Testimony to Begin in Jackson Mayor Frank Melton’s Federal Civil Rights Trial

Opening statements will begin today in the federal civil rights trial of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. MPB's Lawayne Childrey is following the case and has this report.

When testimony begins a jury of nine women and three men will be listening intently. Mississippi College of Law Professor Matt Steffy says It is their responsibility to determine if Mayor Frank Melton and former bodyguard Michael Recio intentionally violated the constitutional rights of a Jackson homeowner and tenant.

“That means that officer Recio and Mayor Melton in their own minds, in their own hearts comprehended what they did was wrong and took a course of action purposely with that in mind. This is the most exacting criminal state of mind. And so it really is a critical question and from the defense point of view it is what gives them some hope that they can beat these charges and be acquitted.”

The mayor and bodyguard are accused of directing a group of young men to use sticks and sledgehammers to destroy the home that sits just a few yards from where Jacqueline Houston attends church.

“He did not get the appropriate permission to actually go in and tear down someone’s home because regardless if it was, if it looked like it was abandoned or if it was drug infested, it was still a person’s home. Therefore he should have gone through all the right steps of getting approval to have the house torn down because he is trying to rid the city of crime. So I support him in trying to do that but I don’t support him in actually going tearing someone’s home down, because just think if it was yours or mine.”

The trial is expected to last two weeks For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.