Does a Mayor Have a Right to Destroy a Crack House?

Here's yet another interesting story to come out of the state of Mississippi. The state that just keeps on giving us great news content.

Remember the "Cotton Picking Holiday" story from last week?

Well, now the mayor of a town is accused of doing something wrong. No, he didn't steal money or get caught on tape doing anything illegal. He supposedly is WRONG for leading a group of men to destroy an alleged crack house in the community. That may not seem like a big deal to you or me, but it is in Jackson, Miss. This is where Mayor Frank Melton is now on trial in federal court for violating the civil rights of the duplex's owner and tenant in 2006.

"This case is about government officials who took a sledgehammer to the Constitution, just as surely as they took it to Bubba's house," federal prosecutor Patricia Sumner said during opening arguments, referring to Evans Welch, who lived in the duplex.

But the funny thing about this case is that Melton really doesn't care. Melton, who has already been acquitted on state charges in the same incident, claims he was just keeping a campaign promise to root out crime in Mississippi's largest city. He does not deny damaging the home in August 2006. Melton has argued in court papers that drug dealers were bullying the tenant and using the site for drug distribution.

No matter what, Melton and his former bodyguard, Michael Recio, are facing three felony charges and a maximum 25-year sentence. Both have pleaded not guilty.

But, let me play devil's advocate for a moment. You have to admit that if you owned a home, you wouldn't want a public official coming in and destroying it no matter the reason. Of course, the other side of that argument is that it is time to get drugs out of black communities, period. Perhaps, having people come in a tear down these eyesores and havens for illegal crimes is a viable solution.

See the full story here.

It's now going to be up to a jury to decide, but what do you think?