Jerry Brown, who finished last in a three-person race for Tallahatchie County coroner in this year’s Aug. 8 Democratic Party primary, soon will have his day in court to present any evidence supporting his contention that election irregularities occurred.
The Mississippi Supreme Court last week designated retired circuit judge Albert B. Smith III of Bolivar County as a special judge to preside over a Sept. 20 hearing at the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Charleston to consider the merits of Brown’s case.
Brown, 51, a Charleston funeral director, claimed in an Aug. 31 document petitioning for judicial review that he has audio evidence that votes were tampered with.
“... I have text messages from a board member stating facts that cheating was transpired, I have witnesses that are willing to speak on my behalf concerning this election, and there were also candidates whom were related/closely affiliated to members of the resolution board and poll workers,” Brown’s letter noted.
He added, “I was a candidate who was very excited to enter into a fair and a professional election but instead, I entered into an election of corruptness and improperness.”
Brown asked for a “do over” of the coroner’s Democratic primary election “due to election manipulation.”
In that Aug. 8 primary, Brown received 28% of Tallahatchie County’s votes for the position — finishing just 132 votes out of second place — while incumbent Ginger Meriwether and challenger Anthony “Tony” Hawkins received 40% and 32%, respectively, and advanced to an Aug. 29 runoff. Hawkins ultimately won the party nomination with 53% of the vote.
