Mississippi

Mississippi Senate paid Black lawyer ‘significantly less’ than white colleagues, DOJ suit alleges

A U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit has accused the Mississippi Senate of paying a Black staff lawyer about half the salary of her white colleagues.

Nov 11, 2024 1:57 PM CST

5th Circuit rules ballots that arrive late shouldn’t be counted despite postmarks

A federal appeals court Friday ruled invalid a Mississippi law that allows election officials to count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by then.

Oct 28, 2024 12:45 PM CDT

The Power of Pro Bono: A fair hearing, respect and justice for all

Irene walked into the office of a young lawyer in a small town in Mississippi more than 40 years ago with an eviction notice and a two-page lease. Events that would follow turned the lawyer into a legal aid attorney and a believer in the power of pro bono legal work.

Oct 16, 2024 10:28 AM CDT

Lawyer caught on prison video is accused of smuggling contraband into jail

Bond has been set at $75,000 for a Mississippi lawyer accused of smuggling cellphones and other contraband into a correctional facility.

Aug 12, 2024 11:52 AM CDT

Lifetime voting ban for felony convictions isn’t punishment, 5th Circuit says in Eighth Amendment challenge

A lifetime ban on voting by people convicted of some felonies in Mississippi does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, a federal appeals court ruled last week in an en banc opinion.

Jul 22, 2024 11:17 AM CDT

Retired NFL player’s lead counsel removed for attempting to ‘manufacture discord,’ judge says

A Mississippi judge on Thursday removed one of retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre’s lawyers in a state civil lawsuit involving misspent welfare funds.

Jul 16, 2024 3:15 PM CDT

Court blocks enforcement of Title IX rules protecting transgender students

A federal court temporarily blocked the Education Department from enforcing new regulations aimed at protecting transgender students in schools, finding that opponents who sued to stop it are likely to prevail when the case is fully considered.

Jun 14, 2024 3:45 PM CDT

Clinical law prof who worked for social justice killed in triple murder

An associate clinical professor at the Mississippi College School of Law died over the weekend in a fatal shooting that also claimed the lives of her mother and sister.

May 14, 2024 1:59 PM CDT

How this lawyer reacted when client claimed to be Messiah and demanded $25K

A lawyer in Mississippi is grateful that he and his staff members are safe after an agitated client with a gun in his leather bag demanded $25,000.

Apr 4, 2024 9:47 AM CDT

Only 1 out of 5 defendants in this Mississippi county get court-appointed lawyers before indictment

The right to counsel is “tenuous” in a small Mississippi justice court in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, where two judges appointed lawyers for felony defendants in only 20% of the cases opened in 2022, according to an investigative report.

Feb 27, 2024 8:22 AM CST

Alabama ready to help other states with ‘humane’ nitrogen executions after gas caused inmate to ‘shake and writhe’

Alabama is ready to help other states carry out “humane” nitrogen gas executions after using it for the first time Thursday to kill inmate Kenneth Smith, the state’s attorney general has said.

Jan 30, 2024 8:58 AM CST

Mother of boy arrested at age 10 for public urination won’t sign probation agreement

The mother of a 10-year-old boy arrested in Mississippi for urinating in public won’t be signing the probation agreement, according to the family’s lawyer.

Dec 21, 2023 12:14 PM CST

2023 was a record year for Disaster Legal Services program

It’s been a busy 12 months for the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Disaster Legal Services program. According to Amanda Brown, the director of the program, Disaster Legal Services helped survivors navigate the aftermath of a record 23 federally declared natural disasters in 2023.

Dec 18, 2023 8:28 AM CST

Truth-Selective: ‘The Burial’ illustrates honesty in trial work

But even considering the sometimes-unbelievable trial sequences, The Burial offers various takeaways for practitioners, including being truthful, always, with an eye toward what can sometimes be left unsaid.

Nov 20, 2023 8:45 AM CST

Mississippi isn’t following state supreme court’s new rule for protecting poor defendants, critics say

Three months after Mississippi’s Supreme Court directed judges in the state to ensure that poor criminal defendants always have a lawyer as they wait to be indicted, one of those justices acknowledged that the rule isn’t being widely followed.

Oct 20, 2023 9:17 AM CDT