The heat of the afternoon sun was only matched by the frenzy of media and protesters in downtown Jackson Wednesday as Mayor Frank Melton and his bodyguards Michael Recio and Marcus Wright arrived at the James O. Eastland courthouse for their first appearance since their federal indictment.
They were charged with federal civil rights violations for an incident that occurred in August 2006, in which the three men were involved in the act of damaging a house on Ridgeway Street. The mayor alleged that the house was a base for illegal drugs – “a crack house.”
All three men had no comments as they entered the courthouse.
While Melton, Recio and Wright were inside the courthouse, nearly a dozen protesters supporting Mayor Melton organized in front of the building. They claim that Melton was unfairly indicted for damaging a crack house.
One of the more vocal protesters was Clarence Bolls. “We support Mayor Melton 200 per cent,” said Bolls. “Just yesterday or today, you can go downtown on Ridgeway…they’re selling drugs down there hand over fist.”
Bolls said that Melton did not do enough when he damaged the house. “He should have come with a bulldozer with blue lights on…he should have started on Bailey Ave. and come on down Ridgeway because our neighborhood over there needs to be rehabbed and rebuilt,” he said.
The protesters held up large signs proclaiming Melton’s innocence and chanted. The largest sign held, by Bolls read: “Mayor Melton is not guilty, Let us pray.” He said the sign had been used when Melton was on trial in the state courts for the same incident. Melton was placed on probation in the aftermath of that trial.
According to reports, the mayor and his two bodyguards pleaded not guilty Wednesday before Migistrate Judge Linda Anderson. The three were also released on $10,000 bond each. They were told that they could not leave the state without permission, and they cannot carry firearms.
Migistrate Judge Anderson set Aug. 18 as the trial date for the trio.
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