OWNERS KEEP PROPERTY, VOW TO HELP KEEP CRACK DEALERS OFF SITE

The city of Hammond's first civil suit against owners of crack-infested
properties was a slam dunk Tuesday, with the defendants stipulating to the
charges that they allowed drug dealing on their premises.

Shedrick Conerly, 68, and his daughter, Lizette Jackson, 31, were the first
of many expected property owners the city plans to sue in 21st Judicial
District Court court following a five-month undercover drug sting earlier
this year.

Conerly and Jackson faced losing their home at 407 Washington Ave. for five
years under a civil statute that allows a city to pursue injunctions
against future drug activity.

District Judge Ernie Drake stayed the closure after Conerly and Jackson put
up their house as a $25,000 bond, promising to work with police in keeping
drug dealers off their property.

Drake interpreted the technical legal jargon in in-house attorney Doug
Brown's petitions for the defendants, who did not have an attorney. Conerly
and Jackson said they did review their charges with attorney Mack McCraney
on Monday.

"Did y'all understand all of that?" Drake asked after Brown read each
paragraph of the petition, translating the language into everyday terms.

After the defendants agreed to put their house up as a bond, Drake said,
"All right, folks, you know what that means? Keep them dopeheads away from
down there."

Afterward, Jackson said she planned to put up a fence around her home.

"We do not condone any of the activity that takes place there," she said.
"We simply have no control over it."

Jackson said she works during the day and that her father is rarely home,
leaving the property wide open for criminal activity.

She's worked with Hammond police in the past, she said but "they've never
been able to completely remove (the dealers) from our premises."

Brown and Mayor Louis Tallo, who attended the proceeding, said they were
glad Conerly and Jackson cooperated with the city.

"Nobody wants to kick anyone out of their homes, but we've got to get
serious about this problem," Brown said.

"It was good for all of us," Tallo said, adding that the city is willing to
work with the other property owners they plan to sue.

"This was the first. It's not going to be the last," he said.