Administrative Office of Courts
Justice Leslie King to be honored Justice Leslie D. King of Greenville is this year’s recipient of the Chief Justice Award. Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. will present the award on June 27 at the Mississippi Bar Convention in Sandestin, Fla. The annual award recognizes an individual whose work has improved the judicial system. The award recognizes Justice King’s 19 years of service as an appellate judge. He was elected to the Court of Appeals in 1994 and began hearing cases in January 1995. He served as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals from April 30, 2004, until March 1, 2011. At the time he left the Court of Appeals, he was its longest serving member, having been elected to the court at its inception. He was appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court on March 1, 2011. Chief Justice Waller said Justice King will be honored for “his tireless service, devotion to duty and unflinching leadership which helped shape the highly respected and effective Court of Appeals of the State of Mississippi.” Justice King said, “I was very surprised upon learning that I was the recipient of this award. It is certainly an honor which I greatly appreciate. In carrying out my responsibilities at the Court of Appeals, I never gave any consideration to any individual honor. Instead, I was merely doing my job – a job which I enjoyed and attempted to do to the best of my ability. “I would be remiss if I did not recognize the dedicated judges and staff of the Court of Appeals. While I am the face associated with this award, it was really earned by them. Their dedication to duty and sense of pride made my responsibilities lighter. It is their dedication to duty and sense of pride, which ultimately shaped the Court of Appeals. I thank them for their service, and on behalf of them, I thank the Chief Justice for this award.” Before he was elected to the Court of Appeals, Justice King served for 15 years in the House of Representatives. He was vice-chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and vice-chair of the Conservation and Water Resources Committee. He is a former Washington County Youth Court counselor, prosecutor and public defender, and former Metcalfe Municipal Judge. Justice King graduated from the University of Mississippi and Texas Southern University School of Law. #### |
