Civil Rights Trial of Jackson Mayor Ends With Hung Jury

Mayor Frank Melton, second from left

The federal civil rights case against Jackson mayor Frank Melton and police bodyguard Michael Recio ended yesterday with a hung jury . But as MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports trouble may yet linger for the duo.

After five days of deliberations, Jurors in the case say they could not reach a unanimous verdict on either Mayor Frank Melton or police bodyguard Michael Recio.

“It’s been really difficult and I know I took it really seriously and we really wanted to return a verdict.”

Interpreting the law was the sticking point for a juror from Hattiesburg named Martha.

“There were twenty plus pages of instructions on the law and it was very difficult to wrap our heads around do I have reasonable doubts about the facts or do I have reasonable doubts about the law. Cause we, reasonable doubt, I’m not sure what the law is saying. I would says that’s maybe the hardest part of everything, figuring out what the law meant.”

The mistrial means Melton and his former bodyguard, Michael Recio still face civil rights charges related to their role in the 2006 sledgehammer destruction of a Jackson duplex, that the mayor suspected to be a crack house. Monday attorneys on both sides will meet with judge Dan Jordan about scheduling a new trial. Matt Steffy, professor of law at Mississippi College believes a plea deal is possible but not likely.

“The mayor has shown no particular interest in pleading this case nor has officer Recio. There’s no reason again to think that going forward unless there’s another deal on the table that he would be more eager to plead. But that’s a of course up to him after consulting with his lawyers.”

If during the course of another trial the men are convicted, both could spend up to 25 years in prison. It's a reality that Jackson City council president Leslie Mclemore didn't want to have to consider.

“I had personally hoped that the mayor would be exonerated, that he could walk away from this . the city of Jackson would no longer be in the news about the trial of our mayor.”

Melton and Recio both remain under a gag bond while they are free on bond. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.