

Wingate said Roe’s attorneys must file the affidavit by Monday, Oct. 21, and Brooks’ attorneys will have an opportunity to respond, if necessary, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, via a Zoom conference.

Wingate also stated Roe’s attorney motion to dismiss the case will need to be filed on Friday, Oct. 25.

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Mississippi

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests $5M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Published

10 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Staff
| Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A Mississippi wood products manufacturer is investing nearly $5 million in an expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling’s project is expected to create 10 new jobs in Wiggins.
The expansion includes a new treatment plant and an additional 20 acres for storage.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by September 2026.

A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.

Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.

The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.

“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.

“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”

Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.

The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.

The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.

Stone County is also contributing to the project.

The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.

The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.

Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.

The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.

This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

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Mississippi

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.

The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.

A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.

Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.

Mississippi State wins two in Texas

The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.

Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.

Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.

A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.

Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.

Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament

In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.

Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.

Next up

Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.

Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.

Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball is playing its final regular season game against No. 6 LSU at Humphrey Coliseum on March 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network).

The Bulldogs (18-11, 5-10 SEC) enter the game on the NCAA Tournament bubble after losing three consecutive games, so an upset win could secure an at-large bid.

The Tigers (25-4, 11-4) and coach Kim Mulkey have won three straight games. Their only losses of the season are to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas and South Carolina.

The Clarion Ledger is bringing you live updates from the game. Follow along.

Watch Mississippi State vs LSU