Court Fight Over Phone Looms

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) – A Columbus City Council member has filed a suit against the city and Mayor Robert Smith.

Marty Turner
Source: City of Columbus

A petition for preliminary injunction was filed last week in Lowndes County Chancery Court by Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner.

Turner claims Smith acted outside the scope of his authority in June when ordered Turner’s city-issued cellular phone disconnected.

The Commercial Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/2exq55o ) Smith ordered service turned off June 13 after Turner made inflammatory statements on his Facebook page, including calling state Rep. Kabir Karriem a “b(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)h.”

The city council voted Tuesday to hire outside counsel, attorney Corky Smith, to defend against the suit. Pontotoc attorney Walter Zinn is representing Turner.