Judge throws out charges against MS mayor & questions if case was ‘politically motivated’
Jackson County Justice Court Judge Danny Guice III on Wednesday dismissed allegations that Gautier Mayor Casey Vaughan was drunk and disorderly during a September concert at The Sound amphitheater.
During the short hearing, Vaughan’s attorney, Cameron McCormick, said the criminal affidavits filed in the case do not meet the standards for charging someone with misdemeanor public drunk and disturbing the peace.
Ward 4 Councilman Rusty Anderson’s wife, Linda Anderson, signed the affidavits when she met with Gautier police about the alleged wrongdoing during a Sept. 6 Sam Hunt concert at The Sound.
However, Gautier police did not pursue Vaughan’s arrest because they had to be present to witness the alleged wrongdoing to pursue the crimes.
Though Linda Anderson included a detailed narrative about what happened during the run-in with Vaughan, the judge said the allegation outlined in the affidavits did not support the misdemeanor offenses.
“We obviously believe this was politically motivated,” McCormick said during a probable cause hearing in Jackson County Justice Court.
If the judge found probable cause to allow the two charges to proceed against Vaughan, McCormick argued that it would encourage others to go to the police department to sign similar charges that would not stick despite police never pursuing any criminal action themselves.
In a statement released after the hearing, Vaughan said: “I am grateful for the court’s careful consideration and its commitment to upholding the integrity of our legal system. I remain fully dedicated to serving the people of Gautier with transparency, focus, and unwavering commitment, and I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen our community”
In addition, McCormick said the judge agreed “that the allegations did not meet the necessary legal standards” for charging someone with those crimes.
Prosecutor wanted charges to proceed?
In a public drunkenness case, officers must witness the offense to make the arrest. As for the allegation of disturbing the peace, the judge said everyone at the concert was likely disturbing the peace because of an ongoing outdoor concert.
Like Vaughan and his defense attorney, the judge said the allegations against Vaughan seemed to be “politically motivated” because they came as elections were approaching.
Jackson County prosecutor Lee Farragut tried to convince the judge that Linda Anderson had a right to her day in court and that if the judge saw and heard all the evidence, he would want the case to proceed.
But that didn’t happen.
Rusty Anderson believes the case‘s dissolution was planned before the hearing ever started. He also questioned whether the county prosecutor reviewed all the evidence they provided in the case.
Meanwhile, Vaughan said he was pleased with the outcome. He and his attorney planned to issue another statement later Wednesday.
The criminal allegations
Linda Anderson accused Vaughan of drunken and disorderly behavior that breached her peace during a September concert featuring Sam Hunt at The Sound amphitheater. She signed charges against Vaughn for disturbing the peace through disorderly conduct and public drunk.
Each offense carries a maximum sentence of up to $500 in fines and/or six months in the county jail.
According to an incident report, Anderson was sitting at the concert near Vaughan when the pair started arguing. Vaughan ended up “yelling at Linda regarding professional matters” about her expired business license.
Linda Anderson claims she held out her hand and told Vaughan “she was no longer going to talk and that he needed to return to sit with his family.”
As Vaughan was walking away, Linda Anderson alleged that Vaughn turned and yelled at her that he was “going to get you.”
Linda Anderson and her husband described Vaughan at the time as being “heavily intoxicated to the point at which he was spitting as he was yelling at Linda.” In addition, Linda Anderson said, the run-in was the second time that Vaughan had allegedly “verbally bullied” the couple during a concert at The Sound.
After the allegations came to light, Vaughan’s attorney released a statement on Vaughn’s behalf.
“We strongly believe these charges are politically motivated, as evidenced by numerous statements made by Councilman Anderson and his wife regarding Mayor Vaughan’s administration,” McCormick said in a release. “We also believe this action serves as an attempt to divert attention from Councilman Anderson’s own issues, particularly the public backlash he faced following a racist post on his social media account last summer. Rather than addressing those concerns, the focus has now shifted to politically charged accusations against Mayor Vaughan.”
Vaughan issued a statement before Wednesday’s hearing: “It’s unfortunate that, instead of working together to continue the progress we’ve made in growing Gautier, we are now forced to address politically motivated accusations. I remain focused on serving the people of Gautier and will continue to work toward our shared goal of making our city a vibrant and welcoming destination.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 2:30 PM.
