Two of four open Mississippi Supreme Court seats are being contested, with five candidates battling for a northern district position.
While southern district incumbent Justice Dawn Beam is running head-to-head against Gulfport attorney David Sullivan in District 2, the northern district’s incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens faces a full stable of contenders to retain his seat. The latter race took the spotlight at the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday in front of District 1 voters.
In a relatively quiet statewide election year, a packed Founder’s Pavilion was keener than usual on the nonpartisan court seat race as one of their own, Neshoba County native Jenifer Branning, is aiming to unseat Kitchens. While Kitchens and Branning drew the most attention, two of the three other challengers spoke and emphasized a wealth of experience.
Byron Carter, a Houston, Miss. native and practicing attorney in Byram, batted leadoff in the lineup of speakers. While Carter doesn’t possess judicial experience, he used the bulk of his time allotment to note his experience in writing appeals and working on appellate cases.
“The Mississippi Supreme Court is our final court of appeals, so it’s extremely important that we have someone that’s conservative-leaning because we follow the law and don’t make the law,” Carter said. “I’ve handled more appeals than anybody in this race.”
Carter was followed by trial attorney and former Mississippi Court of Appeals judge Ceola James. While she drew some calls from the crowd to remove her face mask because the audience was unable to hear her speak, James was undeterred. She noted her experience as a trial attorney who has practiced both civil and criminal law, along with lengthy judicial experience. James also made a point to emphasize her Christian faith, quoting the Lord’s Prayer and several Bible verses.
Perhaps the largest cheer of the day came when Neshoba native Jenifer Branning took the stage. With the upcoming presidential election commanding the attention of most politicos, the Philadelphia native and current state senator reminded voters of the importance of court elections this season.
“I fully realize the presidential election is on everyone’s mind, because we all know how incredibly important it is to our future,” Branning said. “But, for the next few minutes, I’m asking you to give the same attention to the Mississippi Supreme Court election because it’s equally as important to our future and has tangible effects on your life.”
Branning, identifying herself as a “constitutional conservative,” pointed to a need for judges who do not preside to influence law, but follow it.
“We are a country of law, and we are only as good as the judges we elect to interpret those laws,” Branning said, noting that the term for Mississippi Supreme Court judges is the longest of any local, state, or federal elected office. “We cannot afford to go back to the days of jackpot justice if we’re going to be a state that provides good opportunities for our children and grandchildren to live, work, and raise their families right here in Mississippi.”
Incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens, who seeks a third term, was the final court candidate to speak. After three of Kitchens’s challengers stressed their judicial and legal experience, the Crystal Springs native followed the trio by reminding those in attendance that he has more than anyone in the race.
“Jim Kitchens has been there and done that,” Kitchens said, pointing to his 16 years on the high court and more than 40 years of legal experience. “How many of the five candidates have handled one or more criminal appeals on the Mississippi Supreme Court? All of them, maybe? Wrong. I think the answer will surprise. Jim Kitchens has spent a substantial part of his life doing all of the above – trials, appeals, civil and criminal.”
Like Branning, Kitchens also underlined the importance of the election because of the weight of cases brought to elected justices.
“It’s one thing to talk about being tough on crime, and another to do it. I’ve done it,” Kitchens said. “It’s another thing to sign your name to the bottom of a death warrant. I’m the only candidate that’s done that, and it gave me no pleasure whatsoever. But in two different cases since I’ve been on your state’s supreme court, it was my turn, it was my duty, to sign death warrants. I signed those death warrants.”
Abby Gale Robinson is the fifth candidate registered in the election for District 1, Place 3 supreme court seat but was the only one who did not speak at the Neshoba County Fair. The Jackson-based attorney did not respond to a request for comment from SuperTalk Mississippi News and does not have a campaign website listed publicly.
As political candidates who do not have a representative connection to Neshoba County cannot speak at the fair, southern district candidates Justice Dawn Beam and David Sullivan did not appear. In the other two open Mississippi Supreme Court seats, Bobby Chamberlain is running unopposed in District 3, Place 1, while Jimmy Maxwell does not face opposition for District 3, Place 2.
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