Administrative Office of Courts
New Chancellors, County Court Judge to take oath Dec. 21 in Pascagoula December 18, 2018 A judicial investiture ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. in the large circuit courtroom in the old Jackson County Courthouse in Pascagoula. New Chancellors Tanya Hasbrouck and Mark A. Maples and new Jackson County Court Judge Mark H. Watts will be sworn in along with incumbent judges of the 19th Circuit, 16th Chancery and Jackson County Court. Supreme Court Justice David M. Ishee will administer the oaths of office. Chancellor Pat H. Watts Jr., father of Judge Mark Watts, will assist with the ceremony. Incumbents taking the oath to begin new terms are Senior Circuit Judge Kathy King Jackson, Circuit Judge Robert P. Krebs, Circuit Judge Dale Harkey, Senior Chancellor D. Neil Harris Sr., and Jackson County Court Judge Sharon W. Sigalas. Judge Maples also will hold ceremonies in George and Greene counties on Dec. 20. Ceremonies will be held at the Greene County Courthouse in Leakesville at 11 a.m. Dec. 20, and at the George County Courthouse in Lucedale at 2 p.m. Dec. 20. Retired Chancellor Glenn Barlow will administer the ceremonial oath. New terms for trial court judges begin on Jan. 1, 2019. Chancellor Hasbrouck will serve in the position currently held by Chancellor Jaye Bradley, and Chancellor Maples will serve in the position held by Chancellor Michael Fondren. Judges Bradley and Fondren will retire Dec. 31. Judge Watts will take the position held by retiring County Court Judge T. Larry Wilson, who also will retire Dec. 31. Chancellor Hasbrouck was public defender for Gautier and Pascagoula, and previously worked as a Jackson County assistant public defender. She served for 12 years as an assistant district attorney in the 19th Circuit. Her private practice was in family law, Social Security disability and criminal law. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Center for Legal Services and previously served as president and vice-president of the Jackson County Bar Association and Jackson County Young Lawyers. She is a registered nurse. Before she became an attorney, she worked primarily in pediatrics. She has a nursing degree from Montana State University. She earned a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law while working as a nurse. She began her legal career as a law clerk for the late Justice Michael Sullivan of the Mississippi Supreme Court. Chancellor Maples served as George County Prosecutor, a part-time position, for 28 years. He was the attorney for Singing River Electric Power Association for 28 years, and was board attorney for George County Schools for 18 years. He is a graduate of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the University of Mississippi and Mississippi College School of Law. He is the son of the late Circuit Judge Darwin Maples. Judge Watts served as Jackson County Prosecutor for 27 years and maintained a private law practice for 30 years. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in business from the University of Southern Mississippi and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Across the state, 42 new judges will take their oaths of office in ceremonies scheduled during the next three weeks. New judges include three new Court of Appeals judges, 20 new Chancery Court judges, nine new Circuit Court judges and 10 new County Court judges. A list of investiture ceremonies around the state is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/Ceremonies.php. #### |
