In what appeared to be normal ‘in the hallway’ city business turned out to be anything but. In fact Jackson City Councilman Frank Bluntson said it was ‘abnormal.’
“I honestly thought this was a proclamation or a resolution, I saw a document with my name on it-on one side of a sheet of paper- and I signed it. I sign documents from Councilman Stokes all the time,” Bluntson said. “I was tricked.”
What Bluntson signed was a lawsuit leveled against the city.
Stokes filed the suit, known as a “bill of exceptions,” last month asking the Hinds County Circuit Court to force the city to pay for an attorney to investigate The Clarion-Ledger. Stokes had asked for legal help after the newspaper published articles about questionable out-of-town trips he had taken at taxpayer expense; but the council turned him down by a 5-2 vote.
Bluntson said Stokes misrepresented what the document was and insinuated it was for routine city business. “He said, ‘Mr.Bluntson I need you to sign this.’ I saw my name and title on it, so I signed it, just like I do all the time,” he said.
In a motion filed last week in Hinds County Circuit Court, Deputy City Attorney Richard Davis asked a judge to toss out Stokes’ request, calling it “fatally defective.”
Bluntson said he’s also ‘extremely upset that a lawyer who is representing Stokes would say he signed documents in front of him.’
“I don’t know Alkebu-lan and for him to say that I signed a document in front of him is shameful,” Bluntson said. “What about the oath of office that lawyers take, this guy should be ashamed of himself. I wouldn’t know him if he was standing right in front of me.”
Bluntson said this was a ‘lesson learned.’
When asked, based on recent developments, why he would sign something from Stokes without reading it, Bluntson said, “never again.”
“The citizens of Jackson have my commitment that I am going to read everything that is presented to me and get a full understanding of what it is,” he said. “We are here to conduct the business of this city and that is what I plan to do and that is what is expected from us.”
Bluntson also referenced Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba, who was the only other person to vote with Stokes to hire a lawyer.
“I can’t wrap my brain around why Chokwe would go along with suing himself,” Bluntson said. “Man, this is more than amazing to me.”
Lumumba, who is also an attorney, shares an office with Alkebu-lan and at press time was also serving as one of Stokes’ attorneys.
Our efforts to reach Lumumba before press time were not successful. However, he told The Clarion Ledger last week that ‘he was looking into the filing and may withdraw as one of Stokes’ attorneys.’
A separate motion filed by the city, asked that both Lumumba and Alkebu-lan be removed from the lawsuit and alleges both violated the professional code of conduct for attorneys for their actions.
Efforts to reach City Attorney Peter Teeuwissen were not successful.
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