Mississippi Today

Federal court clears Mississippi chief justice to appoint temporary judges in Hinds County

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2023

As early as this week, four temporary judges could be appointed to the Hinds County Circuit under House Bill 1020.

U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate read an abbreviated opinion from the bench Wednesday finally dismissing Supreme Court Justice Michael Randolph from a lawsuit brought by the NAACP on behalf of Jackson residents challenging the judicial appointments Randolph is directed to make under the law.

Randolph has been unable to make the appointments because of a temporary restraining order that has been in place since May. Now that he is no longer part of the lawsuit, he can proceed with those appointments.

“He is commanded and must obey,” Wingate said about Randolph making the appointments as HB 1020 dictates.

This decision comes several months after Wingate issued a June opinion dismissing Randolph from the lawsuit under judicial immunity – a legal principle that shelters judges from civil lawsuits when they perform judicial acts. Randolph’s attorneys argued the appointments under HB 1020 are a protected act, while the plaintiffs disagreed.

The plaintiffs also argued that the chief justice’s dismissal from the lawsuit only applied to his ability to appoint temporary circuit court judges, but not the appointment of one judge to the Capitol Complex Improvement District court court created by HB 1020. The plaintiffs asked for Wingate to clarify his order, which the judge did Wednesday.

FILE – U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate smiles, Aug. 19, 2022, in Jackson, Miss. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, Wingate ruled that the Meridian Public School District can come out from under federal supervision in a decades-old desegregation lawsuit. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

From the bench, Wingate said he stands by his June order and has expanded it to address Randolph’s appointment of a CCID judge, saying that is also a covered judicial act. Under HB 1020, that appointment would not have to be made until January 2024, which is when the CCID court would be created.

He didn’t accept the plaintiff’s argument that because the CCID is an inferior court like a municipal court, its judicial appointments would need to be made by the municipality’s governing body, such as the city council. Instead, Wingate said the CCID court is more of a “hybrid court” that resembles a municipal court but has differences crafted by the Legislature that set it apart.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs still seek to block any judicial appointments from happening. Last week, they explained a potential workaround to Wingate.

With Randolph no longer on the lawsuit and bound by a restraining order, the plaintiffs are asking Wingate to approve a request to amend the lawsuit complaint by adding several defendants: two state officials, the five unknown court appointees and two yet-to-be-known prosecutors appointed to the Capital Complex Improvement District court by the attorney general.

The next step would be for Wingate to approve a temporary restraining order preventing the four yet-to-be-known circuit court appointees from assuming office.

Attorneys for the defendants, including the public safety commissioner, Capitol Police chief and attorney general, have objected in written motions and in the courtroom to the plaintiff’s requests.

Attorney Rex Shannon, who represents the defendants, said the court can’t issue a restraining order if the parties are unknown, which would make it impossible to be able to properly serve and process them. He also said that the plaintiff’s proposed method of notifying the appointees of the restraining order through a legal notice in the Clarion Ledger would not be sufficient.

Mark Lynch, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the need to maintain the status quo, prevent any harm to the plaintiffs and urgent nature remain, which is why Wingate should approve the motions to amend the complaint and issue the new restraining order.

“We don’t have to wait long to find out who the John and Jane does are,” Lynch said.

Wingate said he will decide on those rulings and several other outstanding ones – including a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the case – after he issues his full, official order about Randolph.

A separate state challenge of HB 1020 is ongoing, but the state Supreme Court has not issued a ruling. It has been two months since oral arguments took place.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

13 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

13 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.