Jackson’s mayor, a city councilman and a local district attorney who all face charges in a high-profile federal bribery investigation will go to trial in the summer of 2026.
During a March 7 court hearing at the Thad Cochran Courthouse in Jackson, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi Judge Daniel P. Jordan set the trial date for Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens for July 13, 2026, attorney Carlos Tanner confirmed to the Mississippi Free Press on March 7.
Tanner, who represents Banks, told the judge that while he understood “the need for a speedy trial,” he was “advocating for a fair trial” for his client, WLBT reported on March 7.
The trial will start with jury selection and is expected to last 5 to 6 weeks, Tanner said.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 99px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 99px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}
Lumumba remains a candidate for reelection this year as mayor, seeking his third term despite the charges. Prosecutors allege that he accepted $50,000 in campaign donations from undercover FBI agents in exchange for using his position as an elected official to influence a city contract.
Angelique Lee speaks at a Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign rally at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Monday, June 18, 2018, calling out for lawmakers and statewide elected officials to address education more fully. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) ” data-image-caption=”
Former Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee pleaded guilty to a federal crime for conspiracy to commit bribery hours after resigning on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis/File
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt=”Closeup of a woman in a yellow top speaking at a mic” class=”wp-image-46089″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Angelique-Lee_AP18169798090217_AP-PhotoRogelio-V.-Solis-File-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>Former Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee, who represented Ward 2, resigned abruptly on Aug. 14, 2024, before pleading guilty to one federal count of conspiracy to commit federal
Read original article by clicking here.