A Forrest County judge has refused to reduce the prison sentence for a man convicted of selling drugs near a Hattiesburg church. Kado Jackson, 34, was convicted in December of selling cocaine near Beacon Baptist Church. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison and fined $25,000. On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Bob Helfrich denied several motions, including requests for a reduced sentence, a new trial and for Jackson to be released on bond pending an appeal. "I consider drug dealers a danger to the community," Helfrich said. [continues 54 words]
A Feb. 25 article stated, "A new joint federal, state and local initiative is under way in Jackson and Vicksburg to sweep illegal drug users off the streets" (Drug users target of initiative"). What a waste of our resources this is. This "sweep" will have absolutely zero effect. It will only make folks "feel" better, not actually "be" better. People have eaten, drank, injected, rubbed onto themselves, smoked and inhaled various forms of mind-altering substances since the beginning of time. This is human nature and it will continue until the end of time. [continues 192 words]
MERIDIAN - To the team, the mobile home looked like the kind of place where something bad could happen. Officials said it had served as a methamphetamine lab. Worse, they said there was a small child alone inside. Immediately, two men wearing chemical-proof plastic suits and air tanks charged inside. Their mission? To secure the building and rescue the child, all without causing harm to themselves. At least, that's what they would have done had the situation been real. On Friday, six Mississippi police officers and 16 other officers from four more states participated in drills to earn certification in the Clandestine Laboratory and Weapons of Mass Destruction Safety Certification Course at the Meridian Naval Air Station. [continues 494 words]
Who is more dangerous - the drug addict or the drug dealer? With full acknowledgment that the former cannot exist without the latter, the direct threat to our citizenry lies with the addict. As a former prosecutor and trial court judge, I know that most property crimes and many of our assaults and murders are committed by addicts. My compliments to U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton for targeting drug users ("Drug users target of initiative," Feb. 25). This approach at the federal level is long overdue and should serve as a model for future drug enforcement. [continues 91 words]
A new joint federal, state and local initiative is under way in Jackson and Vicksburg to sweep illegal drug users off the streets. "The individual drug user is a big part of our nation's drug problem," Southern District U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton said during a news conference today in Jackson. "Without the demand for illegal drugs, there would be no drug cartels, no property crimes to finance an addict's drug habit, no turf wars over who sells drugs where, and no deaths on our highways caused by drivers impaired by drugs." [continues 289 words]
A former Mississippi state trooper has asked an appeals court to allow him to withdraw a guilty plea and stand trial on federal drug and money-laundering charges. Clifton D. Anderson, 49, had pleaded guilty to the charges and in 1997 was sentenced to 96 months in prison. The charges stemmed from a July 1996 incident in which Anderson stopped a suspected drug courier and seized the cocaine without arresting the courier, according to prosecutors. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has twice thrown out Anderson's sentence. The first time, in 2001, the 5th Circuit said the district court erred in applying a two-level sentencing enhancement for possession of a firearm - Anderson's police gun - and for grouping sentences on different charges. [continues 111 words]
PASCAGOULA - Jackson County supervisors have agreed to fund a drug court, starting March 1. Supervisors voted Monday to spend up to $50,000 for the court through Sept. 30, the last day of the fiscal year. The court will become a separate budget item in the next fiscal year. Circuit Judge Kathy Jackson has already enrolled five clients in the program. Four more have lined up to join later this week. "Sometimes you just got to jump out and do and hope the rest of it comes," said Jackson, who oversees a similar program that has been operating in George and Greene counties since 2002. [continues 99 words]
Public Safety Commissioner Rusty Fortenberry will ask the Legislature to consolidate the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics' budget with that of his agency to avoid overlaps of equipment, facilities and services. Although MBN's director reports to the commissioner, the agency has its own budget. "It should all be one budget. Then we can address where we have the duplication of services," Fortenberry said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. MBN's helicopter is an example of such duplication, Fortenberry said. The Department of Public Safety already has two helicopters, one of which is unmarked, he said. [continues 291 words]
