Arlington owner scheduled to appear in court today

By Cassandra Mickens (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, November 13, 2009

NATCHEZ — Arlington owner Dr. Thomas Vaughan is scheduled to appear in Natchez Municipal court today to face charges of demolition by neglect, but city officials doubt he will show up.

“I don’t anticipate Dr. Vaughan will make an appearance, so we’ll have to wait and see,” Building Inspector Paul Dawes told the Natchez Preservation Commission during its meeting Thursday.

Dawes, who traveled to Jackson last month to serve a citation to Vaughan, explained Vaughan will be arraigned on the charges, and enter a plea if he shows up.

A Hinds County sheriff’s deputy successfully served Vaughan a citation last month at his Jackson residence at Dawes’ insistence.

Summoning Vaughan was no easy task because he lives in a gated community.

Before Dawes, Code Enforcement Officer Willie B. Jones traveled to Vaughan’s residence to serve the citation, but was turned away.

If Vaughan does not appear in court today, he could face a failure to appear charge, a criminal offense.

In other business:

4The commission accepted an application from resident Lucy Miller to add a rear privacy fence and a three-foot picket fence in front of her property on North Union Street.