Mississippi
House OKs court with unelected judges in Jackson
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Mississippi House on Tuesday passed a bill to create a new court district in part of the capital city of Jackson with judges who would be appointed rather than elected.
Black Democrats pushed back vociferously against House Bill 1020 during a nearly five-hour debate, arguing the measure unconstitutionally strips voting rights from many residents in the majority-Black city.
“Don’t create a city within the city,” Democratic Rep. Bryant Clark of Pickens implored the House.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Tray Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, sponsored the bill. He told the House that a new court system would help deal with a backlog of criminal cases, including a large number of homicides.
“Jackson is the capital city,” Lamar said. “It belongs to all Mississippi.”
The bill passed 76-38, largely along party lines. It was held for the possibility of more debate in the next several days, but opponents are unlikely to be able block it from eventually moving to the Senate for more work.
The bill would expand the boundaries of the existing Capitol Complex Improvement District, which is patrolled by Capitol Police officers who work for the state Department of Public Safety. The district also receives some tax money for street repairs.
The district currently encompasses parts of Jackson that have state government buildings, including much of downtown and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The proposed expansion includes busy shopping and entertainment areas along Interstate 55 in north Jackson.
If people are charged with felony crimes within the current boundaries of the district, those cases are currently handled in Hinds County Circuit Court. The bill would establish a separate court system with two judges appointed by the chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court.
The appointed judges would not be required to live in Jackson or Hinds County.
“I believe the chief justice should have the authority to appoint quality, experienced legal minds,” Lamar said, adding in response to questions, “The best person for that job may very well come from Hinds County” or from another part of the state.
The Mississippi attorney general would appoint prosecutors to handle criminal cases in the new court district.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, a Democrat who opposes the bill, watched the debate from one of the House galleries.
Democratic Rep. Chris Bell of Jackson said during the debate that Lamar and other bill supporters had not asked Jackson lawmakers for their input on the proposal, as would normally be done. Bell said legislators should not try to change a community without having input from people living there.
“We are not incompetent. Our judges are not incompetent. Our mayor is not incompetent,” Bell said.
More than 80% of Jackson residents are Black and about 25% of residents live in poverty.
Democratic Rep. Zakiya Summers of Jackson said the proposed district would include predominantly white areas of the city. Summers, who represents a majority-Black House district that would be partially inside the Capitol Complex district, said her constituents don’t want a new court system with appointed judges.
Democratic Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr. of Jackson said the expanded Capitol Complex district would encompass the city’s more affluent areas.
Lamar said he did not know about land values, noting about 53% of residents in the proposed district are Black.
Mexico City
Kyle Busch violated Mexican gun laws on recent vacation
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Kyle Busch was detained at a Mexican airport late last month when a handgun and ammunition were discovered in his luggage, the NASCAR star acknowledged this week, apologizing for the incident and calling it “a mistake.”
Busch was sentenced this month to 3 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for having a gun and ammunition, a punishment handed down by a judge in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, home to beach destinations Cancun and Tulum.
The federal Attorney General’s Office said the judge decided to allow a conditional punishment and let Busch leave Mexico after he paid a bond. The office did not say how much he paid.
A two-time NASCAR champion and the winningest active driver in the Cup Series, Busch acknowledged the situation in a Monday social media post. He said he has “a valid concealed carry permit from my local authority and adhere to all handgun laws, but I made a mistake by forgetting it was in my bag.
“Discovery of the handgun led to my detainment while the situation was resolved. I was not aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico,” Busch wrote. “When it was discovered, I fully cooperated with the authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned to North Carolina.
“I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter. My family and I consider this issue closed.”
A NASCAR spokesperson said Tuesday that Busch informed the sanctioning body of the incident and is not facing any punishment. Busch is in his first season driving for Richard Childress Racing and finished third in Sunday night’s debut, a preseason exhibition at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Richard Childress, the team owner of Busch’s new car, is an avid hunter and prominent member of the NRA.
Busch was arrested by the National Guard on Jan. 27 after trying to depart Cancun’s international airport. A scan of his luggage at the terminal for private aircraft revealed a .380 caliber pistol with six hollow-point bullets, according to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office.
Busch was brought Jan. 29 before a judge who ruled the arrest was legal and Busch was sentenced Feb. 3, according to the statement.
The next step would be the judge scheduling another hearing to set the details of Busch’s conditional punishment and where he will pay the fine. He could avoid any additional jail time.
Mexico’s constitution guarantees citizens’ right to own a handgun and hunting rifles for self-defense and sport, but there are significant bureaucratic hurdles to obtaining a legally registered handgun and the military is the only legal seller. The country is awash with illegal guns, however, most of which are purchased in the United States and smuggled into Mexico.
Last August, Busch and his family were inside the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis when shots were fired. They were able to safely leave the mall unharmed.
