Friday, April 27, 2007

Vigilante justice Mississippi style...

Mississippi mayor is acquitted from all charges after he reportedly took a sledgehammer to a duplex which he thought was a "crack house."

I usually don't post twice, but this was just too good. I hadn't heard about this, but my roommate is from Jackson and filled me in. Apparently the mayor of Jackson walked up to this house, which he just "knew" was a "crack house," and with his bodyguards started demolishing the place with sledgehammers. Nuts. They arrest him and charge him with everything from burglary to conspiracy, and now he is acquitted of all charges. What does that say about Mississippt justice?

I mean, the image of a vigilante mayor wreaking havoc in the criminal underworld of Jackson, Mississippi is a little bit "wild west" for me. I can just see him walking up to a house, sledge hammer in hand, saying "the law has come back to town, boys." Like something out of Tombstone. Or better yet, why doesn't he just put on a batman mask and cape. As mayor is it not his duty to "uphold the rule of law" in his city. How does this sort of justice uphold that rule of law? If the mayor can take a sledgehammer to any house he thinks is a "crack house" what prevents him from instituting a terror-like rule and targeting innocent citizens to keep them under his control? It's extreme, but its the logical extension of allowing such behavior.

Apparently a Mississippi jury isn't afraid of that. Lets see what happens.

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