The Mississippi Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from an informant who claims the state's drug enforcement agency violated a deal to keep him safe from harm. The Thursday decision let stand the state Appeals Court's 4-4 ruling last April that the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics was not liable when Patrick Lippincott was wounded March 16, 1999, when a gun battle erupted between a drug dealer and a narcotics agent in Clay County. Lippincott, who was hit in the arm, claimed in a lawsuit that MBN teamed him with an inexperienced agent who placed him in unreasonable danger. He also alleged the agency failed to provide him with a safe work environment. [continues 83 words]
Circuit Judge Uses Grant To Help Change Lives Of Abusers The successes of the Forrest County justice system over the past year is reflected in the faces of Helen Nicholson and Chad Harrison. The two, rather than ending up behind bars, joined 18 others to make up Circuit Judge Bob Helfrich's new Adult Drug Court. Helfrich meets with the 20 defendants he assigned to the program every Monday at noon. The state Legislature authorized drug courts but the operation was not funded. Helfrich was able to obtain a grant from Asbury Foundation to operate the court for three years. [continues 241 words]
There's A New Cowboy In Town, And His Name Is George Phillips George Phillips' Low-Key Style In Sharp Contrast To Former Director's Approach The new director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics is an actual cowboy, raising and training quarter horses near Hattiesburg. He replaces Frank Melton, who was often criticized by some for his "cowboy" tactics. Phillips, a former U.S. attorney, is glad to be back in law enforcement circles after spending his past two years in retirement, but he seems uncomfortable with his new title. The word "Director" appears emblazoned on a bureau badge in a framed poster. "That's the one thing I don't want on the wall," he said. "Sounds boastful." [continues 769 words]
Gov. Haley Barbour's comments regarding his replacement of Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton gave an interesting insight into the political mind ("Melton: Losing position a relief," Jan. 10). You quote Mr Barbour as saying of Mr. Melton: "He's a very capable guy and a strong leader," but, "we need something different." I would have guessed that's exactly what we do need. Joe Hunt Brandon [end]
Haley Barbour is off to a good start and should be a great governor for Mississippi. All of his appointees seem to be capable individuals. However, Haley Barbour has fired one of Mississippi's most genuine heroes. Frank Melton has given many of us hope in the battle against crime and drug addiction. It has been insinuated that some law enforcement officials were admonishing the governor to fire Melton. Whoever those people are should have the courage to identify themselves. Frank Melton has been an independent, nonpartisan crusader trying to do what is right in a battle, which affects many Mississippians. He is the most colorblind individual I have been privileged to know. Melton's success far outweighs that of any of his predecessors. The drug dealers are undoubtedly celebrating. Wirt A. Yerger Jr. Jackson [end]
The Mississippi Supreme Court has given itself until Feb. 12 to determine whether to hear an appeal from a drug informant who claims the state Narcotics Bureau violated a deal to keep him safe from harm. The state Appeals Court, in a 4-4 decision last April, ruled against Patrick Lippincott, who was shot March 16, 1999, when a gun battle erupted between a drug dealer and a narcotics agent in Clay County. Lippincott, who was hit in the arm, sued the Bureau of Narcotics, claiming the agency teamed him with an inexperienced agent who placed him in unreasonable danger. He also alleged the agency failed to provide him with a safe work environment. [continues 82 words]
The city school board is considering a proposal to randomly test all employees for drug use, from groundskeepers to administrators. The plan could be in place by March. The West Point district currently has no written policy, but employees responsible for transporting students have been subject to random testing under state and federal safety regulations. On Monday, board attorney Tom Storey recommended the policy to give the board some leverage in dealing with drug issues. Storey said the board must decide how to handle positive test results. He said the policy could include a zero-tolerance clause, which would allow for immediate termination following positive testing or it could permit employees to undergo rehabilitation at their own expense. Some other area school districts, including those in Clay County and Starkville, test bus drivers upon hiring them and test randomly thereafter. The districts do not test other employees. The West Point board will discuss the issue further in February. [end]
