State of Mississippi Judiciary

Mississippi Courts Newsletter - October 2018
November 2, 2018

Upcoming Retirement and Investiture Ceremonies
November 8, 2018

A retirement ceremony honoring Chief Justice William L. (Bill) Waller Jr. will be held Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Supreme Court Courthouse in Jackson.

Judge James L. Roberts Jr. of Pontotoc was honored for his career of more than 40 years of public ser-vice on Jan. 18 as he presented his portrait to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

The Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts seeks bilingual speakers to work as courtroom interpreters.

Judge James L. Roberts Jr. of Pontotoc will present his portrait to the Mississippi Supreme Court on Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. during a ceremony at the Supreme Court Courthouse in Jackson.

An investiture ceremony for Chancellor Margaret Alfonso will be held Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Harrison County Courthouse, 1801 23rd Avenue, Gulfport.

The Mississippi Reentry Council will meet on Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. in the Training Room of the Mississippi Supreme Court at 450 High Street in Jackson.

New Court of Appeals Judges Anthony N. “Tony” Lawrence III of Pascagoula and David Neil McCarty of Jackson will take the oath of office on January 7 at 11 a.m. at the Gartin Justice Building in Jackson.

A rogue outfit has sent spam e-mails falsely claiming to come from the Administrative Office of Courts and Mississippi Electronic Courts.

Judge T. Kenneth Griffis Jr. will take the oath of Chief Judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals Jan. 2 at 11 a.m. in the Court of Appeals Courtroom at the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson. Judge Griffis has named Court of Appeals Judges Donna M. Barnes and Virginia C. Carlton to serve as Presiding Judges of the Court of Appeals. They will take their oaths immediately after Judge Griffis is sworn in as Chief Judge.

An investiture ceremony for Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Deborah McDonald and Circuit Judge Tomika H. Irving will be held Dec. 27 at 9 a.m. at the Jefferson County High School Auditorium in Fayette.

New 14th District Chancellor Joseph N. Studdard will take the oath of office Jan. 2 at 11 a.m. at the Lowndes County Courthouse in Columbus.

An investiture ceremony for new Chancellor Robert Logan will be held Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. at the Newton County Courthouse in Decatur.

An investiture ceremony for new Lowndes County Court Judge Allison Pritchard Kizer will be held Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. at the Lowndes County Courthouse in Columbus.

An investiture ceremony for new Circuit Judge Tomika H. Irving will be held Dec. 27 at 9 a.m. at Jefferson County High School in Fayette.

An investiture ceremony for new Chancellor Charles E. (Charlie) Smith will be held Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. in Lauderdale County Chancery Court in Meridian.

An investiture ceremony for new 6th District Chancellor Kiley Kirk will be held Jan. 2 at 10:30 a.m. at the Winston County Courthouse in Louisville.

An investiture ceremony for new 9th District Chancellor Bennie L. Richard will be held Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m. in the Circuit Courtroom of the Washington County Courthouse, 900 South Washington Avenue in Greenville.

An investiture ceremony for new 7th District Chancellor Willie J. Perkins Sr. will be held Dec. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Leflore County Courthouse in Greenwood.

An investiture ceremony for new Lee County Court Judge Staci Shumpert Bevill will be held Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. in the Circuit Courtroom of the Lee County Justice Center, 200 West Jefferson Street in Tupelo.

A judicial investiture ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. in the third floor courtroom at the Forrest County Courthouse, 630 Main Street in Hattiesburg.

New 14th District Chancellor Rodney P. Faver will take the oath of office Jan. 4 at 11 a.m. at the Oktibbeha County Chancery Courthouse in Starkville.

New 14th District Chancellor Paula Drungole-Ellis will take the oath of office Dec. 28 at 11 a.m. at the Oktibbeha County Chancery Courthouse in Starkville.

An investiture ceremony for new Chancellor Bradley D. Tennison and new Circuit Judge John R. White will be held Dec. 28 at 10 a.m. at Northeast Mississippi Community College, 101 Cunningham Boulevard in Booneville.

A judicial investiture ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. in the large circuit courtroom in the old Jackson County Courthouse in Pascagoula.

New Ninth District Circuit Judge Toni Walker Terrett will be sworn in Dec. 27 at 3:30 p.m. at the Warren County Courthouse, 1009 Cherry Street in Vicksburg.

Judicial oath ceremonies are scheduled for Dec. 18 in Madison County, Dec. 19 in Rankin County, and on Dec. 27 and Jan. 2 in Hinds County.

Chancellors Cynthia L. Brewer, Robert G. Clark III and James C. Walker will take the oath of office in a ceremony scheduled for Dec. 14 at 9:30 a.m. in Madison County Chancery Court in Canton.

The Mississippi Commission on Guardianships and Conservatorships is expected to finalize its recommendations for legislation and court rule changes during a meeting that will begin at 10 a.m. Dec. 7 at the Gartin Justice Building in Jackson.

Judicial training will begin Dec. 3 for the largest group of new state court judges in modern times.

The Family First Initiative envisions a network of local businesses, churches, non-profits and individuals coming to the aid of struggling poor families, and that is what has happened in Pearl River County.

Judicially led committees working for the protection of children will meet at the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson on November 29 and 30.

Attorney Marcie Fyke Baria of Bay St. Louis recently became chair of the Board of Bar Admissions.

Judge T. Kenneth Griffis, Jr. will become the next Chief Judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. announced today.

Mississippi Court of Appeals Chief Judge L. Joseph Lee was recognized Thursday, Nov. 15, for more than seven years of exemplary leadership of the court and 20 years of public service.

Retired Court of Appeals Judge Mary Libby Payne, who inspired and mentored several generations of lawyers, presented her portrait to the court in a ceremony on Nov. 8.

Chief Justice William L. (Bill) Waller Jr. announced today that he will retire on January 31, 2019.

Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. has appointed Col. Silvanus Johnson of Brandon as a lay member of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance.

The Mississippi Supreme Court has made three appointments to the Bar Complaint Tribunal.

Circuit Judge Andrew K. Howorth of Oxford and Jackson County Court Judge Sharon W. Sigalas of Pascagoula have been appointed to the State Drug Courts Advisory Committee.

The Mississippi Supreme Court has appointed a new member to the Mississippi Board of Bar Admissions and reappointed two members.

Retired Chancellor Woodrow Wilson Brand, Jr. of Houston died at his home on Nov. 1. He was 85.

Former Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge James P. “Jim” Brantley of Madison died Oct. 31 in an accident at his home. He was 80.

The Mississippi Court of Appeals will convene on three college campuses in November. Three-judge panels will hear oral arguments at Rust College on Nov. 7, Alcorn State University on Nov. 13, and Mississippi State University on Nov. 14.

Youth Courts in Forrest and Rankin counties have been approved for grants of $75,000 each to improve services for infants and toddlers.

Chief Judge L. Joseph Lee of the Mississippi Court of Appeals will be honored at a retirement ceremo-ny scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Gartin Justice Building in Jackson.

Retired Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Mary Libby Payne will present her portrait to the court in a ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. Nov. 8.

Chancellor Lawrence Primeaux of Meridian was elected chair of Mississippi’s Conference of Chancery Judges on Oct. 25 at the Fall Trial and Appellate Judges Conference in Jackson.

Retired Chancellor W. O. “Chet” Dillard of Clinton gave free legal advice to help the poor, and continued his work at Mission First Legal Aid even as illness claimed his voice.

The Family First Initiative Metro Advisory Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson to discuss a pilot program aimed at preventing child neglect and reducing the number of children who are placed in foster care.