A federal judge is allowing the trial to be delayed for three public officials in Jackson wrapped up in a federal corruption scandal surrounding a proposed real estate development in Mississippi’s capital city.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III ruled in favor of a joint continuance motion filed by prosecutors and defense attorneys representing Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, calling the case against the three “complex.” All three elected officials have maintained their innocence since the case against them was announced.
Last week, lawyers on both sides of the case sought the court’s approval in pushing back the upcoming January 6, 2025 trial date, arguing that there was not enough time to review evidence for the discovery phase of pretrial proceedings.
Specifically, both parties are looking to efficiently deliver such a large quantity of discovery materials to the defense. Defense attorneys vouched that it could take months for them to prepare for trial after receiving all the necessary documents from the prosecution.
The judge considered the contentions of both sides and granted a continuance with new dates to be set in a separate order after all parties confirm how many days will be needed for the trial. Attorneys on both sides have two weeks to submit this information.
“Considering that all parties see the case as complex (which it is) and need more time to prepare, the Court specifically finds that ‘the ends of justice served by taking such action outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant[s] in a speedy trial,'” a portion of the Judge Jordan’s ruling reads.
Owens, Lumumba, and Banks recently pleaded not guilty to an array of federal charges as part of a bribery investigation by the FBI.
Owens, along with his cousin and local businessman Sherik Marve Smith, is said to have orchestrated a bribery conspiracy to ensure two real estate developers (actually FBI informants) would be awarded a contract to construct a facility adjacent to the city’s convention center. As part of the alleged scheme, approval from the city council was promised to the informants posing as developers.
Owens, Smith, Lumumba, Banks, and former Councilwoman Angelique Lee all allegedly accepted bribes from the ‘developers.’ While Lee and Smith fessed up to their involvement in the ordeal, Owens, Lumumba, and Banks have maintained their innocence amid a combined 17 charges ranging from conspiracy to bribery to racketeering.
Rumblings of a federal investigation into the defendants initially surfaced when FBI agents raided businesses owned by Owens, along with paying a visit to City Hall. Since then, court documents allege that Owens, Lumumba, and Banks were involved in illegal under-the-table activities in which tens of thousands of dollars were exchanged for using their positions to move the proposed real estate project across the finish line.
Owens has accused prosecutors of using “cherry-picked statements of drunken locker-room banter” against him while Lumumba has criticized the charges against him as a form of “political prosecution.”
In the meantime, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes has urged the mayor to take a paid leave of absence and allow Jackson’s chief administrative officer, Louis Wright, Sr., to serve as the city’s top official on an interim basis.
