Category: The Natchez Democrat

 

NATCHEZ — An Amite County Justice Court Judge found Millicent Graning guilty of misdemeanor trespassing on Tuesday.

Graning was arrested on March 29 by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office after a warrant for her arrest was signed and issued by Arnold on March 13.

Kevin Wilson filed an affidavit with Adams County Justice Court on Feb. 15, alleging Graning trespassed on his property at 19 Shieldsboro Lane in South Adams County.

Adams County Justice Court judges sent the issue to Amite County because of conflicts of interest.

Graning has attended several meetings of the Adams County Board of Supervisors and spoken against a proposed oilfield waste landfill. Wilson, who represents District 1 as a supervisor and who is president of the board of supervisors, owns about 400 acres of land on which the proposed landfill would be built if approved. He also is an owner of the company proposing to build and operate the landfill.

Shep Crawford, Wilkinson County prosecutor, prosecuted the case against Graning. He called Wilson to the stand as his only witness. Wilson testified Graning supplied the photos to the board of supervisors and invited others to go on to his property, which is posted against trespassing.

“Someone would have had to go on my land to take those pictures,” Wilson said. “They were all over my property.”

Wilson said he has more than $1 million in equipment on the property. He also said people hunt on his land and going onto the property could be dangerous for anyone trespassing on it.

“That’s the reason we are here. She invited others to go onto my property and take a look for themselves,” Wilson said.

Crawford said the state’s statute against trespassing also prohibits anyone from causing another person to trespass.

Graning was represented by Jackson attorney Madeleine Iles, who called no witnesses. In her cross-examination, Iles asked Wilson if he knew for certain that Graning took the photos. He responded that he did not, but that he knew who handed them out.

In her closing remarks, Graning said the burden of proof against Graning had not been met.

“We are here on the issue of trespassing. The issue before this court is if the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Millicent Graning herself trespassed on Mr. Wilson’s property,” Iles said. “We do not dispute that this is Mr. Wilson’s property. We don’t dispute that somebody took these pictures. But they have given no proof that these photos were taken by Mrs. Graning … As the court is well aware, the standard is proof beyond a reasonable doubt and doubt here is exponential. This is a massive leap.”

In rendering his guilty verdict, Arnold said Graning was “head over heels” involved with having the photos taken.

“Someone took these pictures. Ms. Graning has the pictures. She was into it head over heels. There’s no doubt in my mind. She knew what she was doing. She knew she had to get some pictures to present to the Board of Supervisors and the newspaper and she did whatever she needed to do to get the word out about this dump site,” Arnold said.

Arnold said he would convert the $500 bond Graning had posted to be her fine in this case, including court costs.

“Stay away from that property. Do not even get close to that property. That property belongs to this gentleman. He paid for it, and he has a right to say who goes onto this property and who does not,” Arnold said to Graning. “You cannot go and invite other people onto that property. You do not have the authority to invite them out there onto this gentleman’s land.”

Iles informed the judge she would be appealing the verdict on Graning’s behalf.

“We strongly disagree with the findings and we look forward to being back in court on appeal,” Iles said Tuesday afternoon.

The post Judge finds Natchez woman guilty of misdemeanor trespassing at proposed landfill site appeared first on Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper.

This article was written by The Natchez Democrat. To view the original article on the Natchez Democrat’s site, Click Here

 

VIDALIA, La. — The Concordia Parish Police Jury is hiring a private investigator based in Shreveport to investigate potential employee misconduct.

Ten minutes into the 6 p.m. regularly scheduled meeting, the Police Jury voted 8-0 to enter an executive session to discuss “employee/personnel conduct issues” in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 42:17, which is the exceptions to open meetings law. Police Juror Kenny Simpson was absent on Monday.

Executive sessions are closed to the public and to media and only certain topics are allowed for discussion, such as personnel matters and litigation.

The board returned to open meeting after the 15-minute executive session.

Police Juror Cornell Lewis, following the board attorney’s recommendation, moved to “engage Cecil Carter of Scientific Investigative Services of Louisiana, Inc. to perform an investigation into workplace misconduct” and authorize the Police Jury Secretary Ariella Carter to sign any documents to hire the investigator and President Collin Edwards to “execute any orders necessary to facilitate the investigation.”

The motion passed by a vote of 8-0 without further discussion and then the meeting was adjourned.

During the open meeting, the Police Jury opened and closed a public hearing on the adoption of an ordinance to provide for the sale of adjudicated properties that had been discussed at the Police Jury’s April 8 meeting.

No ordinance was approved after the public hearing and no comments from the public were made.

Wesley Johnson of E&P Consulting addressed the board on April 8 about adopting an ordinance that would allow for the sale of adjudicated properties.

However, Johnson said the ordinance would not bind the police jury to use the online platform or her services. A separate Memorandum of Understanding that the board would need to adopt would prepare the parish to use E&P Consulting and list adjudicated properties on a multi-parish website, louisianalandsolutions.com, for public viewing. Concordia Parish currently has 188 properties that are adjudicated.

No MOU has been approved yet by the police jury.

“The ordinance doesn’t name us (E&P Consulting) in there, so if you don’t like us, you can still use it and move on,” Johnsons said during the April 8 meeting. “The MOU is a cooperative agreement that says we’re going to use you, but there is no money that exchanges hands with that.”

In other matters, the board voted 8-0 to appoint Jessie Whitehead as a member of Concordia Recreation District #3 in the place of Greg Young. The board also approved travel for police jurors and the secretary-treasurer to attend Legislative Day from April 30 to May 1 in Baton Rouge.

The Police Jury also voted 8-0 to approve the road superintendent’s materials for work requests and purchase of four culverts for $6,177.88.

The post Concordia Parish Police Jury investigating possible employee misconduct appeared first on Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper.

This article was written by The Natchez Democrat. To view the original article on the Natchez Democrat’s site, Click Here