Anti-crime mayor pleads guilty to gun charges.

[GlockenHammer]

Priceless!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/15/ ... index.html

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) -- Mayor Frank Melton, who has taken a hard stand against the city's rising crime rate, pleaded guilty to weapons charges Wednesday in a deal with prosecutors that lets him stay in office and out of jail.

The mayor stood and acknowledged the agreement more than 90 minutes after his trial on the charges was to start. A jury had already been seated.

Melton, 57, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for carrying a weapon into a church and a park, and no contest to a reduced charge on what had been a felony count involving a gun on a university campus.

He was given a six-month suspended sentence on each count, plus one year probation, and was fined $1,500.

Under state law, a felony conviction would have forced Melton from office and could have sent him to prison for as long as three years.

Prosecutors agreed to reduce the felony for carrying a gun onto the campus of the Mississippi College School of Law to a misdemeanor of carrying a concealed weapon in exchange for the pleas.

Melton, a former Jackson television station executive and one-time state drug enforcement agency chief, was elected in 2005 on a tough-on-crime platform.

He has drawn national attention for his unconventional leadership style -- including taking part in police raids and roadblocks -- in the city of 184,000, which has a crime rate nearly twice the national average

Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson also has brought unrelated charges against Melton and his two police department bodyguards for their alleged role in smashing up a duplex on August 26.

Melton has said the home was a drug haven, an allegation the property owners deny. The property owners also have sued Melton.

The American Civil Liberties Union had accused Melton, who is black, of civil rights violations, including racial profiling.

[stevie_d_64]

Sounds very ironical...

Too lazy to get a MS permit, to arrogant to just sit by and let the pros take care of stuff...

"Roadblocks"??? (I wonder if they are meaning sobriety checkpoints)

Like I've said...

"I don't really fear my government, but I do fear the tyranny of good intentions..."

[Skiprr]

Yeah, this one is looking a little bizarre. Can't vouch for accuracy, but this is what Melton's (a Texan) profile says on Wikipedia (please skip to the last few paragraphs if you don't have have time to read the whole thing):

Frank Melton (born 1950) is current mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, having been inaugurated on 4 July 2005, defeating the city's first black mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. Melton won with over 80% of the vote. Melton, a Democrat, quickly swept into action after his inauguration to achieve his stated goals of ridding Jackson of black-on-black drug related crime, improving economic development, and improving city infrastructure. Since Melton became mayor, projects totaling over $1.6 Billion have been started or been bid in the city, creating at least 4500 jobs in the city.

Melton has taken a hands-on approach to attacking drug crimes in the city, often going along with Police Chief Anderson on routine drug sweeps and drug raids. Many are pleased to see him take this hands-on and vocal approach to addressing the city's problems, as noted in a report by Little Rock television station KATV. A very vocal portion of the population in the city has taken offense to the mayor's less-than-subtle political style. In April of 2006, Melton challenged Hinds County DA Faye Peterson's ability to get a conviction against Albert "Batman" Donnellson, notorious leader of the Wood Street Player's Gang. Soon afterwards, Faye Peterson began investigating the mayor's hands on approach to crime, especially his habit of carrying a sidearm and wearing a police-like mayor's badge. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was asked to look into these allegations, concluding on June 1 that "The Mayor Broke No Laws" (The Clarion-Ledger, June 1). Faye Peterson disagreed and continued her own investigation. In late July 2006, the head of ACLU racial profiling division arrived in Jackson to address reports of racial profiling related to Melton and Chief Anderson's drug searches and raids. Mayor Melton continued his crusade, demolishing abandoned properties and encouraging the police to continue their efforts against drug crimes.

