State of Mississippi Judiciary

Judge James D. Holland

Judge James D. Holland has lived and worked in Jackson for more than 50 years. He has defended litigation in both state and federal courts against individuals and companies in Mississippi since earning a degree in political science from Millsaps College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Recognized as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, he has extensive experience trying commercial, wrongful death, and traumatic injury cases.

He is a former president of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association and was national president of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys. He served on the Board of Directors of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), and was twice a recipient of the DRI Distinguished Service Award. He was also invited to join the International Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (IADC) and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC).

He served as an instructor for the IADC Trial Academy at Stanford University. He served as vice-chair of the Mississippi Supreme Court Plain Language Jury Instruction Task Force and was vice-chair of the Business Court Study Committee appointed by then-Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. He also served as chair of the Mississippi Bar’s Summer School for Lawyers and has been a speaker at many legal seminars and continuing legal education programs around the country. Recently, Judge Holland received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association.

Judge Stanley Alexander

Judge Stanley Alexander served as a prosecutor for more than 20 years. He has served as an assistant district attorney in the Fourth, Sixth and Seventh Judicial Districts. Most recently, he served for the past three years as Senior Assistant District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District, handling cases mostly in Leflore County. He served as a Special Assistant Attorney General from 1995 to 2001, representing the Department of Human Services in civil matters. He returned to the Attorney General’s office in 2008, and was Director of the Division of Public Integrity for the Attorney General’s Office 2009-2020. He served as an Assistant Attorney General 2010-2020. He began his legal career working as a summer law clerk in the Attorney General’s Office during law school. He is Chair of the Prosecutors Section of the Mississippi Bar. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science with a minor in criminal justice from Mississippi College in 1989, and lettered in varsity football at Mississippi College. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1994. He was an Earl Warren Scholar, president of the Black Law Students Association, and worked in the law school’s housing law clinic.

Judge Alexander lives in Jackson.

Judge Christopher A. Collins

Judge Christopher A. Collins has served as a judge since 1999, including as Circuit Judge for the Eighth Judicial District, comprised of Leake, Neshoba, Newton, and Scott counties; as a Civil Judge, Domestic Violence Court Judge and Supreme Court Justice pro tem for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; and as Municipal Judge for the City of Carthage. He has 21 years of experience as a municipal prosecutor with the cities of Union and Decatur, and as a special prosecutor for the Lauderdale and Winston County Circuit Courts. Beginning in 1995, he was one of the initial public defenders in the Eighth Circuit Court District, serving until 2016. He returned to private law practice Jan. 1, 2020, after almost four years on the circuit bench. Since 2020, he has accepted appointment as a public defender in Attala, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Neshoba, Newton, and Winston counties. His private law practice has focused on criminal defense.

Judge Collins received an Associate of Arts degree from East Central Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mississippi College. He received a Juris Doctor from the Mississippi College School of Law.

Judge Collins lives in Jackson.

Dr. Bryana Smith McDougal
Clerk of Court

Dr. Bryana Smith McDougal is the Clerk of Court for the CCID Court.

Dr. McDougal recently completed her Doctor of Business Administration/ Strategic Management degree from Belhaven University. She previously earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from Belhaven University.

She served as Judicial Assistant to Supreme Court Presiding Justice Jim Kitchens for over three years. She previously worked for almost two years as an Assistant Deputy Clerk in the office of the Supreme Court. She worked for more than two years as a Rankin County Justice Court Deputy Clerk and for a year as an Information Security Analyst. She also worked for more than three years as an Executive Assistant for the Narcotics Unit of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office.

She grew up in Jackson and lives in Madison. Dr. McDougal is married to Joshua McDougal, and they have one son.