The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1946-10-31
Gan EditOrial)
An Outrageous Sentence
BY Major Frederick Sullens
Reprinted from the Jackson Daily News

Miss Hazel Brannon, crusading editor of the Durant News
and Lexington Advertiser. clever, captivating and courage 1
Gus, drew a $50.fine and 15-day Jail sentence in the Holmes
county circuit court Monday for alleged contempt of court.
The sole offense of Miss Brannon was questioning Hen
retta McAtee, state witness in a manslaughter trial, after
the witness had been examined, cross-eXamlned and excused
from the stand. Miss Brannon, in her regular course OF duty
as a newspaper writer, was checking up with the negress
in order to make clear several points in her testimony.
And for this enormous offense a brave, lionhearted young
woman who has been waging a splendid fight against the
reign of lawlesness in Holmes county, is treated like an
ordinary criminal and given a fine and jail sentence, both
suspended if she will be on good behaviour Tor a twoyear
period"
The press of the nation will glory in the spunk of Miss
Brannon for her refusal to accept the sentence, and the
case will be carried to the Supreme Court.
In a frank and straightforward statement to the court
Miss Brannon purged herself of the contempt charge by
saying she had no intention or desire to violate the rules OF
the court, and was wholly unaware that the ne gr was
still under the rule" or prohibited from talking. There was
no visible custody of the negress when Miss Brannon start
ed to question her.
Well, if Miss Brannon had no intention of being in con-
tempt of court last week just lots and lots of folks who have
watched her gallant battle against bootleggers, gamblers
and other law violaters in Holmes county are now thinking
she has just plenty of cause for cOntempt-much more con-
tempt than the English language is capable OF expressing.
In imposing sentence on the Holmes county editor Judge
Davis said:
II get no pleasure out of sentencing you. I sympathize
with you deeply, but you brought this on yourself"
81 know what it is to clean up Holmes county. l don't
think you can do it. I admire your spunk but l doubt your
strnge words, indeed, to fall from the lips of a jurist on
the bench.
Get the picture, if you please. and see what you think of
it.
Here is a brave young newspaper woman, almost single
handed, waging q. valiant battle to stamp out lawlessness
in a county where she gets no aid or encouragement what
ever from the duly constituted law enforcement officers and
a Judge sworn to maintain law and order tells her from the
bench:
II don't think you can do it. l admire your spunk but l
doubt your judgment"
Well, our first guess is that Hazel Brannon will keep on
~crusading for the restoration Of law and order in Holmes
county, even if a circuit judge discourages her effort to do
so-even tries to muzzle her with one Of those ridiculous
good behaviour" suspensions.
Inasmuch as the court saw fit to mention Miss Brannon's
crusade for law and order, which had nothing whatever to
do with her alleged offense in questioning a witness under
the rule" it looks like the court went out of its way to give
her q slap.in the face.
And, speaking as an editor who had a similar experience
with a circuit Judge only a few years ago, our second best
guess is that our Supreme Court, when Miss Brannon's
appeal comes UP for hearing, is going to slap the ears Of
that circuit judge right down under his toe nails.