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Miss. Supreme Court takes pardons cases

Governor Haley Barbour, R-MS, speaks during a press conference after Republicans wrested control of the House from Democrats in yesterday's election on Capitol Hill in Washington on November 3, 2010. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
Governor Haley Barbour, R-MS, speaks during a press conference after Republicans wrested control of the House from Democrats in yesterday's election on Capitol Hill in Washington on November 3, 2010. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg | License Photo

JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Mississippi Supreme Court is set to hear arguments about whether several pardons made by former Gov. Haley Barbour violated the state constitution.

The court said Wednesday it would hear attorneys representing four pardoned former Governor's Mansion trusties, instead of the Hinds County Circuit Court, WAPT-TV, Jackson, Miss., reported.

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Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has argued that pardons issued by Barbour, including those granted to convicted murders David Gatlin, Charles Hooker, Anthony McCray, Joseph Ozment and convicted robber Nathan Kern, violated a state constitutional requirement that notice be posted for 30 days in newspapers in the area the crimes were committed.

Attorneys for Gatlin, Hooker, McCray and Kern all asked that the Mississippi Supreme Court consider the case rather than the lower court.

The justices will hear arguments on Feb. 9 in Jackson.

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