Mayor And Bodyguards Plead Not Guilty
Outside the federal courthouse, a small but vocal contingent of supporters made their feelings known. They sang songs, preached and displayed banners; one apparently recycled from the previous trial which read “Mayor Frank Melton is not guilty, let us pray.”
One supporter, Marcus Pope said, “Do you want a crack house in your neighborhood?” Jonie Smith said, “…this should’ve never, ever happened. They’ve already been to trial once; they’ve been acquitted. That says it right there.”
Diehard supporters; convinced Mayor Frank Melton and company did the right thing. Whether a federal jury thinks so, remains to be seen.
If convicted, all three men face up to 10-years in prison each and up to 250-thousand dollars in fines. Mayor Melton maintains the Ridgeway duplex was a drug house.
Melton, Recio and Wright are out on unsecured bonds of 10-thousand dollars each. Judge Linda Anderson set the trial date for August 18th in Judge Dan Jordan’s court.
WLBT
7/16/8
Magnolia Tribune
