Sunflower County judge rules Jacques’ nightclub to remain closed

A Sunflower County judge has ruled that Jacques’ will remain closed. According to Jacque’s manager, Angela Wright Neilson, the just ruled that the beleagured establishment will remain closed until further legal action can be taken.

“Now I’ve got to call everyone and tell them they don’t have a job,” said a bewildered Neilson.

The proposal for the shuttering of Jacques’ nightclub, alleged to have been a public nuisance, was argued by authorities from Vicksburg in a judicial hearing set for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1.

The session was held in Indianola, at the 9th Chancery District Court. Chancellor Debra M. Giles presided over the matter, taking over from Chancellor Vicki R. Barnes of Warren County who had recused herself.

Since May 6 of this year, two gunfire incidents have occurred at Jacques’ and its parking area. In the initial incident, four of Jacques’ security personnel sustained injuries. Arrest warrants were subsequently issued.

Another shooting took place on July 5, where law enforcement officials retrieved over 100 bullet casings, and a stray round caused damage to a window at the nearby convention center. Vicksburg police discovered 117 spent shells in the parking lot following the discharge of at least four firearms, which targeted vehicles, flood walls and the convention center itself.

On July 10, the City’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen made a decision, mandating both Jacques’ and their property owner, the Mulberry, to supply a Memorandum of Understanding guaranteeing public safety. The Mulberry complied and delivered the Memorandum, Jacques’ failed to do so.

On July 24, the City of Vicksburg filed a motion in Chancery Court to close Jacques’ “to prevent the suffering of immediate and irreparable injury and harm,” according to Assistant City Attorney and City Prosecutor Monica Allen.

On July 28, an incident was reported involving a 20-year-old at the establishment.

The debate about Jacques’ sparked intense discussions on social media, with opinions split between those supporting the establishment’s shutdown and those feeling that the business shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of others.