--- title: "Mississippi judge blocks AG's bid to dismiss ex-Capitol Police manslaughter case" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mississippi-judge-blocks-ags-bid-to-dismiss-ex-capitol-police-manslaughter-case" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/mississippi-judge-blocks-ags-bid-to-dismiss-ex-capitol-police-manslaughter-case" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mississippi-judge-blocks-ags-bid-to-dismiss-ex-capitol-police-manslaughter-case.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/mississippi-judge-blocks-ags-bid-to-dismiss-ex-capitol-police-manslaughter-case" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-26T23:05:13.255Z" source_reported: "2026-10-26T21:37:34.000Z" updated: "2026-10-26T23:05:13.255Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-26T22:30:12.535947+00:00" --- # Mississippi judge blocks AG's bid to dismiss ex-Capitol Police manslaughter case *Judge Faye Peterson said the attorney general's office showed bias for law enforcement, leaving open a possible second trial for former officer Michael Rhinewalt who admitted killing Jaylen Lewis.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. One full report and 15 digests provide details, with the full report naming sources and citing documents. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. The full report quotes affected parties and legal experts, and separates fact from comment. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are factual and do not overstate the article's content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Judge Faye Peterson blocked the attorney general’s request to permanently dismiss the manslaughter case against former officer Michael Rhinewalt. - Peterson said the AG’s office showed bias for law enforcement. - Rhinewalt admitted killing 25‑year‑old Jaylen Lewis during a traffic stop. - The ruling leaves open the possibility of a second trial. A Hinds County circuit judge rejected the Mississippi attorney general’s bid to permanently end the manslaughter prosecution of former Capitol Police officer Michael Rhinewalt. Rhinewalt had previously admitted that he shot and killed 25‑year‑old Jaylen Lewis during a traffic stop. The judge found that the attorney general’s office showed bias for law‑enforcement officers and therefore could not abandon the case. The attorney general’s office responded that, when a jury is dead‑locked, the benefit of the doubt should go to law‑enforcement officers. It filed a new request asking the court to temporarily drop the case, while the judge’s decision keeps open the chance that Rhinewalt could face a second trial. > “It doesn’t give me peace, but I can breathe a little bit knowing that she’s speaking out for my family, for my son,” said Arkela Lewis, mother of Jaylen Lewis. > > — Arkela Lewis, mother of the victim ## What the coverage left out None of the left‑rated digests mention the judge’s finding that the attorney general’s office showed bias for law‑enforcement, nor do they note the AG’s statement that a tie benefits police officers. The right‑rated digests do not mention the possibility of a second trial for Rhinewalt. ## Who covered it Shares of the 17 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 47% (8) - Centre: 29% (5) - Right: 24% (4) 0 of 17 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-26T22:30:12.535947+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-26T23:15:11.143Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - All eight left‑rated digests reported that a Mississippi judge blocked the attorney general’s attempt to dismiss the manslaughter case and noted that the former officer had admitted killing a 25‑year‑old man. None of the left‑rated digests mentioned the judge’s finding of bias or the attorney general’s statement about a tie favouring law‑enforcement. ### Centre - The five centre‑rated reports, including the full WTOP article, covered the judge’s blockage, the officer’s admission, and the judge’s finding that the AG’s office showed bias for law‑enforcement. They also reproduced the attorney general’s claim that a tie benefits police, and they noted that the ruling leaves open the possibility of a second trial. The full report quoted the judge’s language, the victim’s mother and a law professor. ### Right - All three right‑rated digests reported that a Mississippi judge blocked the attorney general’s effort to permanently drop the manslaughter case and that the former officer had admitted killing a 25‑year‑old man. One of the digests (Owensboro Messenger‑Inquirer) also mentioned the judge’s finding of bias for law‑enforcement; the others did not reference bias or the AG’s tie‑benefit claim. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 7 - veryHigh: 9 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CT Insider](https://ctinsider.com/news/article/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-22495548.php) — Client Challenge - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/10/judge-rejects-ags-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer – WTOP News - [Wral News](https://wral.com/news/ap/2b65a-judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/fitch-capitol-police-jackson-republican-mississippi-b3073785.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/fitch-capitol-police-jackson-republican-mississippi-b3073785.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Ottumwa Courier](https://ottumwacourier.com/news/national_news/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_1e89a9f1-aa3f-5637-8d20-856cb47f4fa2.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Kokomo Tribune](https://kokomotribune.com/news/nation_world_news/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_50cc9e1d-f575-58d8-8d63-b2f3fc906bcc.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [The Times-Tribune](https://thetimestribune.com/news/national_news/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_94ea977e-d814-5b13-9de6-54590a12a56c.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Jonesboro Sun](https://jonesborosun.com/news/national/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_de387204-883a-564f-bb2f-7140cc582f19.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/judge-rejects-ags-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/police-shooting-trial-black-motorist-mississippi-2b65ae6cab31a4c71ad8bbf6fa4f2bd7) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [MY Northwest](https://mynorthwest.com/national/judge-rejects-ags-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/4290658) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Mississippi Today](https://mississippitoday.org/2026/10/26/judge-rejects-ags-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/world/united-states/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_2e858924-d7dd-55bf-a883-577c786ba323.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/world/united-states/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_39eb74d2-d0b6-54fa-84f5-76758fa15301.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer](https://messenger-inquirer.com/ap/elections/judge-rejects-ag-s-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer/article_442b4ea0-4496-5a39-b047-44e8144dde1c.html) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/10/26/judge-rejects-ags-bid-to-permanently-end-case-against-ex-capitol-police-officer) — Judge rejects AG’s bid to permanently end case against ex-Capitol Police officer ## Questions **What did the judge decide about the attorney general’s request?** Judge Faye Peterson ruled that the attorney general’s bid to permanently dismiss the manslaughter case against former officer Michael Rhinewalt was improper, stating the AG’s office showed bias for law‑enforcement and therefore the case cannot be abandoned. **What did the attorney general’s office say about ties in the case?** The attorney general’s office issued a press release saying that, when a jury is dead‑locked, the benefit of the doubt should go to law‑enforcement officers, arguing that a tie favours police in such prosecutions. **Does the ruling allow the case to be tried again?** Yes, the judge’s decision leaves open the possibility of a second trial for Michael Rhinewalt, noting that a future attorney general could pursue prosecution once the current AG’s term ends. **Did any outlet report the judge’s bias finding?** All centre‑rated reports and one right‑rated digest (Owensboro Messenger‑Inquirer) reported the judge’s finding that the attorney general’s office showed bias for law‑enforcement; left‑rated digests did not mention this point. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/mississippi-judge-blocks-ags-bid-to-dismiss-ex-capitol-police-manslaughter-case. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Mississippi judge blocks AG's bid to dismiss ex-Capitol Police manslaughter case", https://mediabias.news/politics/mississippi-judge-blocks-ags-bid-to-dismiss-ex-capitol-police-manslaughter-case