The state’s newspaper media association is opposed to a pretrial motion in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County that would seal the case files of an upcoming capital murder trial.

Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. is accused in the 2022 death of Jimmy “Jay” Lee. The defense team and the prosecution jointly filed the motion to seal the case. Circuit Court Judge Kelly Luther is expected to rule on the motion Thursday.

Leadership of the Mississippi Press Association objected to the sealing of pretrial records.

“Transparency in court proceedings is incredibly important to our system of justice, particularly in cases such as this,” said MPA President George R. Turner, publisher of The Greene County Herald. “When considering the guilt or innocence of citizens, we ask that the court proceed very carefully and ultimately err on the side of openness. Our system of justice calls for speedy, and open, trials.”

“We urge Judge Luther to heed calls to not seal these case records,” said MPA Executive Director Layne Bruce. “Prosecution teams work on behalf of the interests of the state, and for that reason, they should be open and accountable to citizens.”

As one of Mississippi’s oldest trade or professional associations, MPA represents over 100 newspaper and digital media organizations in the state.

 

Read more: https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2024/07/22/new-court-date-set-for-herrington-trial-jurors-will-be-brought-in-from-outside-county/