Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Mayor Michelle Atoa

City of Jackson, Mississippi Communications Manager

Office: 601.960.1084 Officer of the Mayor
www.jacksonms.gov Office: 601.960.2378
Cell: 601.213.7635
matoa@jacksonms.gov
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 11, 2020

STATEMENT ATTRIBUTABLE TO JACKSON CITY

ATTORNEY TIM HOWARD
“The lawsuit “Melvin Williams v. City of Jackson” filed by plaintiff’s counsel Abby Robinson is
a blatant misuse of the legal system. Courts of law are not tools for bullies filing abusive and
unfounded lawsuits where the goal is not to win, but to intimidate and harass. A complaint
should be a short and plain statement to show that the plaintiff has a valid claim. Counsel’s
“statement” is more than 30 pages of inflamed rhetoric and baseless accusations. The lawsuit
amounts to a laundry list of legal terms cobbled together, accusing multiple individuals of
various unrelated imagined grievances, that reads like a sensationalized tabloid rather than a
court document. The case is without merit and is plainly a publicity stunt – undoubtedly filed
during the City’s election season. Counsel has been admonished in this same federal court for
previous baseless accusations, and it is disheartening that the court system is again being abused
as a ploy to mislead the public. It is my intent to refrain from making additional public comments
on this matter and to allow the Office of the City Attorney to aggressively defend the City’s
interests.”

- City Attorney Tim Howard

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