Mississippi

Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi's felony voting ban is cruel and unusual

Published

1 month ago

November 21, 2024

Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi's felony voting ban is cruel and unusual

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Mississippi’s Jim Crow-era practice of removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, including nonviolent crimes such as forgery and timber theft, attorneys say in new court papers.

Most of the people affected are disenfranchised for life because the state provides few options for restoring ballot access.

“Mississippi’s harsh and unforgiving felony disenfranchisement scheme is a national outlier,” attorneys representing some who lost voting rights said in an appeal filed Wednesday. They wrote that states “have consistently moved away from lifetime felony disenfranchisement over the past few decades.”

This case is the second in recent years — and the third since the late 19th century — that asks the Supreme Court to overturn Mississippi’s disenfranchisement for some felonies. The cases use different legal arguments, and the court rejected the most recent attempt in 2023.

The new appeal asks justices to reverse a July ruling from the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said Mississippi legislators, not the courts, must decide whether to change the laws.

Stripping away voting rights for some crimes is unconstitutional because it is cruel and unusual punishment, the appeal argues. A majority of justices rejected arguments over cruel and unusual punishment in June when they cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places.

Attorneys who sued Mississippi over voting rights say the authors of the state’s 1890 constitution based disenfranchisement on a list of crimes they thought Black people were more likely to commit. A majority of the appeals judges wrote that the Supreme Court in 1974 reaffirmed constitutional law allowing states to disenfranchise felons.

About 38% of Mississippi residents are Black. Nearly 50,000 people were disenfranchised under the state’s felony voting ban between 1994 and 2017. More than 29,000 of them have completed their sentences, and about 58% of that group are Black, according to an expert who analyzed data for plaintiffs challenging the voting ban.

To regain voting rights in Mississippi, a person convicted of a disenfranchising crime must receive a governor’s pardon or win permission from two-thirds of the state House and Senate. In recent years, legislators have restored voting rights for only a few people.

The other recent case that went to the Supreme Court argued that authors of Mississippi’s constitution showed racist intent when they chose which felonies would cause people to lose the right to vote.

In that ruling, justices declined to reconsider a 2022 appeals court decision that said Mississippi remedied the discriminatory intent of the original provisions in the state constitution by later altering the list of disenfranchising crimes.

In 1950, Mississippi dropped burglary from the list. Murder and rape were added in 1968. The Mississippi attorney general issued an opinion in 2009 that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony-level shoplifting and felony-level writing bad checks.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a 2023 dissent that Mississippi’s list of disenfranchising crimes was “adopted for an illicit discriminatory purpose.”

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Mississippi

1 dead after 2-vehicle collision on Mississippi 42 in Lamar County

Published

1 hour ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

1 dead after 2-vehicle collision on Mississippi 42 in Lamar County

From Mississippi Highway Patrol Public Affairs Office

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – A woman died from injuries suffered in a two-vehicle collision Friday afternoon on a stretch of Mississippi 42 in Lamar County.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol said a 2004 Toyota Sienna driven by 32-year-old Alaina R. McLeod, of Bassfield, was traveling east on Mississippi 42 when it collided with a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 36-year-old Harold Guilbeau, of Sumrall.

The accident took place about 2:30 p.m. Friday, MHP said.

MHP said McLeod was declared at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by MHP.

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Mississippi

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Takes Care of Mississippi Valley State in Oxford

Published

9 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Takes Care of Mississippi Valley State in Oxford

No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball won its third straight game on Saturday as it took down an in-state foe in the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes by a final score of 78-44.

Ole Miss (8-3) was led in scoring by guard Sira Thienou with 18 points, and she was one of five players who hit double digits on Saturday. Madison Scott (13), Star Jacobs (13), Kennedy Todd-Williams (12) and Kharyssa Richardson (12) were the others to hit that pinnacle.

As a team, the Rebels shot 43.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from three compared to percentages of 34 and 28.6 from MVSU. Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin spoke with the media after the game about the difficulties of preparing a team for some of these non-conference games around the Christmas season.

