my dad was from mississippi and wrote a book about growing up in mississippi.n a book tour, we got to stay in the governor's mansion one night. i was 7 years old or something. in the mid-'70s. back then they had the exact same thing. i remember my dad saying all the guys who work here are convicted of -- they're murderers but they're convicted of crimes of passion. there is this notion in mississippi that it's a crime of passion, therefore, you're not likely to do something again. that seems to be what's behind the idea of pardoning these individuals. >> it's incredibly naive. the account you heard from the governor is ridiculous. he says, look, you can't trust the robbers apparently but the person you can trust is the man who kills. i mean, that is just an outlandish statement. on top of that is you have to realize of course these prisoners, of course they're going to be on their best behavior. they get to chat up the governor every day. that was admitted by anthony. talk to the governor every day. make their point. show how pleasant, how good, how reformed th

of the mississippi house democratic caucus. thank you for joining us today. i understand you are taking steps to try to change the way these pardons are issued. what are you working on? >> sure. several of my colleagues have gotten together. we introduced legislation during the past three or four years in order to look at this issue. we have legislation that we brought forward in our chamber on friday that will probably be dropped monday. we are looking at probably one of the most difficult things to change in mississippi. that it's constitution. more likely, we have two other pieces of legislation that are statutory, that we think we can get some impetus to pass this session. >> i would imagine you found out about this just like everyone else about the time everyone else did. what was your gut reaction, your first reaction when you heard? >> when we heard about this sunday morning, it wasn't so much the numbers at that time, but it was the convictions, the murderers who were being released. that really drove home to us and got

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to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama.'s america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. >>> more incredible pictures tonight out of that town in alaska that winter clearly hasn't forgotten. why thank god the national guard has shown up, the problem now is they're running out of shovels to get rid of it. that coast guard ice breaker trying to cut a path for the russian tanker in the bering sea, very slow going. when the ice breaker gets through, the ice closes up like a zipper keeping the tanker in place. >>> a lot of us like our products more than we would be willing to admit in public like twinkies and wonder bread. the maker of both including the ho-ho and other products, hostess bakeries is filing for bankruptcy. it will take more to keep a good twinkie down while they restructure. >>> nonstop flights in europe have been forced to stop for fuel in canada and other places because of

my dad was from mississippi and wrote a book about growing up in mississippi.t to stay in the governor's mansion one night. i was 7 years old or something. in the mid-'70s. back then they had the exact same thing. i remember my dad saying all the guys who work here are convicted of -- they're murderers but they're convicted of crimes of passion. there is this notion in mississippi that it's a crime of passion, therefore, you're not likely to do something again. that seems to be what's behind the idea of pardoning these individuals. >> it's incredibly naive. the account you heard from the governor is ridiculous. he says, look, you can't trust the robbers apparently but the person you can trust is the man who kills. i mean, that is just an outlandish statement. on top of that is you have to realize of course these prisoners, of course they're going to be on their best behavior. they get to chat up the governor every day. that was admitted by anthony. talk to the governor every day. make their point. show how pleasant, how good, how reformed they are. this is the

what we did is valid and consistent with mississippi's constitution.fact, the attorney general you just heard talk when the previous democrat governor pardoned people for which there had been no publication at all, jim hood didn't say a word. >> bret: okay, governor, you heard. >> in our case we made the effort to do the publications, some of the newspapers ran them late. >> bret: you heard the family member who was speaking out there to the media. former federal prosecutor, now a law professor says giving free the convicted murders without notifying the families the symbolism of this, the message to the family is so insensitive and insulting to the memory of the murder victims it's mindboggling. do you regret any of them? >> well, first of all, i do regret that though the department of corrections sent out the notices to be published before the 30-day deadline they didn't realize some of the newspapers would not actually run them for several days. because they just run legal notices ever so often. let me talk about the familie families. i understand a

