Tag Archives: judge

Adoption, alimony, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, General Legal, Grandparent Visitation, Irreconcilable differences, Marriage, Modifications, Opinion, Property Division, Visitation

Bridgett Clayton for Hinds County Chancellor

02/03/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

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!

Divorce

WHAT TO DO IF THE JUDGE VIOLATES YOUR RIGHTS!

01/31/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

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.

Judicial Complaint Form

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.

Divorce

Will Irretrievable Breakdown Breakthrough in 2026?!?

01/21/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Senate Bill 2029, ( Sen. Brice Wiggins) proposes some common-sense change to Mississippi Family Law…for the umpteenth time in the last 20 years.

This Legislation proposes to add a 13th ground.

“Thirteenth. Upon application of either party, the court may grant a divorce when the court finds there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage and that further attempts at reconciliation are impractical or futile and not in the best interests of the parties or family.“

This change would bring Mississippi in-line with 48 other states and Puerto Rico, all having true No-Fault divorce laws.

The other piece of this legislation eliminates the willful and obstinate aspects for abandonment and only requires “Continued * * * desertion for the space of one (1) year.”

But I am entitled to a divorce if I want one, right? NO, Financial/divorce blackmail is legal in Mississippi under its current law.

Mississippi does NOT have a no-fault divorce option. Either you have fault grounds or an agreement to all issues and if you have neither of those, you cannot get a divorce in Mississippi.

These are common-sense changes in MS family law and would actually prevent protracted litigation and messy, expensive contests.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and reminds you this Bill is contrary to the divorce attorney’s best interests and I am in support of these changes!

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Look out WebMD here comes ChatGPT!

10/13/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

For years Doctors have enjoyed the saying “I’m sure your WebMD is just as good as my actual M.D….

Self-diagnosing running rampant…

Well now ChatGPT has made everyone a lawyer.

Need a brief in response to a summary judgment motion?

In mere seconds a fully typed, cited and “winning” brief is at your fingertips.

Only, there’s just one problem…

It’s fake! The cites are fake. The rulings are made up and the cases and courts may not even exist.

Recently BigLaw and small firms have been swept up in AI legal malfeasance. It’s making the rounds and the news.

A federal judge has even been the target of an inquiry when a ghost ruling appeared with fictitious parties, fake facts and bad law! The order vanished and was replaced with a corrected one.

So be careful out there. We can no longer believe the news, the internet or our own eyes.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney that cites Westlaw and text books, such as Mississippi Divorce, Alimony and Child Custody, with forms.

Child Custody, Child Support

Facebook, Friends and Your Judge…

02/21/2019 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

In Madison, Wisconsin a Judge accepting a litigant’s friend request was enough to warrant a new trial by a different Judge.

In 2016, a mother sought sole custody and child support in a modification action against the father. After a two-day evidentiary trial, the Judge gave the parties 10 days to submit proposals on how the Court should rule. After these submissions, but prior to the Court ruling the Judge accepted the mother’s Facebook friend request. This was unknown to the father.

While awaiting a decision, the mother liked 18 of the Judge’s “Facebook posts and commented on two of them.” However, the Judge did not like or comment on any of the mother’s posts, though he did not deny reading them.

In July, the Judge ruled in favor of the mother. That same day, the guardian ad litem for the child learned that the mother had posted on Facebook that “the Honorable Judge granted everything we requested” and then discovered the mother and Judge were Facebook friends.

The father filed a motion to reconsider, arguing the Facebook frienship created the appearance of impropriety. The Court ruled that he’d made up phis mind prior to the request and denied the father’s motion.

The Wisconsin Appellate Court found that these circumstances clearly created the appearance of impropriety.

The mother’s friend request, and the Judge’s acceptance just prior to a decision “conveys the impression that [the mother] was in a special position to influence [the] Judge’s ultimate decision — a position not available to individuals that he had not ‘friended,’ such as [the father].

The appellate court did state that the “decision does not reach the merits of… [the] ultimate decision on [the mother’s] motion, and we recognize the parties will be required to relitigate their custody and physical placement issues.”

Source: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2019/02/20/judge-accepted-facebook-friend-request-woman-pending-matter/2925778002/

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and encourages you NOT to be Facebook friends with your Judge.

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal

Judicial Election Winners & Run-off(s)

11/08/2018 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

HINDS COUNTY

Chancery Judges Unopposed

Dewayne Thomas

Denise Owens

Winner

Crystal Wise Martin defeating Reginald Harrion

Runoff

Tiffany Grove vs. Monique Brown-Barrett

RANKIN COUNTY

Chancery Judges Unopposed

John C. McLaurin, Jr.

Haydn J. Roberts

Runoff

Mel Coxwell vs. Troy Odom

CHANCERY CT. DIST 14 Place 1 (Starkville, Columbus, et. al.)

Runoff

Lee Ann Turner vs. Rodney Faver

Runoff

CARRIE JOURDAN vs. JOE STUDDARD

CHANCERY CT. DIST 14 PLACE 3 –

Winner

PAULA DRUNGOLE-ELLIS

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, et. al.

