by MBJ Staff Published: May 15,2012
Tags: bonds, corrections, debt, debt ratings, investing, investments, investors, jails, prisons, ratings
MARSHALL COUNTY and WILKINSON COUNTY — Fitch Ratings has withdrawn its ratings on the following bonds due to pre-refunding activity: • Mississippi Development Bank (MS) (MSLoan Prog-Mississippi Department of Corrections-Marshall County Correctional Facility Refunding Proj) general obligation special obligation bonds series 2008C (all maturities); and • Mississippi Development Bank (MS) (MSLoan Program-Mississippi Department of Corrections [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 26,2012
Tags: courts, executive branch, governor, inmates, jails, judge, judicial, judiciary, last-minute pardons, pardons, prisoners, prisons, state government, state law
JACKSON — Attorney General Jim Hood has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that former Gov. Haley Barbour’s late-term pardons were valid. In a filing late last week, Hood asked that the case be sent back to Hinds County Circuit Court. Hood claims the Supreme Court’s March 8 decision, which effectively determined [...] [...]
by Wally Northway Published: February 27,2012
Tags: construction, corrections, crime, economic impact, employment, inmates, jails, jobs, prisons, spending
YAZOO CITY — Federal officials have proposed spending $28.4 million next year to run a high-security federal prison in Yazoo City. Local and congressional officials hope the prison will boost the region’s economy. Federal justice officials tell The Clarion-Ledger construction of the 1,216-bed facility is nearly complete. They say it should be ready to open [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: February 17,2012
Tags: courts, crime, criminals, jails, last-minute pardons, law enforcement, pardons, prisons, state government, trusty
JACKSON — The Mississippi Parole Board rejected 16 inmates’ requests for freedom before they were given full pardons by former Gov. Haley Barbour during his final days as governor, according to a nonpartisan legislative watchdog group. The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review examined Barbour’s pardons at the request of Rep. Cecil [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: February 15,2012
Tags: courts, demand, inmates, jails, law enforcement, mayor, municipal government, penalties, prisons, resignation, sex, state government, wardens, witness tampering
WALNUT GROVE — A Mississippi mayor who also worked as a jail warden pleaded guilty yesterday to witness tampering and resigned from office after facing charges that he took a female inmate to a hotel to have sex. Grady Sims was mayor of Walnut Grove for 30 years before pleading guilty in U.S. District Court. [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: February 9,2012
Tags: attorneys, bill, convicts, courts, jails, law, lawyer, lawyers, legislative branch, Legislature, pardons, prisons, state government, trustees
JACKSON — Attorney General Jim Hood may be busy today while House members debate a bill to limit his powers. The House bumped up its meeting time from the usual 2 p.m. to 10 a.m., when Hood is likely to be arguing against former Gov. Haley Barbour’s pardons at the state Supreme Court. The House [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: February 8,2012
Tags: constitutionality, convicts, courts, eexecutive branch, jails, judges, judicial, judiciary, pardons, prisons, separation of power, trusties
JACKSON — The freedom of 10 people is at stake and dozens of others could lose their hopes for a cleansed record in the legal battle over former Gov. Haley Barbour’s pardons. The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case tomorrow. Five inmates remain jailed because Attorney General Jim Hood persuaded a judge [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: February 2,2012
Tags: attorneys, convicts, corrections, courts, executive, governor, jails, law, law enforcement, lawyers, pardons, prisons, state government, trustees
JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court said yesterday it would take up the legal challenge to the pardons ex-Gov. Haley Barbour gave out in his last days in office. State Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, wants to invalidate dozens of the 198 pardons that Barbour, a Republican, handed out before his second four-year term [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: January 31,2012
Tags: attorney general, convicts, corrections, governor, inmates, jails, last-minute pardons, media, pardons, Politics, prisons, state government, state law, trustees
JACKSON — Attorney General Jim Hood has issued a statement denying former Gov. Haley Barbour’s allegation that one of the Attorney General’s Office staff members did not publicize Barbour’s last-minute pardons for former Governor’s Mansion trustees as called for by state law. Hood wrote: “It is unfortunate that former Gov. Barbour has made some misrepresentations [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 26,2012
Tags: convicts, corrections, jails, last-minute pardons, law, law enforcement, pardons, prisons, state government, trusties
JACKSON — Pardon files are missing or don’t exist for four convicted killers and another man who worked as trusties at the Governor’s Mansion and were pardoned by former Gov. Haley Barbour during his final days in office. The Associated Press made public records requests for such documents, but state officials said yesterday they don’t [...] [...]