Mississippi Today

Judge lets ex-Ole Miss student walk on attempted murder charge

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2023

A Union County judge has dismissed an attempted murder charge against a 24-year-old former Ole Miss student accused of stabbing a Tennessee man in the neck because the victim did not come to court.

Four days into the trial of New Albany resident Lane Mitchell, Judge Kent Smith dismissed the charge and entered a verbal order of acquittal, the Daily Journal reported.

As of Thursday afternoon, Smith had not issued a written order about his decision.

In 2019, then 18-year-old Mitchell was accused of stabbing Collierville resident Russell Rogers, who was unarmed, at the Tallahatchie Gourmet restaurant. In court documents and during trial, Mitchell said he stabbed Rogers because he believed Rogers had a gun and feared for the safety of his father, who was the bartender, and a female waitress.

After being indicted in 2019, Mitchell, who has high-profile political connections through U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, was admitted to Ole Miss and attended until 2020 before withdrawing over accusations he assaulted two women on campus, Mississippi Today reported from court records filed in the case. Those Ole Miss records also were uploaded onto the court’s online case system, although they were meant to be sealed.

Mitchell went on to attend Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tennessee, which held its graduation last week. Wicker and Kelly wrote letters of support for his application to West Point Military Academy.

The prosecution had subpoenaed records of the alleged assaults to use in trial, and the defense had asked the judge to exclude that information from trial, according to court records.

Judge Smith’s decision stems from a Tuesday motion by Mitchell’s defense team, which argued that Rogers’ failure to come to court violated Mitchell’s constitutional rights and prevented him from presenting a full defense, according to court documents.

“As part of Lane Douglas Mitchell’s defense, he has a fundamental right to question and cross examine Nathan Russell Rogers in the presence of the jury about his behavior at Tallahatchie Gourmet restaurant on February 9, 2019 which goes directly to the question of the reasonableness of Lane Douglas Mitchell’s actions and who was the initial aggressor,” according to a Tuesday court filing.

The defense also accused the prosecution and the victim’s conservator – his father, Robert Rogers – of not telling them Rogers was out of the country and likely not to come to the trial, which factored into an effort “to deprive Lane Douglas Mitchell of his constitutional, fundamental right ot a fair trial,” according to the Tuesday filing.

In response, the state said the rules of criminal procedure or state statutes don’t provide an avenue for a defendant to file a motion to dismiss in the middle of a trial, according to court documents. Prosecutors also denied the defense’s accusations.

The judge’s decision comes a day after Rogers’ conservator filed a writ of prohibition with the Mississippi Supreme Court asking that the court stay Mitchell’s trial.

In that request to the state Supreme Court, Robert Rogers cited a Tuesday court order from a Shelby County Probate Court judge quashing the defense’s certificate to take Russell Rogers into custody and bring him to the court to testify.

The judge also found Russell Rogers unfit to testify due to his mental health, according to court documents. Russell Rogers has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder arising from the attack.

On Wednesday, a three-person panel of the state Supreme Court declined to hear the conservator’s motion because he was not a party in the case, according to the order signed by Justice Leslie King.

Under double jeopardy, Mitchell cannot be prosecuted again, Judge Smith said Thursday.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.