Supreme Court of Mississippi
Encyclopedia
The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court
in the state of Mississippi
. It was created in the first constitution
of the state following its admission as a State of the Union
in 1817. Initially it was known as the "High Court of Errors and Appeals." The Court is an appellate court
, as opposed to a trial court
; thus, the Court's primary function is judicial review
. The Court building is located in downtown Jackson, Mississippi
, the state capital.
of the Court is mandated by state statute. The Court has exclusive jurisdiction, for example, over reviewing capital punishment
cases. The Mississippi Court of Appeals
, the state's other appellate court, was created by the Legislature (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-4-1, effective September 6, 1994) to assist the high court in managing a large caseload. The Court of Appeals generally handles criminal cases and cases concerning family law issues, though its jurisdiciton is also mandated by statute. All cases submitted for appellate review in the state are filed in the Supreme Court, which then re-directs the appropriate cases to the Court of Appeals and retains the cases over which it has exclusive jurisdiction. After the Court of Appeals makes its ruling, aggrieved parties in certain types of cases there may seek further review from the Mississippi Supreme Court by petitioning for a Writ of Certiorari.
) to appoint a justice to fill a seat vacated by the death or retirement of a justice. If less than half of the term remains, the appointee serves the remainder of the term. If more than half of the term remains, the appointee may serve until a special election is held. Seniority of the justices is determined by length of time in office. The chief justice is the current justice who has been in office the longest, and the presiding justices are next two in seniority.
Currently, Lamar is the only woman
justice and King is the only African-American justice, though neither is the first such justice to serve on the Court. The first woman justice was Lenore Prather, who became Chief Justice; the first African-American, Reuben Anderson. To date, no female African-American justice has served on the Mississippi Supreme Court.
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
in the state of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. It was created in the first constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of the state following its admission as a State of the Union
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
in 1817. Initially it was known as the "High Court of Errors and Appeals." The Court is an appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
, as opposed to a trial court
Trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court in which trials take place. Such courts are said to have original jurisdiction.- In the United States :...
; thus, the Court's primary function is judicial review
Judicial review
Judicial review is the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary. Specific courts with judicial review power must annul the acts of the state when it finds them incompatible with a higher authority...
. The Court building is located in downtown Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, the state capital.
Jurisdiction
The jurisdictionJurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
of the Court is mandated by state statute. The Court has exclusive jurisdiction, for example, over reviewing capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
cases. The Mississippi Court of Appeals
Mississippi Court of Appeals
The Mississippi Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the state of Mississippi. The court was created by the Mississippi Legislature to relieve a backlog of cases in the Supreme Court of Mississippi, and commenced operations in 1995....
, the state's other appellate court, was created by the Legislature (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-4-1, effective September 6, 1994) to assist the high court in managing a large caseload. The Court of Appeals generally handles criminal cases and cases concerning family law issues, though its jurisdiciton is also mandated by statute. All cases submitted for appellate review in the state are filed in the Supreme Court, which then re-directs the appropriate cases to the Court of Appeals and retains the cases over which it has exclusive jurisdiction. After the Court of Appeals makes its ruling, aggrieved parties in certain types of cases there may seek further review from the Mississippi Supreme Court by petitioning for a Writ of Certiorari.
Court composition
The Court is made up of a total of nine justices - one chief, two presiding, and six associate justices. Generally, the justices are elected for eight-year terms, with staggered election years, from three geographical districts (three judges per district) to ensure fair representation. However, it is common for the governor of the state (currently Haley BarbourHaley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
) to appoint a justice to fill a seat vacated by the death or retirement of a justice. If less than half of the term remains, the appointee serves the remainder of the term. If more than half of the term remains, the appointee may serve until a special election is held. Seniority of the justices is determined by length of time in office. The chief justice is the current justice who has been in office the longest, and the presiding justices are next two in seniority.
Sitting Justices
The current Mississippi Supreme Court, in order of seniority, includes:- Chief Justice William L. Waller, Jr.
- Presiding Justice George C. Carlson, Jr.
- Presiding Justice Jess H. DickinsonJess H. DickinsonThe Hon. Jess Hays Dickinson is a Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi. He represents District 2 Place 1.Dickinson was born in Charleston, Mississippi. His mother was Laura Augusta Hays...
- Associate Justice Mike K. Randolph
- Associate Justice Ann Hannaford LamarAnn Hannaford LamarThe Hon. Ann Hannaford Lamar of Senatobia, Mississippi is Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi. She represents District 3, Place 1. Justice Lamar is the third woman to serve on the Mississippi Supreme Court.-Early years:...
- Associate Justice James W. Kitchens
- Associate Justice David A. Chandler
- Associate Justice Randy G. Pierce
- Associate Justice Leslie D. KingLeslie D. King-Early life and education:King graduated from Coleman High School in Greenville, Mississippi in 1966 and then attended the University of Mississippi....
Currently, Lamar is the only woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
justice and King is the only African-American justice, though neither is the first such justice to serve on the Court. The first woman justice was Lenore Prather, who became Chief Justice; the first African-American, Reuben Anderson. To date, no female African-American justice has served on the Mississippi Supreme Court.