The Capital Complex Improvement District officially has its own court after years of litigation surrounding legislation enacted to further law enforcement efforts in Jackson.
An opening ceremony was held at the court’s 201 South Jefferson Street location on Friday. Though the inferior court resides in Mississippi’s capital city, Jackson officials have no authority over its operations. Rather, the state will head the judicial process carried out within the facility.
The court was ultimately able to come to fruition after the NAACP dropped its lawsuit against House Bill 1020, which was etched into law by Gov. Tate Reeves in 2022. The bill expanded the jurisdiction of Capitol Police while simultaneously creating a court with appointed judges.
Critics of the legislation contended that the majority white and Republican legislature was attempting to take control of a majority Black city by stymying the voices of the local electorate. However, NAACP officials ultimately had a change of heart after assurances were made that the people of Jackson would be protected, rather than harmed by the court.
“Plaintiffs are heartened by reports that the CCID Court will be established with appropriate safeguards for Jackson’s residents, and have decided to drop their challenge to the manner of appointing officials to serve that court,” attorneys representing the NAACP wrote in their motion for voluntary dismissal of the case.
Proponents of the court argue that crime has run amock in the capital city and that an expedited judicial process will ultimately yield positive results in keeping criminal behavior off the streets.
Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Randolph, who was legislatively tasked with appointing bench members for the CCID court, has tabbed three Jackson residents to hold judicial positions. James Holland and Stanley Alexander will serve as full-time judges while Christopher Collins will fill a part-time role. The judges’ terms will last from now until July 1, 2027.
Holland has resided in Jackson’s Fondren district for more than five decades and has practiced law for more than four decades. He has defended litigation in both state and federal courts against individuals and companies in Mississippi since earning a degree in political science from Millsaps College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Alexander served as a prosecutor for more than 20 years. He has served as an assistant district attorney in three Mississippi districts and has served in multiple roles with the state’s attorney general’s office. He is chair of the Prosecutors Section of the Mississippi Bar and was once a member of the board of directors of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association.
Collins has served as a judge since 1999, including a stint as Supreme Court Justice pro tem for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, among other roles. He has 21 years of experience as a municipal prosecutor with the cities of Union and Decatur and as a special prosecutor for the Lauderdale and Winston County Circuit Courts. Collins has also spent extensive time in private practice and as a public defender.
Dr. Bryanna Smith McDougal was named the court’s clerk. McDougle comes to the new position with a plethora of experience. She served as the judicial assistant to former Supreme Court Presiding Justice Jim Kitchens for more than three years. McDougle worked for nearly two years as an assistant deputy clerk for the Supreme Court and as a clerk in Rankin County.
In accordance with state law, the CCID court will adjudicate misdemeanor offenses and traffic citations carried out by Capitol Police, as well as conduct initial appearances for felony offenses investigated by the state-run law enforcement agency. All fines collected by the court will be forwarded to the city of Jackson.
Traffic court will be held each Tuesday. Misdemeanor trials will be conducted on Thursdays. Initial appearances will be conducted each weekday morning. The court will begin operations Monday.