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Michael Guest on Crime
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Oversaw prosecution of 20,000 felony criminal cases
Michael Guest, currently serving as the District Attorney for Madison and Rankin Counties for the past 10 years, has worked closely with the law enforcement community by training numerous state and local law enforcement officers.
Since 2008, District Attorney Guest and his office have prosecuted 20,000 felony criminal cases, supported law enforcement agencies by providing them with more than
$20 million dollars in money recovered from drug dealers, and successfully recovered more than $3.5 million dollars in the bad check unit to help local merchants and businesses.
Prior to becoming District Attorney in 2008, he served for 12 years as an Assistant District Attorney.
Source: Ballotpedia 2018 House biographical submission: MS-3
, Sep 9, 2018
Involved with Court debt collecting company
Since 2002, Guest has served as president of Mississippi Court Collections Inc. (MCC), which collects delinquent court fines and fees in at least 20 counties across the state. In recent years, civil rights advocates in Mississippi have argued that
municipal courts' charging of fines and fees for low level offenses has created a modern version of debtors prisons, where people who can't afford to pay their fines languish behind bars.
Source: The Marshall Project blog on 2018 MS-3 House race
, Feb 7, 2018
Keep existing rules for police accountability.
Guest voted NAY George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
This bill addresses policing practices and law enforcement accountability:
- lowers the criminal intent standard--from willful to knowing or reckless--to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution,
- limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer, and
- grants administrative subpoena power to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in pattern-or-practice investigations.
Rep. Elise Stefanik in OPPOSITION (3/1/21): I voted against H.R. 1280--this bill poses a grave danger to law-abiding police officers, as it would eliminate qualified immunity protections, lower the standard for federal civil rights lawsuits, and limit access to necessary equipment during emergencies and natural disasters. Democrats rushed this bill to the House Floor without accepting any input from Republicans, expert testimony, or significant data. I am proud to sponsor the JUSTICE Act with Senator
Tim Scott, to provide necessary reforms to end police brutality while protecting our law-abiding officers.
OnTheIssues explanation of "qualified immunity": "Qualified immunity" means that police officers (and other government officials) cannot be sued for actions on duty, unless knowingly taking unreasonable actions. This bill would limit "qualified immunity," which means the family in cases like George Floyd's could sue the police for civil damages.
Biden Administration in SUPPORT (3/1/21): We must begin by rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the people they are entrusted to serve and protect. We cannot rebuild that trust if we do not hold police officers accountable for abuses of power and tackle systemic misconduct--and systemic racism--in police departments.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 220-212-0 on March 3, 2021, rollcall #60; received in Senate on March 9; no further Senate action during 2021.
Source: Congressional vote 21-HR1280 on Feb 24, 2021
Page last updated: Jun 04, 2022; copyright 1999-2022 Jesse Gordon and OnTheIssues.org