Can anyone please tell me why Gov. Haley Barbour thinks that Frank Melton's service as narcotics chief is no longer needed ("We needed something different," Barbour says," Jan. 10.)? People should think back over the past year and recall how many times in their area they heard people saying "there was a drug raid last night" and Melton was there. I live in Rolling Fork and my parents live in Columbus and between here and there, there were numerous raids. Mr. Melton put an actual dent in drugs in Mississippi. I may be wrong but I don't know of another narcotics chief that had more successful raids than Mr. Melton. [continues 69 words]
Kudos to Frank Melton for his brief but dynamic and effective leadership as director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics ("We needed something different," Barbour says," Jan. 10). He approached the war against drugs with passion, tenacity, dedication, integrity and a "hands-on" approach. Mr. Melton attempted to clean up drug-infested neighborhoods and make them safer for the law-abiding citizens living there. The criminals who frequented those areas are probably dancing in the streets now that Mr. Melton has been replaced, and are preparing to return to business as usual. [continues 103 words]
(AP) Jackson County supervisors have created a committee to find money for a drug court. Circuit Judge Kathy Jackson told supervisors Monday that she would be willing to start a drug court in Jackson County. She said the program would cost between $100,000 and $150,000, contingent on fees collected from participants. "It works," Jackson told supervisors. "It's the best thing I've seen in trying to help people change." Supervisors Frank Leach and Manly Barton were authorized Monday to meet with local judges to review the program and identify potential avenues for funding. [continues 114 words]
Melton Replaced With Barbour's Man Flamboyant television executive turned crusading state Bureau of Narcotics director Frank Melton's trademark TV sign-off phrase sums the reality of the situation best. Bureau of Narcotics director Frank Melton was replaced by Gov.-elect Haley Barbour with an experienced Republican former federal prosecutor. A Democratic appointee, Melton should have expected no more or less in the transition. Melton, like many among some 500 state employees who serve the public at the "will and pleasure" of the governor, found himself replaced Friday by former Southern District U.S. Attorney George Phillips. [continues 292 words]
Lawmakers say they expect Gov.-elect Haley Barbour to name a replacement for Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton. Barbour has scheduled a 9:30 a.m. news conference today to announce more appointments. He will make three more appointments, said George Schloegel, who co-chairs Barbour's transition team. Schloegel would not say if director of the MBN will be among them. Melton, chief of MBN since December 2002, would not confirm Thursday that he is being replaced or that he had submitted his resignation, as Barbour has required of all at-will-and -pleasure employees. [continues 470 words]
SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (AP) -- Following the expulsion of a student who had Advil in her purse, the Bossier Parish school system is modifying its policy dealing with over-the-counter medications. Principals will be told that they are not required to expel students with such medications when school starts its next term on Jan. 5. Until now, the district has had a zero-tolerance policy for all drugs, including those that are legal and purchased over the counter. But the expulsion of Parkway High School sophomore Amanda Stiles for having Advil in her purse stirred national attention. [continues 63 words]
University of Southern Mississippi administrators have delayed implementation of a new drug and alcohol policy that prohibits employees from working if they have any detectable level of alcohol or illegal drugs in their system. Lisa Mader, a university spokeswoman, said President Shelby Thames wants to take another look at some specific issues with the policy. "He will review it and share an updated version of the policy in mid- to late January," Mader said. USM officials approved the policy Nov. 3. It requires employees to sign forms by the middle of next month saying they have read and understand the policy. Mader said that date now changes. [continues 183 words]
FBI, military on dangerous ground In the wake of 9-11, is domestic spying going too far? Under God? What churches should be allowed to be infiltrated by government agents? (Under the Patriot Act, all are vulnerable.) What religions or religious opinions or activities should be deemed dangerous to the state? And by whom? Recent events involving the FBI and the military, acting under post-9-11 anti-terrorism laws, would say so. Earlier this month, news agencies reported the FBI is increasing surveillance of individuals and groups involved in Iraq war protests and has collected extensive information on demonstrators. [continues 694 words]
