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

Ban on lifetime voting for some felons violates Eighth Amendment, 5th Circuit rules

Mississippi’s lifetime ban on voting for felons convicted of some crimes serves no legitimate penological purpose and violates their rights under the Eighth Amendment, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Aug 8, 2023 8:08 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: ‘State takeover’ of city policing challenged; lawyers sentenced in trip-and-fall scheme

NAACP sues over ‘state takeover’ of city policing, courts

The NAACP has filed a lawsuit challenging two state laws that “represent a state takeover of Jackson,” Mississippi, a predominantly Black…

Apr 28, 2023 2:49 PM CDT

Former Baker Donelson lobbyist pleads guilty for role in timber investment scheme

A former Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz lobbyist pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for participating in a scheme to defraud investors in timber investments.

Apr 28, 2023 8:40 AM CDT

15-year-old who got 174 on LSAT looks forward to law school

A 15-year-old Mississippi youth is planning to attend law school this year after getting a 174 on the Law School Admission Test.

Mar 8, 2023 8:37 AM CST