Friday, November 30, 2012, 12:42 pm News Flash Archive

Thursday, Dr. Arnold Smith filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Attorney General Jim Hood, District Attorney Willie Dewayne Richardson, and Assistant DA Timothy H. Jones, asking for an injunction against the State's prosecution of Smith for capital murder.

On the night of April 28, 2012, Keaira Byrd and Derrick Lacy entered the law office of Lee Abraham. AG investigators shot and killed Byrd, and wounded Lacy. Smith was arrested the next morning and charged with conspiracy to commit murder (of Lee Abraham) and capital murder for the death of Byrd. Police allege that Smith conspired with Byrd to kill Lee Abraham, and they produced a video tape in court which appears to support that allegation.

Smith has claimed all along that he cannot be charged with the murder of Byrd since the AG investigators, and not Smith, actually killed him.

Now Smith takes this claim to the federal courts, seeking an injunction prohibiting the District Attorney and the AG from prosecuting him for the capital murder. He also alleges that the DA failed to provide him with a timely arraignment, and proffered false testimony that he killed Byrd, when in fact the AG investigators killed Byrd.

Smith's federal complaint may be seen here: Arnold Smith v. Mississippi Attorney General et al.

Note that this complaint has attached to it a copy of the autopsy of Keaira Byrd, describing the 6 gunshot wounds in some detail.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

News Flash Archive