make that mississippi. the best part of the gulf is wherever you choose...nd now is a great time to discover it. this year millions of people did. we set all kinds of records. next year we're out to do even better. so come on down to louisiana... florida... alabama... mississippi. we can't wait to see you. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. take the privileged investing tools of wall street and make them simple, intuitive, and available to all. distill all that data. make information instinctual, visual. introducing trade architect, td ameritrade's empowering web-based trading platform. take control of your portfolio today. trade commission-free for 60 days, and we'll throw in up $600 when you open an account. >>> former mississippi governor halee barbour stirred up a firestorm after he pardoned several convict before he left office. governor, in the previous segment the attorney general said files are missing. he said the files were sent to your office when you were going through these decisions and now they're missing. >> what the a

mississippi has become accustomed to rising water. over the last decade alone hurricane katrina and the mississippi river have given us historic and painful examples of the water step. but there is something we have learned from it. they rising water has forced us to higher ground. it has forced us to build stronger and better. it has made us climb to new heights. my fellow mississipians it is true that in the years past our troubles have risen around us like that rising water. but we have persevered and each time we have climbed to the new perspective of that higher ground. and as we make our way deeper into this new century, let us rise together. let us ascend to a place where the troubled waters can no longer touch us, a place where the view of the water is big and wide and beautiful. let us rise together, mississippi, with the guiding hand of god almighty. let us take that first step up together. god bless you, god was mississippi and god lest the united united states of america. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> mr.

he ran the office of governor as if it were mississippi in the 1950s. and used the office and the trustees and its just a throwback to the 1950s, the way he handled his administration and the way he released all these prisoners. >> the prison population in mississippi is about two-thirds african-american. according to reuters, about two-thirds of this people pardoned by governor barbour were actually white. do you believe is race a factor here? >> they didn't have as much influence, the african-american community and they didn't support haley barbour when they ran for governor both times. like some old political hack would call and ask and write a letter on behalf of somebody. some of them probably deserved pardon if they lived and exemplary life after they were released. some of them have horrendous records while they've been in prison. there were many undeserving. there's not any logical explanation other than it was just a whim and that's -- by doing it on a whim, at the last moment, that's how he violated our constitution, which requires 30 days pub

joining me now mississippi attorney general jim hood. the papers served on joseph ozme ozment, missing for days, compel him to show up for a court hearing and check in with the mississippi department of corrections, how will they enforce that given he's in another state and no longer in your custody? >> that's such a difficult part of this process, kind of like being on a manhunt with one arm tied behind my back. can't use the criminal justice process of apbs and warrants. all we have is a civil document we served him with. that is the most we can do. we can't treat him as an escapee. he has a document that says he's a free man as of now. if he doesn't show up in court, we will move to hold him in contempt. we have now served all five of those originally released and the court's order, the injunctive relief requiring all five stay in prison until the court is able to make a decision in this case. >> ozment killed ricky montgomery over $60 while robbing a convenience store and shot him between the eyes and then shot him again and when the

the floor of the senate as to how mississippi makes it laws.loor of the house of representatives. at each step along the way, i have marveled at our people. i give my sincerest thanks to the incredible people of mississippi who made this day possible. you are truly amazing in my eyes which makes my presence here today as your governor even all the more humbling. today we start a new administration, one that will reflect upon the success of our past with admiration and respect. while looking for greater achievements in our future. and it would be timid and insincere to believe that our problems are all solved and our shared potential exhausted. we must dedicate ourselves to the belief that we may fall separately, but we will surely rise together. and if we are to rise together, we must do so with the inherent characteristics of mississippi. you see, we are a people of character who value hard work and treasure loyalty to our family, our state and our country. and as the prophet isaiah described so long ago, we are a people of faith who will soar

only then will they have a chance of keeping this fragile nation together. >> the mississippi delta, one oa body -- a byword for hard times. it is one of america's poorest places and has never quite managed to shake off the reputation for racial equality. when a young photographer said the area in 1967, the images he captured help to bring national attention to the region's plight. the last 40 years have brought some improvement, but not nearly enough. >> in the white expanse of the mississippi delta, change comes slowly. sometimes it does not come at all. -- in the wide expanse of the mississippi delta, change comes slowly. >> it was squalor then and squalor now. >> he knows this region well. this house is tiny, home to three people and seven cats. they recognize images of the old neighborhood. >> that was your old house. >> uh-huh. ♪ ♪ >> we are still living in the same environment. they have just upgraded the house a little bit. >> some of the old houses have gone, others are being torn down. unemployment and poverty remain. >> we were assured by the city administration at that ti

