Mississippi Judge Reverses Order to Remove Newspaper Editorial Criticizing City Officials

Clarksdale officials drop libel lawsuit following national backlash over First Amendment concerns.

A Mississippi judge vacated her previous order requiring the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial critical of city officials after widespread condemnation.
The editorial accused city officials of lacking transparency regarding a meeting on proposed taxes for alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, which the newspaper was not notified about in advance.
City commissioners initially sued the paper for libel, claiming the editorial was harmful and potentially misleading, but legal experts and press advocates called the lawsuit unconstitutional.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) agreed to defend the newspaper, highlighting that governments cannot sue for libel under U.S. law.
Following national outcry and criticism from free speech advocates, the city dropped the lawsuit, and the paper plans to restore the editorial after the judge's ruling is officially reversed.