Monday, May 15, 2017

Sheriff hired step-daughter.

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason hired his step-daughter the day he assumed office.  She is one of the highest-paid employees at the Raymond Detention Center.  However, a 2007 Mississippi Supreme Court case allows public officials to hire step-children and step-siblings.


Sheriff Mason assumed office on January 1, 2016.  Hinds County personnel records state that Teryn Bowles began her employment on the same day.  JJ obtained a roster of HCSO employees and their rates of pay through a public records request.  The roster and personnel records both state that Ms. Bowles salary is $2,520 per month ($30,240 per year).  She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2015.



The roster classifies Ms. Bowles as a detention officer:


There are 120 employees at the Raymond Detention Center who are paid less than Ms. Bowles.  Her monthly salary is within $33 per month of all other higher paid employees except for a captain and of course, the warden.  She is paid only $8 per month less than eight sergeants.  The raw data and the roster are posted below.  Only eight employees at the Juvenile Detention Center are paid more than Ms. Bowles and they are also paid $33 or less per month more than the detention officer.  All but one of these JDC employees are Sergeants or officers.  A captain assigned to JDC makes $4,974 per month .

However, hiring step-children is not illegal under Mississippi law.  § 25-4-105(1) of the Mississippi Code states:

(1) No public servant shall use his official position to obtain, or attempt to obtain, pecuniary benefit for himself other than that compensation provided for by law, or to obtain, or attempt to obtain,

§ 25-4-103(q) defines relative:

(q) "Relative" means:
(i) The spouse of the public servant;
(ii) The child of the public servant;
(iii) The parent of the public servant;
(iv) The sibling of the public servant; and
(v) The spouse of any of the relatives of the public servant specified in subparagraphs (ii) through (iv).
The Mississippi Ethics Commission attempted to include step-children in the definition of "relative."  However, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in Mississippi Ethics Commission v. Grisham (2007):

  Grisham argues that “according to a clear, literal and unambiguous reading of the statute, the law forbids an elected official from using his official position to benefit himself, his spouse, child, parent or any business with which he is associated.   However, the [Commission] wants to read something into the statute that does not exist.”   He asserts that the Commission “overstepped its authority by defining the term ‘relative’ in Miss.Code Ann. § 25-4-105(1) since the legislature bothered to define it for them.” Stated otherwise, the Commission has redefined the term “relative” with a broader and more expansive definition than the legislature enacted.....

Accordingly, this Court affirms the final judgment of the Circuit Court of Tippah County, finding the definition of “relative” provided by Miss.Code Ann. § 25-4-103(q) is plain and unambiguous, and does not include step-children. Rest of opinion.
The Commission followed the opinion. Sheriff Mason - to his credit- asked the Commission if it was legal to hire his step-daughter as Sheriff.  The Commission said it was under the Grisham decision. 



Raw Data

$3,900: Captain
$2,558: Sgt.
$2,554: Deputy
$2,533: 8 (Sergeants)
$2,525: 2 (Including Bowles)
$2,454: Captain & 4 deputies
$2,433: Sgt.
$2,325: 23
$2,261: 2
$2,225:10
$2,018: 11
$1,918: 20
$1,818: 48





38 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw several deputies who haven't worked there in years..GHOST EMPLOYEES like McMillan and Tyrone had?

Anonymous said...

KF, quick. Send this to Treasurer Fitch!! She keeps her constant harping of pay disparity for women, maybe this will shut her up and give her time to worry about her PERS responsibilities.

Anonymous said...

Is 30,240/year supposed to be a lot of money?

Anonymous said...

By any other term can you say NEPOTISM!

Anonymous said...

I am a little curious about the one being paid full time and part-time. Clifford Berryhill......

Anonymous said...

Trump hires his family - why should there be any differences if the Sheriff's step daughter is up to the job?

Anonymous said...

Wow! All Sgt & Lt are paid differently based on whether or not Victor likes you or how you helped during the election.

Anonymous said...

In this case it all boils down to whether she is qualified or not. If she is, big deal. He was going to bring in some of this own people anyway. It's not like she's
getting rich.

The is a Reason why JJ is #1 said...

More enterprise level shoe leather reporting from Jackson Jambalaya that puts the rest of Jackson's local media to shame!

Thanks Kingfish.

May 23, 2007.

Anonymous said...

'Qualified'? Just graduated from college and has no related work experience. YOU tell ME!

Anonymous said...

The salaries are not impressive.......

Anonymous said...

LMAO. A Fitch harpy immediately emerges from the shadows of the Reeves bunker.

Anonymous said...

5:18, she's not qualified, Zero experience compared to anyone in there before her and zero before she got there.
Just another politician bullying his staff, McMillan did It, Tywrong did it and now this dummy.

Anonymous said...

Wow, only 2 hours for the anti-Trumper to post... trump didn't "hire" his family Jared and Ivanka do not receive a salary. And what in the world does that have to do with the HCSO - find a hobby 2:05, please find a hobby!

