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deminks

(11,014 posts) Thu Jun 5, 2014, 07:05 AM Jun 2014

McDaniel rep among three locked in Hinds County courthouse (Updated)

Last edited Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:54 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/06/04/5626562/tea-party-official-locked-inside.html

The Hinds County Sheriff's Office is investigating why three people, including a high-ranking Chris McDaniel campaign official, were found locked in the Hinds County Courthouse hours after election officials closed it early Wednesday morning.

Sheriff's spokesman Othor Cain said investigators are trying to figure out how Janis Lane, Scott Brewster and Rob Chambers gained access to the courthouse. They were inside until about 3:45 a.m., Cain said.

Brewster is a former coordinator of presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's Mississippi operation and is McDaniel's campaign coalition director.

(snip)

Cain said initially it was believed Lane went through a door that was propped open and somehow it closed behind her and she couldn't get out. Later Wednesday, he said officials are investigating how the three got into the courthouse and why they were there.

(snip)

Perry said some precinct information wasn't sealed because the doors would be locked.

(end snip)

This story seems to be 'evolving'.

15 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

McDaniel rep among three locked in Hinds County courthouse (Updated) (Original Post) deminks Jun 2014 OP

Oh, this just gets more and more interesting. tanyev Jun 2014 #1

Hinds is the reason there is a runoff Capt. Obvious Jun 2014 #5

Obvious note to criminals: Hinds County Courthouse is not a secure facility! TheBlackAdder Jun 2014 #2

What happened to emergency exits? Historic NY Jun 2014 #3

That was my first question when I heard the story last night. bullwinkle428 Jun 2014 #4

Maybe There Was An Alarm and/or Camera smb Jun 2014 #12

How does one get locked INTO a public building? MineralMan Jun 2014 #6

Just so tkmorris Jun 2014 #10

Mississippi GeorgeGist Jun 2014 #14

Sounds to me like they should be locked in a different room in the courthouse. Iggo Jun 2014 #7

No video surveillance? Blue Owl Jun 2014 #8

Update: Hinds Sheriff's Dept. denies allowing McDaniel staffers access to courthouse after hours deminks Jun 2014 #9

So lets see they gain access at 2am in the morning...sounds like burglary to me. Historic NY Jun 2014 #13

Good grief Aerows Jun 2014 #11

Too bad Hindscourthousegate just doesn't have that ring to it pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #15

tanyev

(42,552 posts)

1. Oh, this just gets more and more interesting.

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 07:47 AM

Jun 2014

From the comments at Talking Points Memo:

Mississippi resident here, one who normally assumes (rightly or wrongly) that most Election Day weirdness is just the fact that a certain amount of weirdness is statistically inevitable in a statewide or nationwide election.

HOWEVER.

Not explicitly made clear in this story is the fact that Hinds County is a Cochran stronghold, AND one of the few counties with uncounted precincts as of 2:00 a.m.

I sincerely doubt that any vote-tampering was accomplished. I'm not even saying there was some cunning plan to do so, per se. But under the circumstances, I could be persuaded that someone allowed herself to be led into temptation by an unguarded door and the prospect of defenseless bags of the Other Guy's votes.

Capt. Obvious

(9,002 posts)

5. Hinds is the reason there is a runoff

Reply to tanyev (Reply #1)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:16 AM

Jun 2014

Cochran ran up the numbers there. The only reason McDaniel was held just below 50%.

TheBlackAdder

(28,189 posts)

2. Obvious note to criminals: Hinds County Courthouse is not a secure facility!

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 08:42 AM

Jun 2014

It's funny that they have metal detectors at the door...

when a bad person could just stash weapons in a trash can, on site, and wait for the next day to claim them.

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)

3. What happened to emergency exits?

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:04 AM

Jun 2014

bullwinkle428

(20,629 posts)

4. That was my first question when I heard the story last night.

Reply to Historic NY (Reply #3)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:14 AM

Jun 2014

smb

(3,471 posts)

12. Maybe There Was An Alarm and/or Camera

Reply to Historic NY (Reply #3)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 02:57 PM

Jun 2014

Emergency exits often have those to prevent them from being used to bypass security.

These numbskulls probably saw an "ALARM WILL SOUND" sign and realized that they were fucked unless they could figure out some way to get out without attracting attention (which they tried to do for several hours and then failed).

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)

6. How does one get locked INTO a public building?

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 10:11 AM

Jun 2014

Fire laws everywhere I know about require emergency exits that can be opened from inside, locked or not.

I call shenanigans on this incident. Election shenanigans.

tkmorris

(11,138 posts)

10. Just so

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #6)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 01:11 PM

Jun 2014

Not only is someone lying, they are not very good at it apparently.

GeorgeGist

(25,320 posts)

14. Mississippi

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #6)

Fri Jun 6, 2014, 05:04 AM

Jun 2014

Iggo

(47,552 posts)

7. Sounds to me like they should be locked in a different room in the courthouse.

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 10:14 AM

Jun 2014

Know'm say'n?

Blue Owl

(50,356 posts)

8. No video surveillance?

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:34 PM

Jun 2014

Something really smells fishy for sure.

deminks

(11,014 posts)

9. Update: Hinds Sheriff's Dept. denies allowing McDaniel staffers access to courthouse after hours

Reply to deminks (Original post)

Thu Jun 5, 2014, 12:37 PM

Jun 2014

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/06/05/sheriffs-department-denies-allowing-mcdaniel-staffers-access-courthouse-hours/10008389/

A sheriff's department spokesman refutes claims by the Chris McDaniel camp that three staffers were let into the courthouse by "uniformed personnel" sometime after it closed late election night.

Janis Lane, Scott Brewster, and Rob Chambers were found locked inside the Hinds County Courthouse early Wednesday morning. They allegedly gained access to the courthouse sometime shortly after 2 a.m., and when they realized they were locked in, they called Hinds County Republican Executive Chairman Pete Perry to ask for help. They were let out around 3:45 a.m.

(snip)

"It's important to note that Janis Lane's story and the other officials' stories continue to change through the investigation," he said. "They changed within five minutes, which caused us to be even more deliberate and determined to find out what was going on."

(end snip)

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