The FBI conducted a raid on a local prosecutor’s office and business in Jackson, Mississippi’s capital city on Wednesday. However, officials have not disclosed whether Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens is under suspicion for any wrongdoing.
FBI agents thoroughly searched a downtown Jackson cigar bar owned by Owens, dedicating several hours to the task. Additionally, they seized various items from his office within the Hinds County Courthouse.
According to Marshay Lawson, the spokesperson for the FBI’s office in Jackson, the reason behind the search is still undisclosed.
According to Lawson, the FBI is currently carrying out federal search warrants at various locations. He mentioned that the court has sealed the affidavit supporting these search warrants, which prevents him from providing any additional comments on the matter.
Owens also failed to disclose the purpose of the raid.
In a statement, the second-term district attorney revealed that earlier today, our offices were visited by FBI agents. It is important to note that we are fully cooperating with their efforts. Despite this unexpected visit, the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office remains fully functional and committed to serving the citizens of Hinds County.
Owens manages and is the sole owner of the company that operates the Downtown Cigar Co., which was also subject to a search by agents. Additionally, the business holds a state permit allowing it to serve alcohol as a bar.
According to WAPT-TV, as the searches continued at Owens’ office and business, two FBI agents paid a visit to Jackson City Hall and had a conversation with Mayor Chokwe Lumumba’s chief of staff. It’s worth mentioning that City Hall is located just across the street from the Hinds County Courthouse, where Owens has his office.
Before his election as district attorney in 2019, Owens served as the lead attorney in Mississippi for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal-leaning organization renowned for initiating legal actions related to civil rights. Owens campaigned as a champion of criminal justice reform, pledging to prioritize the prosecution of violent crimes while actively exploring alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders.
Jackson has faced a significant challenge in dealing with the highest murder rate in the country. Owens, on the other hand, has been granted additional funding from Republican lawmakers, enabling him to hire more prosecutors. In an effort to address the situation, Republicans have taken steps such as expanding the state-run Capitol Police, which is under the control of Republican Governor Tate Reeves, to cover the entire city of Jackson. Furthermore, they have established a state-run court system with appointed judges instead of elected ones.
Many Democrats argue that these actions signify a white takeover of a predominantly Black city and believe that allocating more resources towards crime prevention would be a wiser approach. Although the law was upheld in federal court following an NAACP lawsuit, the intensity of the dispute has somewhat subsided in recent months.
In 2022, the Capitol Police cited Owens for committing simple assault, a misdemeanor. According to the police, Owens allegedly pointed a gun at a man from Hattiesburg who was visiting a woman in a downtown Jackson apartment.