Winners

Charles E. “Charlie” Smith Chancery 21-2

Judge Larry Primeaux. Unopposed.

LEFLORE COUNTY (includes additional Delta counties)

Runoff

Katherine Tackett Mills vs. Willie J. Perkins, Sr.

SIMPSON COUNTY

Winner

David Shoemake

THE COAST Chancery Court Judge 8, 3

Runoff

Margaret Alfonso vs. Sanford R. (Sandy) Steckler

This race is exciting because of the candidates. Judge Steckler is the incumbent.Judge Alfonso is a former Chancellor who left Chancery for Youth Court (County Court) and is now running.This makes a very recent former Chancellor against a current Chancellor and they actually served together.

Chancery Court District 16 Place 2, SW Coastal Counties

Runoff

Tanya Hasbrouck vs. Ashlee Trehern.

Harrison County Court/Youth Court

Runoff

Mike Dickinson vs. Anna Ward Sukmann

District 6: Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Kemper, Neshoba, Winston

Winner

Kiley Kirk

…more to come.

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

The Race is ON! Electing Judges Mississippi style.

05/11/2018 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

In Mississippi we pick our judges like we pick class favorites. The winner is whoever gets the most votes. The qualifying deadline passed, just minutes ago, and below are your candidates.

This post is focused on certain Family Law Judge races primarily, because that is what I primarily do. I will expound on other judicial races in future posts. This link will take you to all of the candidates.

Races to Watch.

HINDS COUNTY

Chancery Court Judge Sub 5-1

Dewayne Thomas

Unopposed. Congratulations Judge Thomas.

Chancery Court Judge Sub 5-2

Patricia Wise – Current Chancellor – Withdrawn

The rumor mill had her retiring effective the end of this year and that appears true as she is not listed among the candidates.

Reginald Harrion

Qualified early and is in it to win it.

Crystal Wise Martin

Recently qualified. Interestingly, this is Judge Wise’s daughter. She was technically running against her mother for a few weeks.

Chancery Court Judge Sub 5-3

Denise Owens

Unopposed. The current Senior Chancellor is signing up for 4 more years. Congratulations Judge Owens

Chancery Court Judge Sub 5-4

Steven P. Nixon

Qualified early and was hoping to be the only candidate in the field. However, three additional candidates qualified to run for this spot this week. This is an Open seat due to Judge Singletary’s announced retirement.

Tiffany Grove

Qualified this week.

Monique Brown-Barrett

Qualified this week.

Ottawa Carter, Jr.

Qualified this week.

RANKIN COUNTY

Chancery Court Judge 20, 1

John C. McLaurin, Jr.

Unopposed. Congratulations Judge McLaurin.

Chancery Court Judge 20, 1

Tamekia Cooper Bennett

Mel Coxwell

Troy Odom

Place 2 is the race to watch in Rankin. Judicial stalwart John Grant is retiring.

Chancery Court Judge 20, 3

Haydn J. Roberts

Unopposed. Congratulations Judge Roberts

LAUDERDALE COUNTY

Chancery Court Judge 12 – 1 (includes other areas)

Charles E. “Charlie” Smith
Frances Smith Stephenson

This should be a tight race. This is an open seat due to Judge Mason’s retirement. The winner will have big shoes to fill with Mason’s retirement, but will have perhaps the best asset possible across the hall for all things Chancery, their colleague Judge Larry Primeaux.

LEFLORE COUNTY

Chancery Court Judge 7, Sub 7-2 (includes additional Delta counties)

Katherine Tackett Mills
Willie J. Perkins, Sr.
Richard W. Ryals, II

This is an open seat due to Judge Barnwell’s retirement.

SIMPSON COUNTY

Chancery Court Judge 13, 1

David Shoemake

Allen Buffington

Judge Shoemake had an opponent early on who withdrew to run for Andy Gipson’s position once Gipson was elevated (removed) from the legislature. Buffington is a familiar name, but it is NOT the previous Judge Buffington, that was Larry. This will be an interesting race to watch. Shoemake has some weak spots…

THE COAST

Chancery Court Judge 8, 3

Margaret Alfonso
Diane Herman Ellis
Sanford R. (Sandy) Steckler

This race is exciting because of the candidates. Judge Steckler is the incumbent. Judge Alfonso is a former Chancellor who left Chancery for Youth Court (County Court) and is now running. This makes a very recent former Chancellor against a current Chancellor and they actually served together.

Attorney Ellis, a practitioner, has some acclaim for a case of first impression in Mississippi that ultimately made law that a child born of the marriage, of a same-sex marriage is of the marriage, even though genetic material may have come from a different source.

There are other hotly contested races in Starkville, Hattiesburg, the Coast and other judicial positions. Stay tuned for the 411!

Matthew Thompson is a lawyer and will likely run for judge in 15-25 years. It’s never too early to start campaigning!