Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

The Jackson City Council will consider the question of paying legal fees for former Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards at tomorrow’s meeting. Credit: Kenya Hudson

Shortly after Mississippi Attorney General Jim hood took the stand this morning during Mayor Frank Melton’s federal civil-rights trial, defense attorneys for Melton and Recio moved to block a May 26, 2006, letter Hood sent to Melton warning him about potential gun violations. In the letter, Hood told Melton that, while Melton had a license to carry a concealed weapon, “that license does not allow you to carry such a gun everywhere” under state law.

Judge Dan Jordan, who is presiding over the trial, allowed the letter to be admitted with redactions.

Previous Comments

Doesn’t look too good for Frank.

#143414 | Author: golden eagle | Date: Feb 9 2009

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.