Wednesday, July 29, 2009

In light of DeLaughter's impending plea & removal from the bench, who's gonna get the appointment?

As some of you may know, a felony conviction prevents someone from holding a law license. A law license is required to be a circuit court judge. Ergo, DeLaughter will be removed from the bench upon, or shortly after, his guilty plea tomorrow afternoon. (Assuming his guilty plea is in fact entered and accepted by the court.)

That opens the question: Who will Barbour appoint to replace DeLaughter?

While there is no requirement that the new judge come from the area of Hinds County covered by DeLaughter's post (Clinton, Raymond, and other points in Hinds County west & south of there), for electoral purposes, it would be more practical if the new appointee lived there.

Personally, I view the seat as Hinds County Circuit Court judge as one of the most important in Mississippi, state or federal. Hinds County is the financial, medical, and governmental mecca of the state, and as a result, some of our most important legal questions arise first in its Circuit Court. Therefore, I think this issue deserves great input from the citizenry and intense consideration by Gov. Barbour.

So, who do y'all think will get the nod?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

In light of his previous appointments, I'm going to go way out on a limb and say "a white male."

Anonymous said...

Skinner?

I don't think Jim Craig will get the nod. Not that he wouldn't be very, very good.

Anonymous said...

In all fairness he has appointed at least one white FEMALE -- Debbra Halford as judge in the 4th Chancery Court District

Anonymous said...

perhaps someone with connections to the hinds county district attorney's office??

Anonymous said...

I'll crawl further out the limb and say the description is:

white

male

Republican

large-law firm partner

nearing age 60

who promises to keep the ambulance chasers in check

who promises to be "tough" on crime

and who can raise boatloads of money for the election

Anonymous said...

The person that Eddie Brunini's committee recommends.

Jim Craig said...

Ed Peters?

Matt Eichelberger said...

Anon @ 12:41 - I think you're probably right. With Yerger retiring, the business community faces losing the entirety of the Hinds County Circuit bench. If Barbour doesn't choose carefully, big business wouldn't have a overly-friendly face amongst the four. Now who fits the bill? I'm having a hard time coming up with names that match that criteria and live in the post.

Anon @ 12:39 - Under a different governor, that's entirely possible. I don't see Barbour appointing anyone from the Hinds County DA's office, be it this one or previous administrations, primarily because of what I stated in response to Anon @ 12:41. I can't think of anyone out of that office that would be what Barbour wants

gorjus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Anon@12:41 - You nailed it but maybe left out one equally odious fact: the last time a circuit judge got appointed here Barbour steered every candidate through his hand picked, big donor captial street defense firm. For sure they're top seeds on the Boss Hog Payback A List. Hell of a note, here we are in the supposed "enlightened age," and here's Boss Hog hisself, family values pimp extrordinaire, using his big donor defense firm to stack the circuit bench with future incumbents. How about them apples for constitutional selection of judges! I well remember how he gamed Wicker in; bam! instantly there's an incumbent Congressman. Court packing, Congress stacking SOB he is, the sad fact is, there's nairee vertebrate in this state who'll step up to the plate and expose him.

nmisscommenter said...

I keep tripping over the word "Mecca" in the Post.

Jackson is any kind of Mecca?

I never saw anyone in North Mississippi bow in a southerly direction.

Matt Eichelberger said...

NMC - When I want fun and entertainment, I drive north to your town. When you look for Mississippi finance, medicine, and government, you drive to mine.

Anonymous said...

nmc - please take what i am about ot say in good humor (full disclaimer: i am a lifelong jacksonian and MSU fan) oxford is loathsome. i was there this past weekend. i was enjoying myself at murff's until about 11:20 when we started getting the last call shouts and requests to leave. we were simply trying to have a good time and enjoy the night but we were badgered for the next half hour about leaving and finishing our drinks. we were out by 11:50 as they were ripping our drinks form our hands. this happens in most every bar in oxford in the same way, and they are all complete a-holes about it, presumably because the city enforces the law pretty strictly. whichever way, it absolutely ruins oxford for me. there are many other reasons to dislike the town (19,000 people who look exaclty the same), and a few other reasons to like it. that said, i'll take jackson, hal and mals, fenians, and martins until 2:00 a.m. any day over oxford.

Jim Craig said...

Well, those folks who say we aren't talking about REAL issues on IB will have to sit up and pay attention: a Jackson-Oxford smackdown is brewing . . .

On the indicia of criminal activity, though, I propose my hometown of Oakland, California, whose thugs can take Jackson and Oxford's combined any day.

nmisscommenter said...

Bars lose their licenses over closing times in Oxford.

I don't go to Jackson for medicine or finance. I do for government, but if what Mecca has to offer is Mississippi state government, I'm glad I'm not a Muslim.

I wouldn't hold Oxford up as Mecca, either, although I love living here. On the other hand, only people from places like Kosciusko think Jackson is a city. Much less Mecca.

Anonymous said...

damn you, NMC, with your Jackson bashing. losing your license over having a person in your bar at 12:01 is a bit draconian, don't you think? also, midnight on a saturday is just too durned early to go in.

I will give Oxford this: Ajax vegetables are unbelievable. BBB was pretty damned good too.

Anonymous said...

Why you gotta bash Kosciusko?