A drug court is being proposed for Leake, Neshoba, Newton and Scott counties to address both drug addiction and related crime. Drug courts Programs operate in: 2nd Circuit serving Hancock, Harrison and Stone counties; 4th Circuit of Leflore, Sunflower and Washington counties; 7th Circuit serving Hinds County; 11th Circuit of Bolivar, Coahoma, Quitman and Tunica counties; 12th Circuit of Forrest and Perry counties; 14th Circuit court district of Lincoln, Walthall and Pike counties; 19th Circuit of George and Greene counties; Adams County Youth Court; [continues 455 words]
Some say rules permitting testing too stringent From staff and wire reports The University of Southern Mississippi has adopted a new drug policy, but some faculty and staff say it's too stringent. The substance abuse policy prohibits employees from reporting to work or remaining on the job with any detectable level of alcohol or illegal drugs in their systems. "The standards it sets are outrageous," said Frank Glamser, president of the Southern Miss chapter of the American Association of University Professors. [continues 322 words]
As Gov.-elect Haley Barbour prepares to take office in January, he faces the conundrum of his no-new-taxes pledge on the campaign trail against the reality of a whopping $70 million deficit in the state's Department of Corrections. Simply put, Mississippi can't afford to house the prisoners we already have in the state's penal system - much less the new ones pouring in each day under the state's "85 percent" rule that mandates that prisoners serve at least that percentage of their original sentence before being eligible for parole. [continues 483 words]
Bureau Can't Slip Back Into Insularity Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton may have a point that his agency is strapped for cash, but changing the share between state and local authorities of money derived from drug bust seizures isn't the answer. Under current law, when MBN initiates a bust, MBN gives up 80 percent of forfeiture proceeds to local agencies. Melton wants the Legislature to change that to 50-50. Bad idea. Until a couple of years ago, the split was the opposite: 80 percent for MBN. It was reversed for a reason. [continues 104 words]
Discovery Second In Week Involving Miss. School Cocaine was found packed into boxes carrying food at a South Mississippi school cafeteria for the second time in a week. Fifteen pounds of cocaine were found at East Central Upper Elementary on Thursday, a week after the same discovery was made at an elementary school in Ellisville. Just like in Ellisville, the drugs in the Hurley school were found in a box of frozen ground beef. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recalled all of the packages from H and H Meat Packing in Mercedes, Texas. [continues 195 words]
Sarah Beard thought she had a pretty good idea about the extent of drug use among teens when she became director last year of Madison County's Adolescent Offender Program. She was wrong. "I really was not aware of how serious the drug problem is. I think most people would be very surprised ... it's unbelievable," Beard said. That's why she, Madison County Youth Court Judge William Agin and the Madison County Coalition on Children and Youth have banded to start the county's first Juvenile Drug Court - the second in the state behind Adams County. [continues 520 words]
Never known to be the shy and retiring type, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Chief Frank Melton is at his old, cowboy way again, this time with an armed posse! A civil trial in the swimming pool death of a child at a Jackson YMCA had to be stopped briefly Wednesday in Hinds County Circuit Court, so Judge Tomie Green could consider a motion from Melton to have four members of his own armed MBN security with him while he testified. [continues 75 words]
Cash Split Between Police Agencies, Mbn Too Small, Director Says Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton wants to change a state law meant to foster cooperation between state drug agents and local police. Melton said the MBN is strapped for cash and no longer can afford to give up 80 percent of forfeiture proceeds from joint drug operations with local agencies, as state law requires. "It's crushed us," said Melton. He plans to lobby for a 50-50 split when lawmakers convene in January. [continues 429 words]
Cocaine discovered in shipment of food to Ellisville Elementary ELLISVILLE - Police are investigating the discovery this week of 15 pounds of cocaine in a shipment of food to an elementary school. No arrest have been made in the case, police said Friday. "This shows just how big a drug problem this nation has when this kind of illegal substance can be delivered to a school," Police Chief Bruce Russell said. "It's not every day you come across a large amount of cocaine like this. But to a school?" [continues 193 words]
Police Chief Wants Group To Have Local, State, Federal Officers The Jackson Police and Hinds County Sheriff's departments plan to revive a joint drug unit. "I think drugs are the most serious crime problem we have," Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said. "It fuels all the other crimes." Nationally, about 138,000 inmates reported in 1998 they were on drugs when they committed their crimes, according to a 2003 report by the Washington, D.C.-based Office of National Drug Policy Control. [continues 381 words]
