Jonesboro Mayor Leslie Thompson interviewed by phone with Mr. Tony Brown on the “Eyes Open” Radio Show in Alexandria, LA from his dining room early this morning, and described his side of the events leading up to his arrest.  The mayor also discussed the actual definition of ‘simple battery’ according to his attorney Carol P. Lexing who used to serve as an assistant district attorney. A portion of the embattled mayor’s interview is included in the video here:

Mayor Thompson concluded his interview with Mr. Brown by letting it be known this is not just a Jonesboro issue but a national one, and that another application for an appeal is being made based on an unfavorable court decision just handed down by the Second Judicial District Court Judge Jennifer Clason.

The Motion To Quash issue Mayor Thompson’s attorneys Carol P. Lexing and Louis G. Scott were dealing with in court the day Thompson was arrested had to do with the District Attorney Jonathan Stewart’s decision to allow Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown’s investigative team to raid Mayor Thompson’s offices back in March of this year with no crime or probable cause being clearly defined.

At the close of the radio show interview with Tony Brown, Mayor Thompson remarked as follows:

“It’s a cry out on my part for all the decent people. The outrage that our community is experiencing right now is by no means a stretch of the imagination in only the Black community.  Both Black and White alike are tired of what we’ve been having to go through.  We are really, really tired, and we appreciate your show in that we can get the word out so that folk just don’t see this as a Jonesboro problem.

This is not a Jonesboro problem, this is not a Jackson Parish problem; this is a problem that we’re having not only in the State of Louisiana but all over the country.  And now that the Court of Appeals has opted to hear our case, that is a major victory for us. (See article here.) It says that they found appellate merit in what we submitted. We’re looking forward to them overturning the previous deal, and I want folk to know about our day in court the other day, while they ruled against us, our claim was against the Sheriff (Andy Brown) and the District Attorney (Jonathan Stewart) in that they didn’t have probable cause to raid my office.

My lawyer asked over and over ‘What was the crime?’ and because nobody could articulate a crime, then this too goes to the appellate court and we’re asking is it okay for mayor’s offices, Black elected officials or just your personal home to be raided without any crime specifically being identified with the hope of being able to put something together based on what you find?”

Mr. Tony Brown vowed to assist in any way possible and suggested that the onslaught of frivolous lawsuits and criminal charges be dealt with in a class action manner.  The Jackson Parish NAACP President Windy Callahan also interviewed on the Eyes Open Radio Show this morning and said that Stringer is part of a group that is trying to remove the mayor by any means necessary.

Ms. Callahan said, “Let me be clear on this:  The mayor will be there until the citizens of Jonesboro declare that they no longer want him to serve in that capacity.”  She also encouraged listeners to participate in the drive to increase NAACP membership and reminded them that their voices can be heard at the polls, but only if they are registered to vote.

Mayor Thomson said “We’ve gotten calls from all over the United States, and we just can’t express how loved we feel.” Mr. Tony Brown’s ‘Eyes Open’ radio show interview with Ms. Callahan and the first portion of Mayor Thompson’s interview are available by clicking here:

 Stay tuned for information on the upcoming rally.

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