More On The Open Carry Fiasco In Mississippi

The attempt to stop HB 2 – the Mississippi law that defines “concealed” – from coming into effect is looking more and more like a fiasco. By defining concealed, HB 2 clarifies open carry as allowed under the Mississippi Constitution.

A case in point. One of the named plaintiffs, Hinds County District 4 Constable Jon Lewis, says his name was added to the initial complaint without his permission or consent.

From Y’All Politics:

Representative Andy Gipson sent me a text yesterday at 1:00 stating there would would be a press conference about HB2 at 1:30. I decided to attend and show my support for the legislation. After the news conference WAPT’s Erin Kelly asked me about my position on the issue. I told her I supported HB2. She asked if I were a party to the suit and I told her no but other Constables were. She said my name was on it. I discovered to my surprise indeed it was.

I angrily called attorney Lisa Ross’ office and asked for her to call me (she is the Attorney who filed and signed the case). A few minutes later she called and told me she had my name removed and it was a mistake. I told her “Great, but the damage has been done.” along with a few other choice words. I asked her why she did this and she said my name was on a list. I asked her “what attorney takes on a client without his written permission.” She again said it was her mistake and she removed from the case. I consider this lawyering at its worst. I promptly went the Mississippi Bar Association and picked up 3 complaint forms for each attorney involved.

 You would think that a lawyer who had been in practice for 19 years and who had gone to a top 50 law school (University of California Hastings College of Law) wouldn’t be making such amateur mistakes. I guess in her case that ideology has gotten in the way of good legal practice.

Dave Hardy at Of Arms and the Law blog posted about the case yesterday. He considers their temporary restraining order as “bunk” and then proceeds to pick apart their whole initial motion for a TRO. He concludes with this.

Who drafted this pile of offal? Can officers of a county (which is
generally a subdivision of the State) sue the State? Isn’t that a
little like the City Planner suing the city because he doesn’t like the
zoning plan?

If attorney Lisa Ross who drafted both the initial motion and the response to the Mississippi Supreme Court is considered the best legal draftsperson of the legal team involved, then what does that say about District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Jody Owens?

Nonetheless, a three judge panel of the Mississippi Supreme Court yesterday declined to stay the Temporary Restraining Order issued by Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd. Their order said they were denying the state’s request on procedural grounds and expressed “no opinion respecting the merits of the matter pending before the circuit court.”

Judge Kidd will be holding a hearing on the case on Monday, July 8th. It is still expected that the case will eventually be appealed one way or another to the Mississippi Supreme Court.