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My reporting for The Marshall Project has investigated Mississippi’s strained public defense system, explained harsh voting restrictions for people with felony convictions and highlighted the stakes of key judicial elections.

I’ve lived in the South almost my entire life and have written about Mississippi issues for over 10 years. I was previously a fellow with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network and the politics editor at the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Email cbedillion@themarshallproject.org
Twitter @CalebBedillion
Jackson April 8
Search Mississippi Criminal Justice Bills as They Move Through the Legislature
Use our interactive bill tracker to stay informed on changes to courts, policing, prisons and more.
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A collage shows black-and-white photos of a filing cabinet, a broken door with bullet holes and labels, a judge’s gavel, a sheriff’s car, and a White man wearing a suit with his right hand raised. Text from search warrants are layered on top of yellow shapes.
Jackson March 20
Mississippi’s No-Knock Raids Have Led to Death and Injury. Dozens of Warrants Lacked Clear Justification.
Some local courts have backed off approving no-knocks, but there are still no statewide limits on these dangerous types of raids.
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A photo shows an overview of the Mississippi Supreme Court floor. Eight justices sit in large leather chairs at a curved table, while a White man in a suit speaks from a podium near a round rug with the State Seal of Mississippi. People sitting at tables and benches opposite the justices are listening to the speaker.
Jackson November 20, 2024
How Mississippi’s Supreme Court Runoff Election Could Impact Criminal Cases
After the surprise defeat of one justice, the outcome of the Nov. 26 runoff between another justice and his challenger could change the court’s outlook.
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A collage shows black-and-white photographs of three Black men and excerpts from a court indictment document on a yellow background.
Jackson November 8, 2024
Despite Bribery Charges, Mississippi Prosecutor, Other Officials Can Remain in Office
Hinds County’s district attorney, Jackson’s mayor and a city council member were indicted on federal charges connected to scheme.
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A White man wearing a black T-shirt, a gray long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, holds a clipboard with a voter registration form. A Black woman wearing a light gray cardigan and holding a black purse, points at the registration form as they stand at the entrance of a building. People are standing in front of them in a line.
Closing Argument October 19, 2024
Voting Rights Confusion Keeps Formerly Incarcerated People from Casting Ballots
Even when they’re eligible to vote.
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A photo of John Cook, a White man with gray shoulder-length hair, a gray beard, glasses and a green shirt. Cook is looking into the distance while standing outdoors under a tree.
Jackson October 1, 2024
‘A Life Sentence.’ How Mississippi’s Forever Voting Ban Keeps Thousands From the Polls.
The state’s disenfranchisement law punishes people with nonviolent offenses, as reform fails in the Legislature and courts.
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An illustration of a Black man standing on one side of a scale, reaching up toward a ballot box on the other end of the scale.
Jackson July 24, 2024
Who Can and Can’t Vote in Mississippi: A Guide to the State’s Lifetime Voting Ban
This guide offers details about the state’s disenfranchisement laws and how you may still be able to vote from jail, even with a conviction.
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Jackson June 20, 2024
Mississippi Wants to Allow Some Votes From Jails and Prisons. Red Tape May Stop It.
A new state law will allow more people in jails and prisons to cast absentee ballots, but many obstacles remain.
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A collage shows a color photo of the exterior of a jail, with visible barbed wire, within the outline of Pike County. In the background are a map of Mississippi, text from federal filings and black-and-white photos of a water tower reading “Magnolia” and a “Prisoner loading and unloading only” sign.
Jackson May 2, 2024
Mississippi Lawmakers Considered Modest Public Defense Reforms. They Rejected All of Them.
With its refusal to impose oversight or consistent standards in local defense, Mississippi risks falling further behind the rest of the U.S., critics say.
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An illustration shows a Black man wearing a red jail jumpsuit and handcuffs standing next to a Black woman lawyer in a black skirt suit. Other defendants in jumpsuits sit around them, beside translucent outlines of lawyers.
Jackson February 22, 2024
This Mississippi Court Appoints Lawyers for Just 1 in 5 Defendants Before Indictment
Mississippi is known as one of the worst states for public defense. In one lower court, most defendants went without any lawyer before indictment.
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