Mississippi Link Newswire
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith was arrested June 22, following a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and the FBI into allegations that Smith illegally advised or defended individuals charged with crimes, Attorney General Jim Hood announced.
Smith, 45, of Jackson, was arrested at his office by investigators with the Attorney General’s Office and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with six counts of violating Mississippi Code Section 97-11-3, a misdemeanor. That law states that the attorney general or district attorney shall not “consult, advise, counsel or defend” a person charged with a crime or misdemeanor.
The joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and FBI revealed that Smith violated Mississippi law related to his involvement with two different criminal defendants while serving as district attorney.
Smith was booked into the Hinds County Jail. If convicted, Smith could be removed as district attorney and prohibited from holding any other elected office or government position. Additionally, he faces a $500 fine.
“It is particularly sad to have to prosecute and seek removal from office a fellow prosecutor,” said Hood. “We greatly appreciate the hard work of the FBI on this case, and we hope to resolve this as soon as possible.”
During a press conference Wednesday evening, Attorney Chokwe Lumumba Jr. spoke in support of Smith.
“These charges do not meet the smell test,” Lumumba said. “They are politically motivated. These charges come from the same AG’s office, which mounted an attack to campaign against Robert and take the seat from him, so what they could not achieve by popular vote … they decided to design a scheme in order to attack him in a legal capacity.
As with all cases, a charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Smith responded to the charges in a press release from his office that can be found here 1DAstatement.
Be the first to comment