Chancery Court Judge District 8, Place 4
Chancery Courts have jurisdiction over disputes in matters involving equity; domestic matters including adoptions, custody disputes and divorces; guardianships; sanity hearings; wills; and challenges to constitutionality of state laws. Land records are filed in Chancery Court.Chancery Courts have jurisdiction over juvenile matters in counties which have no County Court. The chancellor may appoint a lawyer in private practice to sit as a youth court referee to hear juvenile matters such as delinquency, abuse and neglect.Trials are typically heard by a chancellor without a jury, although state law allows parties to request a jury in Chancery Court.There are 20 Chancery Court districts and 52 Chancery Court judges. The number of chancery judges per district ranges from one to four. Chancery Court judges are selected in non-partisan elections to serve four-year terms.
Please outline your general judicial philosophy and cite any role models.
How will you balance being an independent judge and an elected official?
What qualifies you to be a judge beyond a law degree? Why should I vote for you?
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Qualifications & Education
38 years as a practicing attorney in Gulfport heavily focusing on Chancery Court cases and handling thousands of cases even up to the United States Supreme Court. 30 years of combined judicial experience- as Municipal Judge in Gulfport, Long Beach, and currently in Bay St. Louis, as Youth Court Referee hearing and deciding cases involving abused and neglected children, mentally ill children, and issues regarding termination of parental rights, and as Family Master in Chancery Court in Harrison County hearing cases and helping the Chancellors decide divorces, child custody, child support, and paternity cases. Graduate of University of Southern Mississippi (1985) and Cumberland School of Law (1988). Licensed in Mississippi and Alabama. Founded my own firm in 1993.
Links - Social Media, Other
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560512033304
As a sitting Judge, I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to be listened to and treated with dignity and respect. I believe that the courts exist to serve the public, not the other way around. As a Judge, I have dedicated myself to the constant study of the law and have worked tirelessly to improve court procedures to make them more understandable and accessible to everyone. Judges should primarily seek to apply the law fairly, with the understanding that at times they have to interpret the law and they should seek to do so in a manner which is consistent with the intent and purpose of the law.
Elections are important because they give our community a say in who sits the bench, but as a Judge for many years I understand it is important to maintain independence when it comes to making a decision. Judges should have the courage to make the difficult decision, not just the popular or expedient one.
In addition to 38 years experience practicing nearly every day in Chancery Court and my 30 years combined judicial experience, in my personal life, my wife, Sandy, and I served for over 20 years as foster parents in Harrison and Hancock Counties and we were happy to have over fifty children in our home through the years. I believe we do our best work when we serve those who are most vulnerable.
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