A Mississippi judge has ordered a newspaper to remove an editorial that criticized city officials
A Mississippi judge ordered the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial that criticized city officials for not informing the public about a tax increase hearing. Judge Crystal Wise Martin ruled without a hearing, citing defamation against public figures with actual malice and reckless disregard for the truth. The newspaper complied by removing the editorial. Mayor Chuck Espy supported the decision, stating the newspaper couldn't spread malicious lies without consequence, though specifics of what was false weren't clear. Press freedom advocates criticized the order as unconstitutional and ironic, given the editorial's focus on government secrecy. This case is part of a broader trend of prior restraint against the media.
