CONVICTION SHOWS SYSTEM CHANGE

A Forrest County Circuit Court jury's verdict Tuesday that Kado James
Jackson possessed enough cocaine to be convicted as a drug dealer - less
than four months after his arrest - sends a message that the county's
justice system has changed, said the head of the regional narcotics task force.

"This is the quickest turnaround time between arrest and trial that I can
remember," said Capt. Glen Moore, director of the Forrest-Perry Metro
Narcotics Task Force. "It looks like the system is working."

The jury deliberated three hours before convicting Jackson, 34, on
possession of nearly three pounds of cocaine. The possession was within
1,500 feet of a church, which enhances the penalties.

Forrest Circuit Court Judge Bob Helfrich will sentence Jackson later this
week. He faces up to 60 years in prison. Helfrich doubled James' bond to $1
million in late November because of the amount of cocaine seized in the arrest.

"We had so few cases that went to trial that defendants learned that if
they just waited a couple of years their cases would either be dismissed or
their sentence greatly reduced," Moore said.

Critical problems in the Forrest County justice system were outlined in a
series of Hattiesburg American reports beginning in January. The newspaper
investigation, which began in late 2002, showed a court system with a
backlog of nearly 1,000 cases between 1996 and 2002. In July,
newly-installed Forrest-Perry District Attorney Jon Mark Weathers found
files showing more than 1,500 defendants had not had their cases presented
to a grand jury.

The newspaper report also found that the court system failed to prevent the
bonds of more than 1,000 defendants from expiring in the last five years.
More than $5.2 million in bail bonds were allowed to expire between 1996
and 2000, a search of public records revealed.

Moore said actions now by the court boost the morale for law enforcement
officers.

"It means that when we make an arrest now, the court system will follow
through on their part," Moore said. "It means that the cases will not be
stuffed in a drawer somewhere and forgotten."

Moore believes the actions by the court will go a long way toward
convincing defendants to take the tougher sentences offered.

"We're going to have justice a lot more quickly and so it will do no one
any good to try and wait it out hoping for a dismissal," Moore said.