The Mississippi Bar has asked the state Supreme Court to immediately suspend Chokwe Antar Lumumba from practicing law. The move comes after Lumumba pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges, according to court filings.
Lumumba, who served two terms as Jackson’s mayor, is an attorney admitted to practice in Mississippi since 2008. The Bar’s request follows his involvement in a federal case related to accepting bribes from FBI informants to favor a downtown hotel project.
The Bar’s filing requests that Lumumba be suspended from practicing law in Mississippi and states that all legal costs associated with the complaint be charged to him. The court is the state’s highest authority for attorney discipline, with nine justices based in Jackson.
This request follows a similar petition the court received June 6 regarding Jody Owens, a former Hinds County district attorney also implicated in the same corruption case. Owens resigned and pleaded guilty to conspiracy, while Lumumba and another defendant, Aaron Banks, entered guilty pleas a week later.
The three former officials face sentences of up to five years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and probation. Their sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15. It is likely Lumumba will be disbarred, but the ultimate decision rests with the Mississippi Supreme Court.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
