A Mississippi judge ordered a newspaper to remove an editorial criticizing the mayor and city leaders after the officials sued, sparking complaints from press advocates that it violates the First Amendment.
https://x.com/adamsteinbaugh/status/1892226592937562612 ” data-image-caption=”
Click the preview image to read Judge Crystal Wise Martin’s Feb. 18, 2025, order.
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?fit=233%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?fit=780%2C1003&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?resize=780%2C1003&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-213018″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?resize=796%2C1024&ssl=1 796w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?resize=233%2C300&ssl=1 233w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?resize=768%2C988&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?resize=400%2C514&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1.jpg?w=933&ssl=1 933w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRO-Clarksdale-1-796×1024.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>Click the preview image to read Judge Crystal Wise Martin’s Feb. 18, 2025, order.
Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued the restraining order against the Clarksdale Press Register on Tuesday in connection with a Feb. 8 editorial titled “Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust.” The piece criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice about a meeting the City Council held regarding a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.
“I think it’s dangerous that a judge would issue a temporary restraining order without a hearing,” said Wyatt Emmerich, president of the paper’s parent company, Emmerich Newspapers. “We’ll fight it and see where it goes.”
The city’s lawsuit called the editorial libelous and said it “chilled and hindered” the city’s efforts to lobby for the tax with state legislators.
@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;}}
The editorial was no longer available on the newspaper’s website by Wednesday afternoon. Martin scheduled a Feb. 27 hearing in the case.
Mayor Chuck Espy, a Democrat, said the editorial unfairly implied that the city had broken the law with its meeting and cited another portion that questioned, “Have commissioners or the mayor gotten kick-backs from the community?”
“We’re all for the press doing their job. We’re all for as much transparency as possible,” he said. “Just tell the truth. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Policy Council Director Susan Rice, Congressman Bennie Thompson, MS CD2, City of Greenwood Mayor