State of Mississippi Judiciary

Justice Griffis to take Supreme Court oath Feb. 1

January 24, 2019

New Supreme Court Justice T. Kenneth Griffis Jr. of Ridgeland will take the oath of office Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. in the Supreme Court En Banc Courtroom in Jackson.

Chief Justice Michael K. Randolph will administer the oath of office to Associate Justice Griffis as one of the first duties as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Justice Randolph said, “Our Court welcomes Justice Griffis, who has 16 years of appellate experience. A review of the decisions he has rendered during that time establishes that he is a student of the law, and more importantly, he adheres to the rule of law.”

Justice Griffis said, “I am honored by Governor Bryant’s confidence and the appointment to the Supreme Court. I look forward to serving with my new colleagues to ensure justice for the people of the State of Mississippi. I will miss the judges of the Court of Appeals but am confident that they will continue the tradition of excellent judicial decisions in a timely manner.”

Justice Griffis became Chief Judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals on Jan. 2. However, a few days after his selection was announced in November, Gov. Phil Bryant named him to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Justice Griffis will take the Central District judgeship held by Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., who will retire Jan. 31.

Justice Griffis was elected to the Court of Appeals in November 2002, and took office in January 2003. He became a Presiding Judge on March 3, 2011.

He is a native of Meridian. He earned accounting and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. He attended Meridian Community College and Mississippi State University - Meridian Branch. He was a Certified Public Accountant from 1984 through 2007.

Justice Griffis is admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Courts of the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, and all Mississippi state courts. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar, the Magnolia Bar Association, the Madison County Bar Association, the Capital Area Bar Association, and the Rankin County Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

He previously served as a member of the Mississippi Supreme Court’s Rules Advisory Committee and as chair of the Bench Bar Committee of the Mississippi Bar. He also served on the Committee on Continuing Judicial Education and the Committee on Electronic Filing and Case Management Systems. He was an adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law, Belhaven University, the University of Mississippi School of Law, and Meridian Community College.

Justice Griffis and his wife, Mary Helen Griffis, are the parents of five boys. They live in Ridgeland and attend Christ United Methodist Church. Justice Griffis has served as a youth Sunday School teacher, a Cub Scout leader, and a coach for more than 80 youth sports teams, including baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey.

####