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Federal judge extends temporary halt on appointed judges in Mississippi capital

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Federal judge extends temporary halt on appointed judges in Mississippi capital


JACKSON, Miss. — A federal judge on Monday extended his order that temporarily stops the Mississippi Supreme Court chief justice from appointing judges in the capital city of Jackson and the county where it’s located, both of which are majority-Black.

U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate’s new order could last until June 9, giving attorneys time to further develop arguments about citizens’ right to elect judges.

Wingate heard hours of testimony Monday in a lawsuit filed by the national, state and local chapters of the NAACP, which challenges a state law that Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed in April.

The civil rights organization argues that the law passed by the majority-white and Republican-controlled state Legislature creates unequal treatment for residents of Jackson and Hinds County compared to residents of the rest of the state. The capital city and Hinds County are both majority-Black and governed by Democrats.

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Carroll Rhodes, an attorney for the NAACP, asked in court: “Why single out Hinds County?”

Officials pushing the new law said during the legislative session that they were trying to curb crime. Opponents said the law stomps on local self-governance.

The law would expand state policing inside the city of Jackson and create a new court inside part of Jackson with a judge who would be appointed by the Mississippi chief justice. It would also allow the chief justice to appoint four judges to work alongside the four elected circuit court judges in Hinds County through 2026.

Monday’s arguments centered on how Mississippi judges are chosen — the most immediate question because the chief justice was supposed to appoint judges soon after the governor signed the law.

The Mississippi Constitution specifies that voters elect judges for circuit courts, which handle criminal and civil cases. A state law enacted before this year allows some exceptions for appointment of judges, including when a governor chooses someone to fill a vacancy after a judge dies or resigns and when the chief justice appoints judges to help with a crowded court docket.

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Mark Nelson, an attorney representing Chief Justice Mike Randolph, argued Monday that any chief justice should not be sued for carrying out judicial acts. Nelson also said Randolph “is handcuffed to argue the merits” in the lawsuit against him because judicial rules require the chief justice to remain neutral.

Rhodes argued that appointing judges is an executive or administrative act, not a judicial act. Rhodes said while the new law would create discrimination against residents of Jackson and Hinds County, the plaintiffs are not accusing Randolph himself of discrimination.

Rex Shannon, a special assistant state attorney general, said Hinds County is different from other counties because Jackson is the state’s largest city and the seat of state government. Shannon also said Jackson and Hinds County have high crime rates and “dysfunctional” local government, and Hinds County circuit court has a backlog of cases.

“It’s a problem that affects everyone, Your Honor, regardless of race,” Shannon said to Wingate.

On May 15, a state court judge dismissed a similar lawsuit, writing that the appointment of judges does not violate the state constitution. Plaintiffs have appealed that decision to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

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Mississippi

Mississippi man dies of an apparent overdose in MDOC custody in Rankin County

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Mississippi man dies of an apparent overdose in MDOC custody in Rankin County


A 41-year-old man incarcerated at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County died Thursday of an apparent overdose.

Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain confirmed the death in a news release.

The man was identified as Juan Gonzalez. According to prison records, he was serving a four-year sentence on multiple convictions in Hinds County and was tentatively scheduled for release in May 2025.

“Because of the unknown nature of the substance, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi Department of Health were notified,” MDOC reported.

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The investigation into Gonzalez’s death remains ongoing.

This is a developing story and may be updated.



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Mississippi high school football scores for 2024 MHSAA Week 2

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Mississippi high school football scores for 2024 MHSAA Week 2


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Here is our Mississippi high school football scoreboard, including the second week of the season for MHSAA programs.

THURSDAY

Heidelberg 14, Quitman 8

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Independence 20, Byhalia 6

Myrtle 47, Potts Camp 18

North Pontotoc 41, Water Valley 19

Okolona 40, Calhoun City 0

Provine 16, Lanier 6

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One of the largest ever alligators is caught in Mississippi with hunters planning to EAT 800lbs monster

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One of the largest ever alligators is caught in Mississippi with hunters planning to EAT 800lbs monster


Mississippi’s 2024 alligator hunting season got off to a whopping start when a team of six hunters reeled in one of the largest monsters ever caught in the state.

The 14-foot-long, 802-pound alligator was caught in the Yazoo River, which stretches over 2,000 miles through Mississippi and Louisiana. 

The group stood proudly with their catch for photographs, and all six were needed to hold up the lifeless creature.

The yearly hunt kicked off last month and is set to run until September 9, allowing participants to take home their prize for ‘wallets, belts and eating,’ according to state rules.

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The group reeled in the alligator last week in the dead of night. Officials determine the creature measured 14 feet long and weighed over 800 pounds

There are more than 3,700 people participating in the 2024 hunt, with an average of five to six people on each team.

The rules state that permit holders may harvest up to two alligators over four feet long, but only one can be longer than seven feet.

The largest a alligator ever recorded was 19 feet, two inches long and weighed more than 2,300 pounds when it was caught in in Louisiana in 1890.

However, the most recent monster was captured in Arkansas by  Mike Cottingham in 2021.

Cottingham claimed the beast was 13 feet, three inches long and weighed 1,380 pounds.

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The largest in Mississippi, killed in 2023, was about three inches longer than the one captured this year. 

The team, which included Megan Sasser, braved torrential rains to capture the 60-year-old beast.

In a social media post, Sasser said she and her team are ‘still over the moon’ after reeling in the reptile last Friday. 

‘We sat through a monsoon for over 3 hours… crunched 2 poles, survived the death roll a few times, displaced everything in the boat, and still managed to bring this monster home,’ she continued. 

Brandi Robinson, also part of the winning team, explained that the giant alligator was spotted 250 yards away from the boat.

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Mississippi holds the hunt each year, allowing participants to capture no more than two alligators

Mississippi holds the hunt each year, allowing participants to capture no more than two alligators

Brandi Robinson (pictured), also part of the winning team, explained that the giant alligator was spotted 250 yards away from the boat

Brandi Robinson (pictured), also part of the winning team, explained that the giant alligator was spotted 250 yards away from the boat 

‘Everyone’s binoculars were immediately glued! It was a big one and we all knew that,’ she said, as reported by The State.

The boat slowly made its way toward the giant creature and the team waited for about 45 minutes for it to come back to the surface before wrestling with for about an hour.

It is not clear what tools were used to capture the alligator, but hunters can use everything from snatch hooks to harpoons and even firearms.

The six-person team loaded their catch into the boat and brought it to a local meat processing company, Red Antler. 

After taking pictures with the prized gator, the team took it to a local meat processing facility

After taking pictures with the prized gator, the team took it to a local meat processing facility

‘In the last five years, we here at Red Antler have processed probably about 3,000 alligators, and we have only got two that were over the 14-foot in length measurement,’ Shane Smith, owner of Red Antler Processing, told McClatchy News.

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The team took most of the meat home and donated the rest to Hunter Harvest, a nonprofit organization that gives hunted and harvested meat to families in need.

Sasser also shared a picture of her and the alligator on Facebook where friends called it  a ‘monster.’

However, not everyone was thrilled to see the giant catch.

One Facebook user commented: ‘That gator had to be at least 50 years old to have gotten that big. Such a shame. He’s a beautiful animal.’



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