Anonymous said...

Honest question: why does a patrol lieutenant make more than a narcotics captain?

Kingfish said...

It does not require that many hours of training to become a jailer.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... at least 7 employees listed don't work there anymore and one has been deceased for more than a year. Don't let anyone fool you guys. He pays his buddies what he wants and it's with YOUR dollars. It has nothing to do with qualifications. Some of the biggest earners in the department have never supervised anyone before Victor hired them. Everything this idiot told you was a lie. Vote better next time.

Anonymous said...

She's a graduate of MSU and only making $30k a year! What's the big deal!

Anonymous said...

Everything this idiot told you was a lie. Vote better next time.

Save this caution for May 2021. You'll be able to use it even before then.

Anonymous said...

If she shows up and does her job, this is not a legitimate story. Mason appears to be a terrible sheriff, but picking crap like this to attempt to discredit him is weak.

Anonymous said...

At least five of you seem to think the whole thing can be dismissed due to the relatively low wage. There's an IQ test for ya.

For the sake of comparison, let's agree that a bank robbery is no big deal if only four hundred dollars was the net take.

Anonymous said...

Mason has a good role model in the White House. Nepotism is "in".

Jeff said...

Although one certainly could question the salary and qualifications of the step-daughter, I see no point in complaining that Sheriff Mason hired her in the first place. Apparently that is plainly legal by statute, confirmed by the MSSC, and Mason checked on that ahead of time. So, if you have a problem with it, your problem is with the statute, not the Sheriff.

Anonymous said...

The extended family member is not the problem with the jail. The low wages of every employee there is one of the many problems with the jail. None of this is even remotely connected to the Trump Administration. These anti-Trump trolls have to be able to stretch a mile and think like serpents to make every post a nexus.

Anonymous said...

The citizens of Hinds County would be better served if the Sheriff's Office adopted a modern civil service statute, with best practice standards for hiring, discipline, promotions, and termination.

Anonymous said...

But, but, but ... the ACLU says the Madison County SO is the one that is all screwed up!

Kingfish said...

There is the matter of the starting salary.....

Anonymous said...

At those rates of pay it is no wonder that our jails are in the shape that they are in. That's a high risk, extremely low reward job...

Anonymous said...

Too all the opinons stated above. Low wages, some deputies entry level pay are 4-6 thousand above 10 yr experienced road deputies, where's the fairness in that? Secretaries making in the high 40s and low 50s, what !!??

Great way to lower moral and and cause even more resentment amongst the men..

Victor and friends, y'all better be saving your money, cause change is coming soon.

Anonymous said...

Well Victor, I heard you lost 95% of your finacial contributors and you've damn sure lost about 75% of the voters that got you in you there.

Alota folks are gonna be looking for new jobs soon. Damn sure won't be making the money they are now, if any of these other agencies even pick them up..

Hinds County reputations follow you Big time..

Congratulations Victor, between you and Tywrong, y'all managed to unemployee it's folls..

Anonymous said...

This isn't a lot of money to do this job. It is, however, a lot of money to sit at home and watch TV. Someone should look at the number of "telecommuters" we have working for us and what their log in histories show...

Anonymous said...

Tyrone Lewis' step daughter and son worked at the SO when he was sheriff. What's the difference?

Anonymous said...

So; For at least half the mental midgets responding here, the issue is the salary, not nepotism/favoritism. Nepotism (although not illegal in this case) is perfectly OK as long as the job don't pay shit. I see.

Anonymous said...

MDOC Commissioner Pelecia Hall's brother is a bureau director in mdocs training division. I guess it isn't nepotism since Fisher hired him on his way out the door. And I'm sure that the extra money in the budget is why brother Everett immediately got a take home mdoc car. At least the sheriff did his own hiring instead of getting her buddy to make a midnight appointment prior to his departure. Does the term nepotism apply to supervising executive employees or is it just hiring them?;

Anonymous said...

Come on people. Wake up! This is the same crap we have seen in Hinds county for years. Elected officials abusing our money to pad the pockets of friends and relatives. Several people on this list don't even work for the sheriff's department so where is that money going? Why does one Captain make $2454.00 while another makes $4974.33? How does a detention officer assigned to investigations make $4908.33? sheriff mason has repeatedly demonstrated that he has zero respect for our tax dollars and even less respect for the majority of his employees. It's been more than a year and the jail is still a mess, inmates continue to escape, hinds county is facing numerous lawsuits due to sexual misconduct, and morale is in the gutter. You can continue to cry about Trump or pay attention to your own backyard. Find a qualified/trustworthy candidate and replace Mason in 2019.

Anonymous said...

2019 is a long way away. Do we need a ticker on this blog site to count-down the days?

Anonymous said...

A ticket would actually be a good idea..

SPOONER will be your next Sheriff..

. . . .Count that down..

Anonymous said...

captain shields is the lowest paid captain of hinds county. JDC captain is the highest pain captain and does the least bit of work. its all about how you know and kissing a**...



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