Clarksdale, Mississippi (ECWd) –
A few days ago, a Mississippi Judge signed a restraining order which ordered the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial from its online locations, because the city of Clarksdale had filed a defamation suit against the newspaper in relation to the editorial.
The editorial criticized the Mayor and council members for holding a meeting about imposing a tax on marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco products without alerting the media ahead of time. The city claimed the editorial “chilled and hindered” their ability to lobby the state for these taxes.
The judge stated the injury to the public officials was defamation with actual malice that would interfere with their legitimate function of advocating for legislation.
A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for February 27, 2025.
FIRE has published a statement on this restraining order.
The Restraining Order can be found on X (here or below).
The Editorial can be found on the “WayBackMachine“.
Restraining Order Mississippi