a mississippi judge is now blocking the release of 21 inmates. we'll go live to jackson, mississippi later this hour for more on the growing outrage there. keep in mind haley barbour a very powerful figure inside the republican party and on the biggest super pac of them all inside the republican party, american crossroads. all right. mitt romney just wrapped up a press report in south carolina where he just wrapped up his first campaign rally of the day and heads to florida later this morning where he will address supporters in west palm beach and raise a couple bucks. nbc's peter alexander is live for us in greer, south carolina. okay. what's the defense of the morning from the romney campaign in regards to the newt attacks? >> it's a good question. actually we just posed it to him during this press avail that finished up moments ago, chuck. and mitt romney was specifically asked, we know you raised, created about a hundred thousand jobs while at bain but what about the jobs that were lost there? this has been the attack line from the republican

martin savidge in jackson, mississippi. this judge today blocked the state from releasing some of those convicted killers pardoned by haily barbour. have you new information about the state's attempts to reach these high profile paroled killers. >> well, the real concern is those killers, brooke, they were released on sunday. the judge has said they have been given an order that they have to report in on a daily basis where they are to alleviate the concerns for victims' families that there might be some sort of revenge. the problem is that order doesn't go the into effect till the prisoners get it in their hands and state officials admit they don't know where those four murderers are at this point. they are searching everywhere in the state. it's possible they might have the left the state of mississippi. >> so the pardons, they wiped these criminal records clean of these guys. so are they even technically breaking the law if they don't come forward? >> no, they are not. not until they're served that document and they're n

all of these guys aren't staying in mississippi. they're going to be all over the yielts. >> do you feel betrayed? >> i feel that the system worked for the victims in this family. but i feel that the governor, at that time, is the one that let this family down. not the system. >> in my heart, i would like to think that he didn't know because if he did, we've had a monster for a governor, you know. nonhuman family. >> senior analyst joins me now. attorney general, thanks for being with us. the court has just issued a temporary injunction which you sought blocking the release of any of the pardoned prisoners until the hearing takes place. is it the sheer number of pardons? other mississippi governors have pardoned murders before. >> that's correct. but in this instance, he didn't follow what's required by the constitution. i just got out of the courtroom where the court ib shoed a temporary injunction because our constitution says in order for a pardon to issue, the person who is applying for it has to publicize in the local paper for

a mississippi judge is putting his foot down this. comes after outgoing governor haley barbour approved full pardons for 199 people with crimes that range from shoplifting to rape to murder. four men convicted of murder are out of jail. haley barbour approved full pardons for the men who were serving life sentences. one released is david gatlin. in 1993 he walked into the home of his estranged wife tammy and shot her in the head killing her. gatlin also shot her friend randy walker, he survived the gunshot wound to the head, walker says he will now live in fear now that gatlin is has been released. >> i feel like my safety is in jeopardy. tammy's family, i feel they are all in jeopardy. i feel fear for the safety of my family. it's an issue. anybody that might be with me at the time he decides to do something. we feel like we are in jail now and david is out of jail. >> reporter: haley barbour released a statement explaining about 90% of the people were no longer in custody and a majority of them had been out of jail for years. a cour

incredible headlines out of mississippi, the pardons story, the mississippi governor on his outgoing day pardoning close to 200 people. he's finally talking, haley barbour and he's saying a few things in a printed statement as to why he thinks it was okay. but guess what? there are four killers who are already out and there is no hope for getting them back in but we may have changes in the other ones who are set to be released. >> that is right. several bombshells in the casey anthony case as well. how she thinks she got pregnant, who killed her and why. there are reports this morning that her attorney has quit. >> quit or fired? always want to know. they both have something to say on this. new this morning as well, if you are in north carolina, our hearts go out to you. you're dealing with very ugly weather. apparently check out that funnel cloud. remarkable. look at this damage. overnight some severe storms really wreaking havoc in that area. a mobile home park apparently was completely wiped out. there are families trapped, apparent apparently. we'll get an update. >>> there's an

