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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.

Watch this site throughout the first round of Mississippi v. Frank Melton, slated to begin Nov. 14, for daily blogging, and photo galleries, about the Jackson mayor’s first trial for illegally carrying weapons.

(For background info and links to stories about the Melton indictments, see the JFP Melton Blog here).

Update: The Clarion-Ledger reported this morning that the defense filed a motion designed to exclude JFP editor Donna Ladd from testifying “about Melton’s habit of carrying firearms.” Over the prosecution’s protests, Judge Tomie Green said she would allow Ladd to testify only in rebuttal to the argument that Melton doesn’t “own or carry a gun,” according to the C-L.

Previous Comments

So are they doing jury selection only, today?

#124369 | Author: E | Date: Nov 14 2006

I hope somebody is watching jury selection so we can guage what prospective jurors are thinking and saying. Voir dire is like watching flies mate. Few can stand to watch it. However, it’s very crucial to the lawyers suceeding at trial. Both sides want a so-called fair and impartial jury (that favors their cause). Some lawyers feel the case is won or lost with this process. I hope all prospective jurors are honest in their answers to questions since I don’t expect anyone to show up unfamiliar with Melton or the indictments. Knowing about either isn’t of much consequence as long as each juror will say they can be fair to both sides. This process may take longer than a day considering the publicity of the case. Judge Green will grant leeway for the lawyers to do their jobs but she told me once that it shouldn’t take forever to pick 12 people. She was trained in federal court under Wingate where judges seriously limit your voir dire.

#124370 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Nov 14 2006

I can’t be there — yet — but Adam is down there, then Brian. We’ll tell y’all what we know as soon as one of them returns.

#124371 | Author: DonnaLadd | Date: Nov 14 2006

Thanks Donna. I’m sorry you were subpoenaed. It’s keeping you from watching the trial in person. Maybe they’ll call you early and you can then watch afterward. Melton may try to sick Danks on you. But since you’re media you should do well. The hardest witness I ever took on was Riva Brown, former Clarion Ledger reporter. She deserves an Academy Award for pretending she didn’t understand my questions. She won the contest and I gained a lot of respect for her as a result of that.

#124372 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Nov 14 2006

Oh yeah, Donna, don’t comment to my comment.

#124373 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Nov 14 2006

I won’t. What was the case that Riva Brown was called to testify in?

#124374 | Author: DonnaLadd | Date: Nov 14 2006

It was a capital case that got reduced to three other smaller charges of conspiracy, burglary, and accessory after the facts in Winona, Mississippi. The defendant lied to Riva about his identity and facts concerning the case that caused her to write a story filled with inaccuracies. She was highly pissed by that, and if I had any sense back then I would have anticipated the anger and remianed cool and clever enough to wear her down. I got mad and gave up on trying to make her benefit my side of the case. She instead wore me down with “I don’t understand the question.” I soon figured out that no matter how I asked a question she didn’t like I would get the same reply.

#124375 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Nov 14 2006

By the way, he talked to Riva before I was hired to represent him.

#124376 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Nov 14 2006

Actually it was in Belzoni not Winona. I confuse the 2 all the time.

#124377 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Nov 14 2006

I actually know Riva, though I haven’t spoken to her in a while–she’s pretty cool, one of the Clarion-Ledger reporters/former reporters for whom I do have a great deal of respect. Cheers, TH

#124378 | Author: Tom Head | Date: Nov 14 2006

Dam Donna subpeona’ed huh? WOOOSH! Well, Donna, good luck with that. You know that we will be thinking of you. Had to have that exclusive, huh? 🙂

#124379 | Author: Queen601 | Date: Nov 14 2006

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.