Being a family law judge is a very difficult job. It is fraught with high emotion, drama and critical decisions.
Judge Thomas handled it in stride.
Judge Dewayne Thomas passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, September 16. 2026.
He was honest, fair and truly cared about the families that came before him.
He will be missed.
He loved his family, Ole Miss athletics and fishing!
Condolences to his family. Prayers for peace and comfort.
Chancery Judges are some of the most powerful judges in the state.
A Mississippi Chancellor (Chancery Court judge) holds broad judicial power over cases of equity; including domestic relations (divorce, custody, child support), wills, estates, land disputes, and cases involving minors or persons of unsound mind.
They have authority to grant injunctions, punish for contempt (fines, sanctions and/or jail), and exercise these powers daily.
An ideal judge combines high intellectual capacity with exceptional temperament, impartiality, and integrity.
Key qualities include patience, legal expertise, active listening, courage, and the ability to act firmly yet with compassion, ensuring fair proceedings and timely, reasoned decisions that uphold public trust.
Fairness in justly applying the law to the facts is an oath Judge swear to do.
Showing respect to the litigants, the attorneys, and the witnesses is a must.
Being honest, patient and acting with integrity are prerequisites for any Judge.
In Mississippi, in most cases judges are elected. Most Mississippians never encounter a judge and don’t give much thought into who is judge.
I assure you who your judge is is critically important and impacts your rights to your child and your fights to your freedom.
There are judicial elections throughout the state this November.
Get involved. Educate yourself. Ask attorneys and persons that know the judge or have experience with them.
Want an honest assessment? (that’s only mildly biased) Ask me.
Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and practices statewide and right now who your judge is can matter more than the facts or the law…and that’s potentially dangerous.
Do NOT assume that your Judge knows the law. It’s dangerous when they don’t,…it’s worse when they do know the law and choose to ignore it!
In a recent Mississippi Supreme Court Opinion, every Justice agreed that Hinds Chancellor, Tametrice Hodges Linzey, should have recused herself, but did not.
Recusal means the Judge can longer hear the case or the issue and in some instances it is mandatory. Here, it was mandatory.
This refusal, by Judge Tametrice Hodges Lindsey, violated well-founded Mississippi law.
When asked by trial counsel to recuse herself, Judge Tametrice Hodges Lindsey claimed to not have seen the motion, despite it being filed in writing and filed with the Mississippi Electronic Court filing system.
When it was brought to her direct attention, she asked for 60 additional days! She then missed her own-self imposed deadline and was ORDERED by the Mississippi Supreme Court to do her job. She then denied the recusal… (link to MS Supreme Court Order above.)
Hinds County Chancery and Mississippi can do better.
It should not take an appeal all the way to the Mississippi Supreme Court to get a Judge to follow the law they swore to uphold!
CONCLUSION
“¶53. The visitation and custody issues were only resolved in Angela’s favor before this Court received both appeals… The trial court erred by finding (the attorney) in contempt without recusing from the constructive criminal contempt proceeding and giving him proper notice...” Majority Opinion, Mississippi Supreme Court. 4/02/2026 https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=730_755583.pdf&c=98771&a=N&s=2
Matthew Thompson is chancery attorney in Mississippi and supports a change in Hinds County Chancery Court. VOTE NOVEMBER 3!!
It’s time for a change in Hinds County Chancery Court.
#HodgesNOTforHinds
by Sophia Paffenroth March 25, 2026
See Sophia Paffenroth’s article in Mississippi Today about a proposed Joint Custody Bill.
Paffenroth conferred with multiple attorneys, professors and persons/clients who all wrestled with custody issues…
Paffenroth’s article, in full, is linked above and the proposed Bill, in full is linked below.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney in Mississippi and does think Joint Custody could be in the best interest of the child in certain circumstances…
Joint Custody is en vogue. A law requiring equally shared parenting time is back before the Mississippi legislature…
House Bill 1662 includes the following; There shall be a rebuttable presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time is in the best interest of the child.
If the court grants joint custody and equally shared parenting time, the court shall construct a parenting time schedule which maximizes the time each parent has with the child and ensures the best interest of the child is met.
(ii) The presumption created in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be rebuttable by a preponderance of the evidence.
A court that does not award joint custody with equally shared parenting time shall document the reasons for deviating from the presumption.