Criminals trafficking in huge quantities of narcotics are prosecuted as "drug kingpins." Rush Limbaugh proves laws, which apply to some, do not apply to rich, white men. Greg Wilson, Brandon [end]
ADDICTION KNOWS NO PARTY LABEL Conservative talk radio personality Rush Limbaugh's public admission that he is addicted to prescription painkillers is proof that addiction knows no race, creed, color or political philosophy. Just as professional athletes and celebrities have fallen prey to substance abuse along with the downtrodden and the unemployed, political figures aren't immune from addiction. While some seek to milk Limbaugh's fall for political advantage, the sad truth is that addiction is a disease. Limbaugh's troubles should prove a cautionary tale. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. If he can enter treatment and come out the other side whole, perhaps his best days might be ahead of him as a spokesman for those who become ensnared in substance abuse. [end]
When used properly, OxyContin is perhaps the most effective prescription painkiller available. Doctors often prescribe it to patients with cancer or those who are terminally ill. When used illegally, abusers break the time-release coating on the capsule and snort or inject the drug. It delivers a quick, addictive and potentially lethal high. "Three years ago, we had a tremendous problem with OxyContin-related overdoses, burglaries and pharmacy robberies," said Tim Rutledge, assistant director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. "But the OxyContin task force that was assembled in response to it has brought a lot of attention to the issue and that has helped." [continues 313 words]
Smith seeking to 'avoid appearance of impropriety' Pike County Circuit Judge Mike Smith has announced he is stepping down from hearing a drug case in which he'd been accused of violating judicial rules. The judge signed an order Monday, citing a Sunday article in The Clarion-Ledger and saying he was stepping down to "avoid the appearance of impropriety." The article detailed accusations the judge had violated judicial rules by talking with a narcotics agent about the case outside the presence of the defense, then sentencing the defendant to 20 years instead of a plea-bargained eight. [continues 653 words]
Director of bureau says 2-year-old academy a waste of money By Emily Wagster Pettus Associated Press Writer The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics has closed its training academy and is now sending new recruits to the Highway Patrol training school, MBN Director Frank Melton said. Melton, who has led the bureau since December, told legislators Wednesday it was a waste of money for the bureau to have its own academy, which opened two years ago. He said the last class to go through the MBN school was all white. [continues 333 words]
It is past time for those who choose to make a hobby of criticizing Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton to move on to other shallow interests. This includes The Clarion-Ledger. It is beyond me why anyone would find fault with a man who makes it his life's work to give service to God and his fellow man. Drug dealers in the state can no longer rest easy knowing that Frank Melton is in hot pursuit. Don't like his tactics? Tough! [continues 72 words]
I take issue with your Aug. 23 editorial ("Melton's way: Narcotics chief should be open") which blasted Frank Melton for not holding press conferences after every arrest of drug-dealing suspects. First, Frank Melton is a compassionate human being who happens to be a former TV executive who now heads the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Melton understands that arrested suspects have families who are usually innocent bystanders. Why taint their lives with the dirty linen of a suspect? Why not at least wait until the judiciary system takes its toll? Why not publicize convicted, proven wrongdoers but not suspects? [continues 114 words]
Frank Melton spoke to the students of Cleveland High School recently, so I went to the school and filed into the auditorium along with approximately 550 students to hear Mr. Melton. His speech was inspiring. He told the students in no uncertain terms about the misery and horror which follows drug abuse, and he was strong in his plea for the students to stay away from drugs, to stay in school, to obey the rules of society, and above all "to do the right thing." [continues 58 words]
Wow! Just . . . wow! Someone has just stepped up, told it like it was, and dared the opposition to challenge him. Frank Melton's letter (" 'It is going to be done Melton's way'," Aug. 27) is the kind of thing I would like to hear from an elected official - - someone who knows what he or she wants to do and has the guts to pursue it. When is he going to run for president? Lane Russell Hattiesburg [end]
