MEET THE EDITOR
Meet the Editor: Jimmie L. Clayton Jr.
Jimmie L. Clayton Jr. is the founder and editor of The Wabash Watchdog, an independent Indiana news magazine focused on transparency, due process, judicial accountability, and the lived realities of people inside the criminal justice system.
Born and raised in Indiana, Jimmie spent much of his life in Holland, Michigan, where he worked in steel fabrication, logistics, and industrial supervision. He developed a reputation as a problem-solver — someone who stepped into chaos and imposed order with calm precision. His professional background gave him firsthand experience with how working-class people are affected by courts, police, and government systems that often fail to protect their rights.
After years in Michigan, Jimmie returned to Indiana under difficult circumstances. He came back to Lafayette to care for his brother Randy during his final months. Randy was the last member of Jimmie’s nuclear family, and losing him left a profound mark on Jimmie’s life. What was meant to be a temporary stay in Indiana became a turning point. Jimmie began witnessing firsthand how dramatically the culture in Lafayette had changed — rising drug issues, homelessness being ignored, community corrections operating inconsistently, and a criminal justice system that seemed more interested in punishment than truth.
During this period, Jimmie met people whose lives were deeply affected by trauma, instability, and the justice system — including Ashlynn Perigo, whose situation introduced Jimmie to the harsh reality of trauma bonding and emotional cycles that keep people trapped. His experience navigating that situation strengthened his understanding of how psychological, economic, and social pressure can shape people’s decisions and their ability to escape harm.
These experiences, combined with his long-standing interest in law, civil rights, and constitutional mechanics, ultimately led Jimmie to launch The Wabash Watchdog. He built this publication because too many local stories were going unreported — stories involving misconduct, judicial behavior, pretrial release failures, risk assessments, community corrections inconsistencies, and ordinary people who couldn’t get anyone to listen.
Jimmie’s mission is straightforward:
Expose injustice, explain the law in plain language, and give citizens the truth without apology.
He follows cases end-to-end, examining affidavits, charging documents, CAD logs, police body-cam timelines, risk assessment tools, and every detail that other outlets skip. His investigative style reflects his belief that the system only works when someone is willing to challenge it.
Today, Jimmie uses his background in supervision, his firsthand understanding of human struggle, and his relentless drive for answers to hold local structures accountable across Tippecanoe and Carroll Counties. Whether analyzing community corrections, examining judicial decisions, or digging into the details of traffic stops and probable cause affidavits, he approaches every case with precision and care.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
- Truth above popularity
- Accountability over political convenience
- Due process and civil liberties for every citizen
- No story is too small if someone’s rights are at stake
- Independence from government influence
- Transparency in reporting and investigations
If you have a story, tip, or concern, Jimmie reviews every submission personally.
Confidentiality and anonymity are always respected.