Administrative Office of Courts
Chief Judge King takes oath as head of Court of Appeals Judge Leslie D. King of Greenville took the oath of office Jan. 2 as Chief Judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Court of Appeals Judge David A. Chandler of Ackerman administered the oath. Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice James W. Smith Jr. renewed Chief Judge King’s appointment as administrative head of the Court of Appeals in an order filed Dec. 12. Chief Justice Smith previously appointed Chief Judge King to an unexpired term as administrative head of the Court of Appeals on April 30, 2004. Mississippi’s appellate judges are elected by the people to staggered eight-year terms. The administrative appointment of chief judge is for four years. Court of Appeals Judges Chandler, Virginia Carlton of Columbia, Donna M. Barnes of Tupelo, Kenneth Griffis of Ridgeland and David M. Ishee of Gulfport also took the oath of office Jan. 2 to begin new terms. Chief Judge King administered the oaths. Judge Carlton is the newest member of the Court of Appeals. She was elected in November 2006 to the position previously held by Judge Leslie Southwick, who did not seek re-election. The 10-member Court of Appeals hears appeals assigned by the Mississippi Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has discretion over whether to review Court of Appeals decisions. Chief Judge King, 57, has served on the Court of Appeals since it was created. He was elected in 1994 from the 2nd Congressional District and began hearing cases in 1995. He previously served for 15 years in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He is a former Washington County Youth Court attorney and former Metcalfe municipal judge. #### |