I commend Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton on what he is trying to do ("Probe of city gang yields drug arrests," Aug. 19). But, all it is doing is moving drug dealers from one neighborhood to another. South Jackson has gone downhill quicker than any neighborhood in Jackson. But you sure do not see anything being done about it. Very rarely do you see a police officer in the neighborhood, and when you do, they don't do anything about what they see. They need to hit all over the city the way they are in west Jackson. Sandy Jenkins Jackson [end]
Once again, I find it rather ironic that The Clarion-Ledger can take an editorial position on an issue without knowing the facts. It appears that the writer could have waited until Friday to get the court-documented facts about the attorney who was referenced in the editorial Aug. 27 ("Melton: Action, not words, more effective"). On the issue of not releasing violators' names, please understand that some people associated with the drug trade get killed. Frank E. Melton, Director, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Jackson [end]
A federal judge has dismissed a Jackson attorney's request for a restraining order against the state's drug czar. Attorney Cynthia Stewart filed a request for a restraining order against Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton last week. Stewart also was seeking a preliminary injunction against Melton to keep him from using his power of office "to arrest, threaten to arrest, harass, intimidate or interfere" with her. Stewart's client, Marcell Martin, had been charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. Martin, 27, of Jackson, was among 18 people Melton said were arrested in a crackdown on a Cohea Street drug gang. [continues 110 words]
As usual, The Clarion-Ledger's editorial of Aug. 23 ("Melton's way: Narcotics chief should be open") is completely off the mark. First, I have never taken a SWAT team into a school. To suggest otherwise in inappropriate and irresponsible. Your own education reporter has participated in our safe school's operation. A simple walk down your hall at The Ledger would have given you the facts about safe schools. For the record, the purpose of safe schools is simply to encourage and serve as a cheerleader for the 97 percent of Mississippi students who are doing the right thing. [continues 227 words]
Action, Not Words, More Effective Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton's pretty good at shooting from the lip, but his selective aim is a bit off -- now landing him in federal court. Last week, Melton basked in the limelight over a drug bust on Cohea Street in Jackson, with dramatic accusations, including saying a lawyer was involved and that other "downtown Jackson professionals" would be arrested. He refused to name names to go with his accusations. In the drug bust, which Melton called the Cohea Street drug gang, 18 people were arrested, Melton said, but he would not release their names either. (Incredibly, he says it's MBN policy not to reveal names of those arrested out of concern for their families.) [continues 91 words]
Narcotics Chief Should Be Open Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton is conducting a very high-profile series of narcotics raids in Jackson, which everyone can cheer. The public likes to hear a law enforcement official talk tough and take action. Unfortunately, every once in a while, Melton seems to decide to play Lone Ranger when it comes to enforcing the law. The former WLBT-Channel 3 TV executive did it shortly after being picked to head MBN in December, when he started putting up road blocks - including at the Capitol - to catch drug dealers. [continues 318 words]
Narcotics Chief Should Be Open Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton is conducting a very high-profile series of narcotics raids in Jackson, which everyone can cheer. The public likes to hear a law enforcement official talk tough and take action. Unfortunately, every once in a while, Melton seems to decide to play Lone Ranger when it comes to enforcing the law. The former WLBT-Channel 3 TV executive did it shortly after being picked to head MBN in December, when he started putting up road blocks - - including at the Capitol - to catch drug dealers. [continues 318 words]
I am somewhat surprised by Madison's decision to randomly test all students in extracurricular activities for drug use. According to most research on the subject, random testing has a negligible impact on drug use. Further, these tests are expensive, averaging $40 per test - - in a state where many districts cannot provide adequate class supplies. Further, the error rate on urine tests varies widely according to the lab in question. In today's legal climate, this will lead to innumerable lawsuits over false positive results. In the end, these tests can be humiliating to students and do little good. It is, therefore, a poor use of public money. James D. Stewart Dept. of History and Political Science Mississippi College Clinton [end]
