SHERIFF BYRD BUSTED

OCEAN SPRINGS -- Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd left the Ocean Springs Police Department at 2:30 p.m. in a black Mercedes, driven by one of his attorneys. Attorney Ben Galloway pulled into a police parking garage and police closed the door, so Byrd would be able to leave without walking past the media.
A special judge set his bond at $31,000, $1,000 on each count and he will be released soon.
Jackson County judges are expected to recuse themselves from the case.
Byrd entered the Ocean Springs Police Department around 1 p.m., right behind chiefs from all the city Police Departments in the county.
He went in behind locked doors with his Gulfport attorneys Joe Sam Owen and Ben Galloway.
Byrd was wearing civilian clothes, not his police uniform. A parade of media followed him.
At around to 1:20 p.m. all the police chiefs left and 30 minutes later released a press packet with the charges and a statement from District Attorney Tony Lawrence, who had presented the case to the grand jury.
Pascagoula Police Chief Kenny Johnson told the Sun Herald that the city police chiefs all came to Ocean Springs, so that one police jurisdiction would not have to handle Byrd's arrest.
"We decided to do it together so no one would have to shoulder the burden alone," Johnson said.
In his statement, Lawrence reminded the public that an indictment is a charge and that Byrd is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Jackson County Circuit Clerk Joe Martin said, earlier in the day, there is no mechanism for removing a public official who is indicted from office.
"Until you plead guilty or are found guilty, you are innocent," Martin said.
If Byrd were to leave office, it would fall to the Jackson County Board of Supervisors to appoint a replacement.
Board President Mike Mangum, at noon today, said Byrd has not indicated to county officials that he would leave office.
"He runs his office the way he wants to," Mangum said. "So it's business as usual."
Byrd's attorney, Owen, confirmed this morning that Byrd had no plans to resign.
For more details, stay with sunherald.com.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/08/30/4913721/jackson-county-sheriff-mike-byrd.html#storylink=cpy

Third World City

Vicksburg will remain in 3rd world status as long as local "mom & pop" businesses of  all types continue to resist "new" progressive businesses from establishing a toe hold here for fear they might cut into there comfortable profits margin. They fear Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Chili"s and Friday's to name a few. The same mentality exist in the bail bond industry in this city. The pie is big enough for all to share, this is how you grow. 

Wisconsin back among bail states

Well, it look like commercial bail will be allowed back in Wisconsin.  After over 30 years of no existence in the state, bail bondsman will be allowed to operate in five counties in Wisconsin.  On June 5, 2013 a republican-backed bill added the proposed budget by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.  These five counties will be a part of a pilot program that will remain in effect for five years.  After those five years, and if the program is successful, commercial bail will be allowed in the rest of the counties.
Supporters of the proposal, led by the American Bail Coalition, said that bondsmen would make government more efficient by ensuring more defendants make their court date. They say that’s why nearly every state has some form of bail bondsmen.
New bail bond agents will have to pay an agent fee of $1000 and also meet the state requirements for licensure.
The five counties in this pilot program are: Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha
With the cities of Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha

Bobby Bland dies at 83

Bobby “Blue” Bland, a distinguished singer who blended Southern blues and soul in songs such as “Turn on Your Love Light” and “Further On Up the Road,” died Sunday. He was 83.

Rodd Bland said his father died about 5:30 p.m. Sunday due to complications from an ongoing illness at his Memphis, Tenn., home surrounded by relatives.

Bland was known as the “the Sinatra of the blues” and heavily influenced by Nat King Cole, often recording with lavish arrangements to accompany his smooth vocals. He even openly imitated Frank Sinatra on the “Two Steps From the Blues” album cover, standing in front of a building with a coat thrown over his shoulder.

Vicksburg PD, in need of an overhaul?

Ok, Flaggs is in, h's to be sworn in June 30 and resigns the legislature the same day. Now question is what will he do as far as our Police department. Is an overhaul in order or what? Do we continue with......inconsistent policies, the ship without clear cut direction.

Maryland Senate Passes Gun Control Bill

A gun control measure backed by the governor made it through the state Senate, and supporters say it will make Maryland's already strong weapons laws some of the toughest in the nation. Opponents decried the bill as an erosion of Second Amendment rights.

The measure, which passed 28 to 19, has a licensing requirement for handgun buyers to submit fingerprints to state police. The provision is intended to reduce the number of guns purchased by a friend or family member of someone who is not allowed to own a gun. All of the supporters were Democrats. Seven Democrats and all 12 Senate Republicans voted against the measure.

The "Real Characters Of Vicksburg"....

Reality Show producers you are overlooking a hit TV series, guaranteed to be bigger than any "reality show" on TV. Just pack up your cameras and bring them to Vicksburg Mississippi and start filming.    

Bail Bond List Lawsuit Brews

In the fiercely competitive bail bond world, nothing draws more controversy than the bail bond list provided to inmates by jail administrators. Unlike Mississippi, Arkansas has statutes detailing how the “list” is compiled. The Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, Arkansas reports that a lawsuit has been filed after a bail bond company’s name dropped from first to third on the county list. The Arkansas law requires bail bond companies to be listed at jails “in the order in which they register with the clerk” and specifies that the order “shall not change from year to year.” The clerk said she did some research and learned that the order of the list — which she inherited from her predecessor — did not exactly reflect the order in which companies filed their licenses with the clerk’s office, so she revised it. Bob Cole Bail Bonds, who had been first on the county list since 1989, filed an injunction, stating that he was being hurt financially because of the changes. A temporary injunction was granted and the court will hear the case in a few months.

STORM DRAIN COVERS FOR SALE?????

A reflection of times in Vicksburg is this article in the Vicksburg Post:

Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 11:19 am | Updated: 1:41 pm, Thu Jan 31, 2013.

A man tried to sell another stolen city storm drain cover at Vicksburg Recycling on North Washington Street Monday, Vicksburg police Capt. Bobby Stewart said.
He said company employees called police, but the man left the business before officers arrived. He said police are looking for the man, who will be charged with a misdemeanor because the value of the cover was $200

If its illegal to drive on the wrong side of the street, why is it OK to park on the wrong side of that same street.......huh Vicksburg?

If a bail agent is arrest and later indicted on felony charges, should that agent continue to have other arrested individuals released on bond posted by that agent, while that agent his or her self is in fact on bond awaiting trial. This is interesting.

The question is will he run or will he pass......and this is not a football question Vicksburg.

Vicksburg Mayor's race is on. First out of the block is Linda Fondren and Gertrude Young.....very interesting.

The supervisors aren’t bad guys. They just aren’t effective.

Annexing the county would be a great way to decrease our tax burden and improve services. With the effectiveness of this administration we could also fill up those factories again, get decent fire protection and have all of Warren County on the same path. Currently we have two paths, one going up and beyond, the other stuck in the muck.

There is a legal issue that would have to be clarified. If we go with one government in Warren County it is my understanding that the County Board would be the governing body. That needs to change. Seems like I have seen somewhere on this board an idea about having four supervisors and a mayor. Each supervisor would have part of the city and part of the county in their area. Makes sense to me.

Vicksburg is ready for new leadership. Question is who will step up to the plate.