The Joint Custody bill also includes a Child Support formula:
(b) To calculate child support for joint custody with equally shared parenting time, unless the court determines a deviation from this paragraph is in the best interest of the child, the court shall:
(i) Calculate a child-support award under the guidelines of Section 43-19-101 for each parent as if each parent was the obligor;
(ii) Calculate the difference in the two (2) awards by subtracting the lesser award from the larger award; and
(iii) Order the difference in the two (2) awards to be paid by the parent who has the higher adjusted gross income to the parent with the lower adjusted gross income.
(c) Upon petition of both parents, the court may grant legal and/or physical custody to one (1) parent without documenting a reason for deviation.
Senate Bill 2027 tracks the House Bill.
This iteration was kicked around last year and was scuttled at the last minute.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney in Mississippi and does think Joint Custody could be in the best interest of the child in certain circumstances…
5 bills proposed changes this year in family law, 2-each sought similar relied by banning Sharia law and allowing for a “no fault” divorce, of sorts. All died in Committee.
HB 11
Sharia law; prohibit the application of in divorce and child custody cases.
02/03 (H) Died In Committee Arnold
HB 974
Divorce beneficiary revocation; clarify the effective date.
02/03 (H) Died In Committee Mangold
HB1271
Divorce; create 13th ground for irretrievable breakdown.
02/03 (H) Died In Committee Yates
HB1417
Sharia law; prohibit the application of in divorce and child custody cases.
02/03 (H) Died In Committee Mansell
SB2029
Divorce; authorize a court to grant when it is determined that a marriage is irretrievably broken.
02/03 (S) Died In Committee Wiggins
Matthew Thompson is Family Law attorney and is paying attention to the 2026 session.
Hinds County Attorney, Bridgett Clayton, has qualified to run for Hinds County Chancery Judge!
“After much prayer and consideration, I am honored and excited to announce that I qualified for Hinds County Chancery Court Judge, District 5-3, on today.”
“I am ready to serve the citizens of Hinds County with God serving as a Lamp unto my feet and the Light unto my path as I seek election for this judicial seat to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before my God. Micah 6:8”
I am requesting your prayers and support during the campaign as well as on Election Day which is November 3.
Please be on the lookout for future campaign information. Thank You!
Matthew Thompson is a Chancery practitioner and knows-well the power, authority and responsibility that Chancellor’s have and the knowledge and wisdom they should possess. Attorney Bridgett Clayton has all of those qualities and then-some!
Please support Bridgett Clayton for Hinds County Chancellor!
Judges take an oath to uphold the Law. Most do, but some do not. The Code of Judicial Conduct are the standards for the ethical and professional conduct of judges.
So what do you do when the Judge rules against you? Sometimes it’s a judgment call and not a violation of the law. In these circumstances you can file a Motion for New Trial and/or an Appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court.
But what about when the judge clearly violates the law? Can you sue the Judge? Usually, no. Judges have what is known as Judicial Immunity that protects them from civil liability for violating the law. If the actions are criminal there could be penalties, but typically not for civil violations.
However, if a Judge violates the Judicial Canons and violates your rights you do have options. What else can be done? You can Contact Mississippi Judicial Performance and file a COMPLAINT.
Judicial performance is an entity created by the Mississippi Constitution that seeks;
To enforce the standards of judicial conduct,
To inquire into judicial liability and conduct,
To protect the public from judicial misconduct and disabled judges, and
To protect the judiciary from unfounded allegations.
All proceedings before the Commission are of a civil nature, not criminal, as the purpose of the Commission is to be rehabilitative and educational as well as disciplinary.
Any citizen, litigant, attorney, law enforcement official, judge, public official, or other individual who has knowledge of possible judicial misconduct may file a complaint with the Commission. Complaints may also be filed anonymously. Additionally, the Commission may file a complaint on its own motion based upon matters it learns of in other ways, such as from mass media and information obtained during the course of an investigation.
All complaints must be submitted to the Commission in writing. The Commission does not accept oral complaints. You may use a complaint form or write a letter to the Commission. A complaint form filed with the Commission should be typewritten or printed so that it is easily readable.
Complaints should include all information available regarding your case, the case number, Court it is in, the parties names, and any witnesses to the violation(s).
The complaint should include the specific conduct complained of and the violation alleged.
Matthew Thompson is an attorney in Mississippi and knows most Judges try to do it right…but for those that willfully do not do it right, Judicial Performance can address your concerns.
