Press Advocates Outraged as Mississippi Judge Crystal Wise Martin Orders Newspaper to Remove Tax Meeting Editorial

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, AP News reported that a judge in Mississippi directed a local newspaper to take down an editorial that criticized city officials, prompting concerns from press freedom supporters. Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued a temporary restraining order against the Clarksdale Press Register on Tuesday, following a lawsuit filed by the mayor and city leaders.

The editorial, published on February 8 under the title “Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust,” questioned the city’s decision to hold a meeting about a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco without notifying the newspaper.

The lawsuit from the city claimed the editorial contained false statements and interfered with efforts to promote the tax to state lawmakers. By Wednesday afternoon, the piece was no longer accessible on the newspaper’s website. Judge Martin set a hearing for the case on February 27. Wyatt Emmerich, president of Emmerich Newspapers, which owns the Press Register, expressed concern about the judge’s decision to issue the order without a prior hearing and vowed to challenge it.

Mayor Chuck Espy defended the city’s stance, stating that the editorial wrongly suggested illegal activity related to the meeting and included a line questioning whether the mayor or commissioners had received improper benefits. He emphasized the city’s support for transparency and the press but urged the newspaper to report accurately.

Press freedom advocates quickly condemned the judge’s order. Layne Bruce, executive director of the Mississippi Press Association, called it a significant overreach that undermines constitutional protections. Lisa Zycherman, vice president of legal programs at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, labeled the action as censorship and a clear breach of First Amendment rights. Both organizations voiced strong backing for the newspaper’s right to cover and comment on local government matters.

The incident echoes other recent efforts to curb media outlets. In 2023, a Kansas police department searched a newspaper office and the home of its publisher, alleging crimes tied to accessing a business owner’s driving record. That raid led to an investigation, and the former police chief involved now faces charges of obstruction of justice.