Administrative Office of Courts
Supreme Court names new Marshal The Mississippi Supreme Court has appointed Stephen E. Markert of Madison as Marshal in charge of security for the Carroll Gartin Justice Building. The appointment is effective July 12. Markert replaces A. W. Grubbs of Brandon, who retired June 30 after 14 years of service to the court. The Supreme Court Marshal directs security and emergency responses in the Gartin Justice Building in Jackson. The Marshal coordinates with Capitol Police to provide security for the public, Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals Judges, and all staff who work in the Gartin Justice Building. The Marshal is appointed by the justices of the Supreme Court. The position of Marshal of the Supreme Court is a statutory post authorized by Mississippi Code Section 9-3-29. Markert, 57, has 32 years of law enforcement and judicial security experience. Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. said, “We are pleased to have a person of such extensive experience and training to ensure the safety of the justices, judges, court employees and the public.” Markert retired June 30 as Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for the 45-county Southern District of Mississippi. For the past 12 years, he managed daily operations for the U.S. Marshals Service. He oversaw security in six federal courthouses. He was responsible for security planning during construction of four new courthouses and remodeling of two existing facilities. He managed federal prisoner transportation and housing. He oversaw apprehension of fugitives, and helped develop the Central Mississippi Fugitive Task Force. Markert oversaw the U. S. Marshals Service disaster response to Hurricane Katrina, coordinating evacuation of judges, U.S. District Court staff, U.S. Marshals Service staff and their families, and federal prisoners. In the aftermath of the hurricane, he helped facilitate resumption of court operations. Markert was Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal in Portland, Ore., for three years before he became Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal in Jackson. He began his law enforcement career as a Richmond, Ky., police officer, then worked as a correctional officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Lexington, Ky. His first post with the U.S. Marshals Service was in San Diego, Calif. He left the Marshals Service for two years to serve as a U.S. Customs Service special agent in San Diego, where he was assigned to investigate narcotics smuggling across the U.S. border. Markert earned a bachelor’s degree in police administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He completed the executive development program at the Law Enforcement Management Institute at Sam Houston State University. His law enforcement academy training includes U.S. Marshals and U.S. Customs basic programs at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center at Glynco, Ga., and the Kentucky Department of Justice Training Academy. #### |
