Special to The Mississippi Link,
“I was born and raised in Jackson, I am an Independent candidate and I am running for Hinds County District Attorney,” said Attorney Darla Mannery Palmer in a statement to The Mississippi Link.
She went on to say, “I am a native of Jackson, for nearly fifty-six (56) years and I won’t pretend that I am not concerned about the level of violent crime in MY HOMETOWN and county. We are in a CRISIS.”
As a criminal trial lawyer for over half her life, namely 25 years, Palmer said she sees the behavior of the accused who are often African American, and she hears the voices of the victims who also are often African American, but having no choice in the decisions made by the accused. She stated, “Unfortunately, Hinds County, we are all affected,” she writes.
In 2019, Palmer ran as a Democratic candidate for district attorney. A few weeks after she qualified to run, her father, Herman L. Mannery, died. She said it was difficult to continue. “Yet, my gracious support of over 12,000 votes, made me realize that the position of district attorney is not about a political party; it’s about the unification of Hinds County behind a committed, experienced, person of integrity. Party doesn’t matter in this job. Everyone in Hinds County should know the qualifications of and what their district attorney stands for and then vote for that person in November 2023. That’s why I run now in 2023 as an Independent,” she stated.
Palmer was educated in the Jackson Public System, graduating from Callaway High School, number ten in her class. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and an M.B.A. from Jackson State University. She received a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and has been licensed to practice law in the state of MS since September 30, 1997.
Palmer went on to state, “I am a highly experienced trial and courtroom attorney having worked as a prosecutor for the Town of Edwards, represented the State of MS Child Support Enforcement Division of the MS Department of Human Services, represented the City of Jackson in the City Attorney’s Office, represented private clients, and acted as a Rankin County Public Defender; owner of the Mississippi Expungement Center.
She said, if elected, she plans to:
1. Bring back respect for doing what’s right in Hinds County
2. Prioritize the prosecution of violent crime like homicides, armed robberies, kidnappings and aggravated assaults in Hinds County
3. Go to the school systems throughout Hinds County and explain the punishment for committing crimes
4. Treat every case fairly regardless of the person’s position in the community
5. Move the hundreds of cases of people who are sitting in the Hinds County Detention Center
6. Bring law enforcement throughout the county on the same page as the District Attorney’s Office
7. Create alternative sentences for first offenders, drug offenders and the mentally ill in Hinds County.
“Hinds County, the time is now to stop the violence and it starts with the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. This office sets the tone for crime in our county and it is responsible for bringing together law enforcement, the prosecutors and the judges all on one accord to protect our citizens. I thank my previous supporters of 2019 and I look forward to going to every corner of Hinds County in 2023 to spread the message of unity,” said Palmer.
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