“These games are very hard because it’s not like one of those games where it’s a conference game or something where the players are very educated on their opponent,” McPhee-McCuin said. “You just ask them to be mature and work things through. I thought in the third and fourth quarter, we were able to establish that and pull away by me shortening the bench a little bit.”

Ole Miss only led by 12 points at halftime, and since expectations have changed around the program, impressive wins matter. The Rebels then proceeded to outscore MVSU 42-20 to secure a convincing result, and McPhee-McCuin was impressed with some of her veteran leadership in the locker room at halftime.

“I thought that Maddie (Scott) and Kennedy (Todd-Williams) leadership today was incredible in the locker room,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I didn’t have to say a word. They did a lot of the talking. Because the NET still matters and how it looks still matters for us.

“We’re no longer trying to get into the tournament. If we’re not in the tournament, I’ll be shocked. For us, it’s not about getting into the tournament. It’s about seeding. We have to fight that because we’re not the ‘sexy’ team. Everything we get, we’re going to have to earn. They knew that, and they were talking to the team about that, and that’s why we were able to create some separation.”

The Rebels are off until they play host to Alcorn State on Dec. 30. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at the SJB Pavilion.

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Mississippi State basketball vs Memphis score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

Published

17 hours ago

December 21, 2024

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Mississippi State basketball vs Memphis score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

MEMPHIS — Mississippi State basketball has a big opportunity to strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume today.

The Bulldogs (10-1) are playing Memphis (9-2) and coach Penny Hardaway at FedExForum on Saturday (11:30 a.m., CBS). Both teams are ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs are at No. 25 and the Tigers are ranked No. 22.

Memphis has played four teams that are currently ranked. Guard PJ Haggerty averages 22.4 points per game, the seventh best in the country.

Follow along here for live score updates.

Watch Mississippi State vs Memphis live on Paramount+ (subscribe here)

Mississippi State vs Memphis score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

What time does Mississippi State vs Memphis play today?

What channel is Mississippi State vs Memphis on today?

TV channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (subscribe here)
Radio: Mississippi State radio network 96.1 FM

Mississippi State vs Memphis will be broadcast on CBS with streaming available on Paramount+.

Mississippi State vs Memphis live stream options

Mississippi State basketball vs. Memphis will be broadcast on CBS. Steaming is available via Paramount+.

Mississippi State vs Memphis predictions

Memphis 80, Mississippi State 77: This is arguably the toughest opponent Mississippi State has faced this season. Memphis has played a tough schedule consisting of Missouri, UConn, Michigan State, Auburn, Clemson and Virginia, plus North Carolina and Alabama in exhibitions. The Tigers have three great guards in Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter and Colby Rogers, who all shoot over 38% from 3. MSU has struggled to guard 3-pointers and falls in a close game.

Mississippi State vs Memphis betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:

Spread: Memphis -1.5
Over/under: 151.5
Moneyline: Memphis (-110), Mississippi State (-110)

Mississippi State vs Memphis injury updates

Mississippi State guard Kanye Clary remains out indefinitely with a lower leg injury. Starting forward Cameron Matthews has also been playing through a foot injury.

Mississippi State basketball schedule 2024-25

Record: 10-1

Next five games on the Mississippi State schedule:

Dec. 21: at Memphis
Dec. 30: vs. Bethune-Cookman
Jan. 4: vs. South Carolina
Jan. 7: at Vanderbilt
Jan. 14: at Auburn

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Memphis basketball schedule 2024-25

Record: 9-2

Next five games on the Tigers’ schedule:

Dec. 21: vs. Mississippi State
Dec. 28: vs. Ole Miss
Jan. 2: at Florida Atlantic
Jan. 5: vs. North Texas
Jan. 11: vs. East Carolina

Mississippi State basketball news

Michael Nwoko tied his career high with 18 points against Central Michigan.
Jans did not have an updated on injured guard Kanye Clary on Thursday. Clary hasn’t played since Nov. 29.

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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