Clarksdale Press Registry: Mississippi’s city eliminates demand on the editorial that the judge ordered eliminated

CNN
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A city of Mississippi withdrew his lawsuit on Monday against a newspaper that his publisher criticized local leaders. caused generalized indignation Of the defenders of the first amendment.

The Board of Commissioners of the city of Clarksdale sought to dismiss its demand for defamation against the Clarksdale Press Registry, presenting the request moments after its Commissioner Board approved the measure.

The judge in the case must still dismiss his order that the editorial is eliminated from the newspaper’s website, which the city also asked him to do. Originally he had established a hearing for Thursday in the case.

“There is still very bad what they did and aroused the entire community of the first amendment nationwide, which is very encouraging,” said Wyatt Emmerich, president of Emmerich Newspapers, the newspaper company of the newspaper. “I am really excited to see how all these people gathered around us to protect our rights.”

Foreign Ministry Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued the restriction order against the press registration last week in relation to an editorial of February 8 entitled “Secret, Disception Erode Public Trust”. The article criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice on a meeting that the City Council celebrated with respect to a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.

The mayor of Clarksdale, Chuck Espy, told Associated Press that he asked the commissioners to leave the lawsuit due to an offer that Emmerich made to write a clarification. Emmerich, however, said that the offer was made before the lawsuit and order of the judge would be filed, and is “out of the table.”

The city’s request to the court does not mention the offer.

“I am very grateful that this matter is now resolved due to the efforts of the owner of Clarksdale Press Register and the city of Clarksdale,” Espy told the Board before he voted to leave the lawsuit. “I am grateful for the commitment.”

The newspaper owner had offered to clarify that the Council said that the lack of notification was not a deliberate attempt to hide the meeting, according to a text message that had sent to the city lawyer. The text was also offered to clarify that a sentence that questions if there was “community setback” should have said “back”.

The order was widely criticized by multiple media defense groups and freedom of expression, including the National Press Club and the Reporteros Committee for the Freedom of the Press.