A Mississippi judge annulled on Wednesday his order that a newspaper eliminated his publisher criticizing local officials, days after a city decided drop demand that stimulated him.
The judge’s order had been widely condemned For freedom of expression defends as a clear violation of the rights of the first amendment of the document.
Chancery judge, Crystal Wise Martin, had issued the restriction order against Clarksdale press record last week, telling him to eliminate an editorial of February 8 entitled “Secret, Disception Erode Public Trust” from its website. The article criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice on a meeting that the Board celebrated with respect to a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.
The Commissioner Board dropped the lawsuit on Monday at the request of Mayor Chuck Espy, who cited an offer from the newspaper owner to execute a clarification. However, the president of the newspapers of Emmerich, Wyatt Emmerich, said he made that offer before the city filed its demand and was no longer on the table.
Emmerich had offered to clarify that the Council said that the lack of notification was not a deliberate attempt to hide the meeting, according to a text message that Emmerich sent to the city lawyer. The text was also offered to clarify that a sentence that questions if there was “community setback” should have said “back”.
The city’s demand described the Libelous publishing house and said that “she cooled and hindered” the city’s efforts to press for the tax with state legislators. The newspaper and other critics of the ruling said the order was a clear example of previous restriction in violation of the first amendment.
The Order caused generalized criticisms of press groups and defenders of freedom of expression throughout the country, including the National Press Club and the Reporteros Committee for the Freedom of the Press. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression agreed to represent the newspaper in the Court.
