State of Mississippi Judiciary

Clarence Webster III appointed to Bar Complaint Tribunal, five members reappointed

November 6, 2020

The Mississippi Supreme Court appointed Clarence Webster III of Jackson to the Bar Complaint Tribunal and reappointed five members of the Tribunal.

Reappointed to the Tribunal are Hinds County Court Judge LaRita Cooper Stokes, Circuit Judge Smith Murphey V of Batesville, Circuit Judge Anthony A. Mozingo of Oak Grove, attorney Brehm T. Bell of Bay St. Louis and attorney William H. Davis Jr. of Corinth.

Chief Justice Mike Randolph signed the appointments order on Nov. 5. The three-year terms will begin Jan. 1, 2021.

Members of the Complaint Tribunal hear and decide disciplinary matters arising out of complaints against attorneys. Discipline may range from private reprimand to disbarment. Decisions from the Complaint Tribunal may be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Actions by the Complaint Tribunal are final if not appealed.

The 27-member Complaint Tribunal is made up of nine judges and 18 lawyers selected by the nine members of the Supreme Court from three Supreme Court districts. The Complaint Tribunal sits in panels of three, with each panel comprised of two attorneys and one judge.

Webster will replace attorney Brandon I. Dorsey on the Tribunal.

Webster practices with the Bradley law firm in Jackson. His practice areas include complex commercial litigation, product liability and mass tort litigation, and appellate litigation. He also has experience in real estate litigation, and he provides legal counsel and representation to employers. He has participated in cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts in Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Illinois, California, Wisconsin, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama.

Webster serves as editor of Mississippi Lawyer magazine and as a member of the Mississippi Bar’s Ethics Committee. He previously served as chair of the Bar’s Litigation Section Executive Committee and as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee. He is secretary treasurer for the Capital Area Bar Association and is a member of the Magnolia Bar, for which he has served as membership chair. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Association, and a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel.

He is a member of The 100 Black Men of Jackson, the Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society Board and the Rotary Club of Jackson. He served as chair of the I.S. Sanders YMCA Board and as a member of the Central Mississippi Ole Miss Alumni Association Executive Board, Phoenix Club of Jackson, and the Century Club Charities.

Webster earned a law degree from Yale Law School in 2005, and was a member of the Law Review and Moot Court Board. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi in 2002.

Judge Cooper-Stokes, Judge Murphey, Judge Mozingo, Bell and Davis have served on the Tribunal for three years.

Judge Cooper-Stokes has served on the Hinds County Court since January 2015. She previously served as a councilwoman for the city of Jackson's Ward 3. She worked as a staff attorney for the Department of Human Services 1990 to 1996. She is a graduate of Jackson State University and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

Judge Murphey joined the 17th Circuit Court bench in January 2011. He has served on the Mississippi Board of Bar Admissions since January 2009. He became an alternate member of the Commission on Judicial Performance earlier this year. He previously served as chair, vice-chair and secretary treasurer of the Conference of Circuit Judges. He was an assistant district attorney of the 17th Circuit District for almost 15 years. He is former president of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association and former president of the Prosecutors Section of the Mississippi Bar. Judge Murphey earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi and a law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.

Judge Mozingo has served on the 15th Circuit Court bench since January 2011. He is secretary treasurer of the Conference of Circuit Judges. He previously served as a municipal judge for the cities of Purvis and Lumberton, Justice Court Judge Pro Tempore for Jefferson Davis County, and attorney for the Lamar County Board of Supervisors. Judge Mozingo graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned a law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.

Bell represents plaintiffs in personal injury and insurance claims. He previously served as Hancock County Youth Court Referee for more than three years. He served as an officer in the local Kiwanis Club, Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce. Bell earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Davis practices law with the firm of Clayton O’Donnell in Corinth. He practice areas include corporate transactions, commercial litigation, business torts, labor and employment litigation, insurance defense, wrongful death defense, and banking and collection actions. He represents cities, counties and school districts in civil rights and constitutional law litigation and in transactional matters. He is a member and past president of the Corinth Rotary Club, serves as a board member of the Benjamin and Corinne Pierce Foundation and serves as an advisory board member of both the C.A.R.E. community foundation and the Yocona Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a den leader for Cub Scout Pack 123. He is a past officer and board member of the United Way of Corinth and Alcorn County, Main Street Corinth and the Corinth Historic Preservation Commission. Davis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and a law degree from Emory University School of Law.

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