Rankin County politics are always exciting. The Chancery Judge race is likely to be as well.
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4 candidates are in the final mix, but it’s not the same line-up as previously blogged.
Haydn Roberts has jumped in and Craig Slay has bowed out.
Rankin County,the 20th Chancery District, is currently served by Judge John Grant and Judge John McLaurin, just appointed by the Governor. A new position, for a third Judge, has been created by the legislature with the election to be held November 3, 2015.
Haydn Roberts is the latest candidate, but is a very familiar face. Roberts previously served as the Staff Attorney in Rankin County for Judges Grant and Fairly for the past eight years. He has been involved “in over 10,000 cases by assisting the Chancery Judges with case management and review, editing and writing opinions, helping local lawyers with procedure and guiding lawyers and litigants through the Chancery Court litigation process.”
Haydn is also serving as the Family Master, a position prior served by John McLaurin . The Family Master is a part-time Judge hearing Emergency Petitions,Temporary Hearings and the types of matters the current Chancellors hear.
Roberts graduated from Ole Miss and Mississippi College School of Law.
Prentiss Grant “has lived and built his law practice in Rankin County for the past twenty-six years. Prentiss’ law practice is concentrated in family law, and eighty percent of his cases are tried in Rankin Chancery Court.”
Grant graduated from Northeast Louisiana University and Mississippi College School of Law.
Rusty Williard has “spent 30 years trying Chancery cases and 15 years [in] Rankin County.” Williard is a self-proclaimed “ruthless defender of the rights of children in chancery court and with juvenile defense matters, he is currently a certified Guardian Ad Litem as well as a Youth Court advocate.
Williard graduated from Millsaps College and l Mississippi College School of Law.
James (Jim) M. Nix
Limited information was available about Attorney Nix. An on-line presence was not readily apparent.
Company: Jones and Nix, PLLC
Admit Date: 06/02/1981
Physical Address: 814 N President St
Jackson, MS 39201
Mail Address: P O Box 55601
Jackson, MS 39296-5601
Phone: (601) 948-6800
Fax: (601) 948-7100
Email: jones-nix@att.net
Status: Active
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney and practices in Rankin County Chancery Court. Residents of Rankin County should research and support the candidate of their choice for this important position.
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Jim Nix has over 35 years of law experience almost exclusively devoted to matters which are within the substantive jurisdiction of the Chancery Court. He is currently a partner at Jones & Nix, PLLC in Jackson, Mississippi, where he has practice since 1988. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He recently created a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Jim-Nix-for-Judge-1402960356701221/timeline/