NATCHEZ, Miss. – The state Senate has approved legislation to remap judicial districts that would put Adams County with Pike County along with less populous southwest Mississippi counties.
While Adams County leaders opposed the realignment of the circuit and chancery court districts, the Senate passed the bill Wednesday on a 32-13 vote.
The 6th Circuit Court District with two judges is currently Adams, Franklin, Wilkinson and Amite counties. The bill would enlarge it by adding Jefferson, Claiborne and Pike counties. The new court district would be divided into two subdistricts with a judge to be elected by voters in Adams, Jefferson, Wilkinson and Claiborne counties and the other judge elected by voters in Pike, Franklin and Amite counties.
The 17th Chancery Court District currently has Adams County with Wilkinson, Jefferson and Claiborne counties. The Senate-passed legislation adds Pike, Franklin and Amite counties. The new court district would be divided into two subdistricts with a judge to be elected by voters in Adams, Wilkinson, Jefferson and Claiborne counties and the other judge elected from Pike, Franklin and Amite counties.
The bill is subject to more revisions as it goes back to the House of Representatives for consideration and will likely undergo negotiations before it becomes law, said Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, who chairs the Senate Judiciary A Committee and led in writing the bill. Wiggins said judicial districts need to be redrawn with more counties grouped together because of southwest Mississippi’s declining population.
The Adams County Board of Supervisors came out in opposition to the legislation earlier this month at the behest of District Attorney Tim Cotton, who said he wants to keep the 6th Circuit Court District as is with just four counties.
The southwest Mississippi circuit and chancery court districts each have two judges: Debra Blackwell and Carmen Brooks Drake for the circuit court and George Ward and Vincent Davis for the chancery court. Cotton is the circuit court district’s chief criminal prosecutor. They were elected by district voters in the four counties. The circuit court deals mainly with criminal cases while the chancery court deals with civil cases.
With Adams County (population 28,000) the most populous of the current districts’ counties, the four judges and the district attorney are based in Natchez. The addition of Pike County (population 39,000) raises the possibilities of judges and the DA being elected from the McComb area.
If the bill passes the Legislature and is approved by Gov. Tate Reeves, it would go into effect January 2027. The legislation calls for redrawing court districts throughout Mississippi.
The Senate vote for the judicial redistricting bill went largely along party lines with Republicans
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