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what he did as he left office as governor of mississippi has left a lot of people stunned and outraged, and some of them now actually fearing for their lives. he pardoned over 200 criminals, including some hardened criminals, murderers guilty of grizzly killings. there's been no explanation. the now-former governor isn't commenting, after using the sweeping power of the pardon for his personal reasons, and now the people of the state of mississippi deal with the consequences. it's where we begin here tonight with nbc's mark potter in jackson, mississippi. >> reporter: on his last days in office, haley barbour, the powerful and highly-regarded mississippi governor ended up angering and confusing so many constituents. without explanation, he granted pardons or early releases to a long list of more than 200 convicts, including 21 murderers and many others serving time for violent crimes. >> pardon means this individual can grab a school bus, go to law school, move in next to you. >> reporter: among those were five prison trustees, who because of good behavior worked at the governor's mans

now a judge in mississippi says that may have been illegal.at least five convicts have gotten out of jail and the victims are not happy. plus violence escalating in syria, and a western journalist is now dead and the peacekeeping mission may be falling apart. approaching the bottom of the hour and the top of the news on "studio b" today. goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties ha sixty calories oless per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. when you walk 10,000 steps a day, it's the same as walking a professional golf course. humana. proud supporter of health and well-being. not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪ i want to fix up old houses. ♪ [

we begin with breaking news from mississippi. a judge issued a temporary injunction a short time ago to keep pardoned prisoners behind bars for now, in response to a move by outgoing mississippi governor haley barbour. it outraged victims and their families. hundreds of criminals from shoplifters to rapists and murderers granted pardons. he approved full pardons for 199 people, including 14 convicted murderers. he declined invitation to be on the program. mississippi attorney general jim hood will be on tonight. went to court to block some of the pardons. he says they're a slap to the face of everyone in law enforcement, he will be with us with jeff toobin in a bit. first, four of the convicted murderers that got pardons were released sunday, according to mississippi department of corrections. one link between them, they all worked at the governor's mansion on a work release program. one of the men is david gatlin. these him there. the shooting victim he left behind and family of the victim that didn't live to tell the story are

there's a fire storm of controversy here in mississippi. even though the courts have stepped in to try to put the pardons on hold, four convicted murders were set free and no one knows where they are. the victims of the families involved in those cases are furious. one person said she thought that governor barbour was a coward for not talking to the families directly. >> i can't understand how a man that has children of his own could do this. >> reporter: the courts have now stepped in and put a pause on the process. they're asking on the 23rd, the inmates who have been released, to return. but the mississippi attorney general who has been leading this effort says there's really not much he can do. they are free men. and are entitled to go where they please. steve osunsami, abc news, jackson, mississippi. >>> now we turn to the republican battle for south carolina. the first signs this morning of some coming together finally for mitt romney. conservatives are telling the opponents to tone down the criticism of romney's time as a venture cap

. >>> a mississippi judge could decide if nearly 200 pardons issued by out going mississippi governor haley barbour if they are valid. the state attorney general requested today's hearing because he said it appeared some of the pardons violated the state constitution. under mississippi law, a public notice must run in the newspaper 30 days prior to a pardon. >>> egypt's parliament meeting today for the first time since the down fall of former president hosni mubarak last year. lawmakers are expected to vote on a new speaker of the house and two deputies. >>> mitt romney plans to release his 2010 tax returns tomorrow. the republican presidential candidate says not releasing them has become a distraction. >>> today congresswoman gabrielle giffords plans to finish the congress on your corner event that jared lee loughner enter rutted last year. she's going to hold a private gathering with some of the people who were there. she announced yesterday in a youtube video that she will resign. >> i have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for arizona, i will step down this wee

. >> brown: margaret warner gets the latest on the decision of a mississippi judge to halt the release of 21 inmates, pardoned by outgoing governor haley barbour. >> woodruff: and ray suarez examines sweeping changes to internet names that could allow for a new world of dot anything. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> and by the bill and melinda gates foundation. dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy productive life. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: the u.s. military faced a new firestorm of criticism today over stunning scenes of american troops and enemy dead in afghanistan. they raced across the internet and around the world, triggering condemnations and investigations. a single still photo captured the damning image-- purportedly showing four u.s. marines urinating on