In September of 2006, Mayor Melton, with several Jackson Police Department detectives and a group of youths Melton had been counseling, raided a house at which five drug arrests have been made in the last two years, arresting the resident, Mr. Welch on several drug-related charges. The house was damaged during the raid, with one wall and several windows destroyed. No warrant was issued for the raid, nor was the owner of the duplex notified of any intention to conduct the raid. Faye Peterson brought charges relating to the raid against Melton before a jury, and Melton was indicted on September 15, 2006. Many have called the charges politically motivated, and several civil-rights leaders have come to the defense of Melton--most notably Charles Evers, older brother of civil rights hero and martyr Medgar Evers, and Stephanie Parker-Weaver-former, daughter of the first openly-known interracial couple in Jackson, MS--encouraging him to stay in office despite the charges.

Background/Previous Occupations

Melton is a native of Tyler, Texas, where he maintains a dual residency. His wife, Dr. Ellen Redd Melton, a pediatrician, lives in their home there, and his two biological children live in Texas. (Melton drew fire because he had not moved his homestead exemption from Texas to Mississippi when he ran for mayor). From 1984 to 2002, Melton served as head of WLBT-TV 3, a local channel and NBC affiliate that came under majority-black ownership after a diverse community group fought its racist practices in the 1960s. Melton ran the station for years, but later sold it to a majority-white company. Melton later served as the head of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics for 14 months, as appointed by former Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove in December, 2002, but left when Gov. Haley Barbour when he took office in January 2004. Gov. Melton was has also served in numerous other fields, including serving as the director of the Criminal Justice Task Force, as appointed by Kirk Fordice, former governor of Mississippi; the Mississippi Department of Human Services; and has been appointed by the Texas legislature to Texas Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

A lot of controversial items, but here's one that's germane:

July 26, 2006 - Frank Melton raises security concerns with US House of Representative, and "senior" Homeland Security Committee Democrat, Bennie Thompson (MS) when Melton applied for, and was issued, a United States Capitol Police badge and identification card. The card allowed Melton, armed, to bypass security in Federal Buildings, congressional offices and Congress. Wilson Livingood, sergeant-at-arms for the U. S. House, stated in the report to Thompson dated Aug. 17 that Melton showed a Jackson Police Department credential to Capitol police.

So I'm kinda not sure what to make of this one. Is this guy a total poser, or a Buford Pusser (even if he is a Democrat)? Does he contend LEO credential and it's really DA Faye Peterson who's on the witch hunt? Evidently Melton's been packin' for some time, and everybody knew it. Whether he was packin' leagally or not is for the courts. But it sure looks like Peterson has been on a whining crusade...

[phddan]

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) -- Mayor Frank Melton, who has taken a hard stand against the city's rising crime rate, pleaded guilty to weapons charges Wednesday in a deal with prosecutors that lets him stay in office and out of jail.

The mayor stood and acknowledged the agreement more than 90 minutes after his trial on the charges was to start. A jury had already been seated.

Melton, 57, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for carrying a weapon into a church and a park, and no contest to a reduced charge on what had been a felony count involving a gun on a university campus.

He was given a six-month suspended sentence on each count, plus one year probation, and was fined $1,500.

Under state law, a felony conviction would have forced Melton from office and could have sent him to prison for as long as three years.

This kind of double standards makes me so mad.
A normal Joe would be hammered. Smucks with influence and money get slaps on the wrist!!!!


Dan

[KBCraig]

I'm mixed on this one, not really knowing what's going on with the guy. But I will say this: carrying in church or a park should not be illegal. Carrying on a university campus shouldn't be illegal, but even if it is, it shouldn't be a felony.

I did read earlier today that Melton is one of NYC Mayor Bloomberg's cronies, and appeared at one of his anti-gun rallies. I haven't confirmed that, so take it with a grain of salt. If true, he would be a typical gun control hypocrite.

Kevin

[Roger Howard]

I did read earlier today that Melton is one of NYC Mayor Bloomberg's cronies, and appeared at one of his anti-gun rallies. I haven't confirmed that, so take it with a grain of salt. If true, he would be a typical gun control hypocrite.

Kevin

He is.