Supreme Court of Mississippi Decisions

The Supreme Court of Mississippi reviews decisions in the Mississippi Court of Appeals, as well as decisions in the chancery, circuit, and county courts. It holds exclusive jurisdiction over cases of first impression and cases that implicate issues of broad public interest. In addition, the Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over cases in certain areas, including capital punishment, challenges to an election or the constitutionality of a law, questions certified by a federal court to the Supreme Court, and disciplinary proceedings in the legal profession.

The qualifications for serving on the Supreme Court of Mississippi are defined by Article VI, Section 150 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. A candidate must be at least 30 years old, a practicing attorney, and a citizen of Mississippi for at least five years. The nine justices on the Court are elected from three judicial districts in non-partisan elections. Each justice serves an eight-year term. Mississippi ensures that elections are staggered so that not all nine seats are open at the same time. Among the nine justices, there is one Chief Justice, two Presiding Justices, and six Associate Justices. Seniority on the Court determines how the justices are distributed among those roles.

When a seat becomes open, the Governor of Mississippi can appoint a new justice to fill the seat. However, their tenure lasts only for the rest of the current term. The interim justice must run for the seat in the next election if they want to remain on the Court. A justice may be removed if two-thirds of the Mississippi House of Representatives votes to impeach them, and two-thirds of the Mississippi Senate votes to remove them. The Governor also may remove a justice upon the joint address of two-thirds of both houses of the legislature. Finally, a justice may be removed after the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance recommends their removal. This involves a two-thirds vote by secret ballot of a tribunal of seven circuit or chancery judges, chosen by lot.

Browse Opinions From the Supreme Court of Mississippi

Recent Decisions From the Supreme Court of Mississippi
City of Picayune v. Landry Lewis Germany Architects, P.A.  
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2022-CA-00909-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Mississippi reviewed a case where a city was sued for negligence due to its failure to disclose a juror's potential conflict of interest during a trial. The City of Picayune had originally sued…

Martin Ndicu v. Susan Gacheri
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2022-CT-00415-SCT
Petition for Writ of Certiorari filed by Martin Ndicu is denied. All Justices Agree. Order entered 3/6/24.
Danny Wheeler v. Mississippi Limestone Corporation and The Phoenix Insurance Company
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2022-CT-00534-SCT
Petition for Writ of Certiorari filed by Danny Wheeler is denied. To Deny: All Justices. Order entered 3/11/24.
Exson v. State of Mississippi  
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2022-KA-01089-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: The case before the Supreme Court of Mississippi involves an appeal by Joe Exson, who was convicted of burglary of a dwelling, grand larceny, and first-degree arson. Exson was identified in a video committing these…

Marbley v. State of Mississippi  
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2022-KA-01280-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Mississippi affirmed the conviction and sentence of Timothy Marbley for aggravated domestic violence. The case originated from an incident in April 2020, where officers responded to a…

Keith Montrago Jackson a/k/a Keith Jackson v. State of Mississippi  
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2023-KA-00273-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case conducted by the Supreme Court of Mississippi, the defendant, Keith Montrago Jackson, was charged and convicted of sexual battery and sentenced to life imprisonment. The case stemmed from an incident…

In Re: Commission on Continuing Legal Education
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 89-R-99011-SCT
Godbolt v. State of Mississippi  
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2020-DP-00440-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Mississippi reviewed the convictions and death sentences of Willie Cory Godbolt, who was found guilty of several counts of murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, and armed robbery. The…

Soweto Ronnell Love a/k/a Soweto Love v. State of Mississippi
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2021-CT-01101-SCT
Petition for a Writ of Certiorari filed by Soweto Ronnell Love, pro se, is granted. To Grant: Kitchens and King, P.JJ., Coleman, Chamberlin and Ishee, JJ. To Deny: Randolph, C.J., Maxwell, Beam and Griffis, JJ. Order entered 3/4/24.
Gregory P. Norwood, M.D., Desoto Womens Care Center, PLLC and G & G Health Services, LLC v. Valenthia Smith
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2021-IA-01404-SCT
This interlocutory appeal is before the en banc Court on its own motion. Having considered the records and the briefs, the Court finds that further review is unnecessary. The interlocutory appeal is dismissed, and the appellants shall bear the costs of this appeal. Agree: Randolph, C.J., Kitchens and King, P.JJ., Maxwell, Beam, Chamberlin and Ishee, JJ. Disagree: Coleman and Griffis, JJ. Order entered 3/4/24.
Federinko v. Forrest County, Mississippi  
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2023-CA-00204-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Mississippi affirmed the trial court's dismissal of a case brought by John E. Federinko against Forrest County and its coroner, Butch Benedict, Jr. Federinko, the father of Alison…

Stratton v. McKey  
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2023-CP-00451-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Mississippi has once again ruled on the case of Robert Stratton, who has been fighting for the possession of his 1949 International KB 3/4-ton truck. In 2006, Stratton left his truck at a repair…

Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. and ACE American Insurance Company v. Sheila Williams
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2023-CT-00453-SCT
Petition for Writ of Certiorari and Reverse and Stay Mandate, or in the Alternative, Petition for Interlocutory Appeal, filed by Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. and Ace American Insurance Company, is denied in part and dismissed in part. All Justices Agree. Order entered 2/29/24.
Mississippi Division of Medicaid v. Women's Pavilion of South Mississippi, PLLC  
Date: March 7, 2024
Citation: 2023-SA-00098-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and the Women’s Pavilion of South Mississippi, PLLC. Women's Pavilion, a physician-owned OBGYN clinic, challenged Mississippi Division of Medicaid's calculation of…

In the Matter of the Elton G. Beebe, Sr. Irrevocable Family Mortgage Trust v. Family Management, Inc.  
Date: February 29, 2024
Citation: 2022-CA-01176-SCT

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Mississippi affirmed the trial court's decision to reform an irrevocable trust to reflect the original intent of the settlor. The settlor, Elton G. Beebe Sr., created a trust in 1992 with the aim of…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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