NO Arrests, NO Timeline in Jesse Lee Williams Case: Black Man Brutally Beaten to Death by Mississippi Officers

A joint investigation such as the probe into the death of Jessie Lee Williams Jr. could result in state and federal charges or only one agency taking the lead. The process, according to attorney Robert Pfeffer, is not uncommon, nor does it usually involve a "double jeopardy" issue. A wrongful death lawsuit filed for Williams' estate claims Williams, 40, was beaten and tortured by jailers acting under color of law, depriving him of his civil, constitutional and human rights. It's been 103 days since Williams was beaten in the Harrison County booking room. No charges have been filed in the incident, which was captured on surveillance tapes. Attorneys for Williams' estate, which seeks $150 million in the civil lawsuit, have not been allowed to view the tapes. According to Pfeffer, formerly an attorney in Jackson and New York City, state and federal prosecutors often investigate a case jointly, "then decide whether to proceed simultaneously or let the other take the lead so there is no duplication of resources." There are exceptions, though, Pfeffer said, pointing to the Rodney King case, in which four Los Angeles police officers were accused on state charges of assaulting King in 1991. The incident was captured on videotape. "When the state failed to get convictions," Pfeffer said, "the federal government tried the case on federal statutes that involve violation of civil rights." State and federal officials have released no details of their investigations in the Williams case or a time frame for a grand jury. A motion filed on Sheriff George H. Payne's behalf to delay the civil case states Payne believes a grand jury review could occur in 60 to 90 days, or by August. [MORE]