New Candidates Enter Justice Court Judge Race

By Editor | January 19, 2011 |

By David Howell
Editor

WATER VALLEY – Two new candidates have joined the race for District 2 Justice Court Judge, pushing the field to three with just over six weeks remaining to qualify for the 2011 election.

Water Valley attorney Trent Howell qualified as an independent and retired business owner Larry Lawler qualified as a democrat. They will face incumbent Steve Riley, who has also qualified to seek another term. Riley is the longest-serving elected official in office in Yalobusha, after first taking office in 1980.

Howell’s qualification as an independent marks the first so far for a candidate who is not running as a democrat in any county race on this year’s ballot. This year’s election also marks the first since the 2008 overhaul of the justice court system that marked several changes with the most notable a salary increase that allows the judge to earn the same as the county supervisor. This means in Yalobusha, the position pays $33,700.

Other new requirements, which take affect Jan. 1, 2012, requires newly-elected justice court judges to complete 80 hours of basic training and pass a competency exam from the Mississippi Judicial College of the University of Mississippi Law Center.

Justice court judges are also required to take 24 hours of annual continuing studies at the Mississippi Judicial College beginning in 2012. Currently, justice court judges have to complete only 32 hours of basic training courses and 18 hours of continuing education per year.

If the judges fail to complete the required training within eight months of beginning their term, the judge is ordered to forfeit his or her office.

Justice court judges hear cases on criminal misdemeanor charges; felony preliminaries; civil actions; citations from the highway patrol, sheriffs’ departments and game wardens.

Mississippi has 82 justice courts with 197 justice court judges. Justice courts have jurisdiction over small claims civil cases, misdemeanor criminal cases and any traffic offense that occurs outside a municipality.

Justice court judges may conduct bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases and may issue search warrants and arrest warrants.

More Races

Water Valley attorney David Burns submitted his qualifying paperwork to run for the county’s prosecuting attorney. He is the only candidate who has qualified for this post. Incumbent J.K. Ward has announced that she will not seek another term. This position also pays the same as a supervisor.

Last November Burns ran a respectable five-county race for Circuit Court judge. Like the judge’s position, the prosecuting salary was also raised in 2008 and this job pays the same as justice court judge.

The race for District One Constable has also drawn multiple candidates. Marvin Horton, Brent Anderson and Terry Ellis have all qualified to run as democrats for this office.

Incumbent Charles Cal-der passed away on Jan. 4 and supervisors are set to discuss the vacancy at the next board meeting scheduled Jan. 24 in Coffeeville.

Other candidates who have qualified in Yalobusha County include:

Sheriff: Lance Hum-phreys and Jamie Caldwell;

Tax Assessor/Collector: Linda Shuffield;

District One supervisor: Tommy Vaughn;

District Two supervisor: Amos Sims;

District Three supervisor:

Lee McMinn, Kenny Goolsby and Bailey Walker;

District Four supervisor: George Suggs;

District Five supervisor: Frank Tillman;

Chancery Clerk: Amy McMinn;

Circuit Clerk: Daryl Burney

District One Justice Court Judge: Gary Tippit;