Can you believe it? Three years after Katrina there are still so much Katrina litigation remaining that the Mississippi Supreme Court has appointed eleven special judges?
Eleven special judges will be appointed today by the state Supreme Court to hear civil cases related to Hurricane Katrina in Jackson County.
Circuit and County judges in Jackson County recused themselves from hearing civil cases related to Hurricane Katrina. The courts of Jackson County recently requested special judge appointments in about 242 civil cases pending in the Circuit Court and 19 cases pending in the County Court.
I did a quick check of open State Farm cases in the Southern District Federal Court and they have around that same number of cases pending there. I hear that one day our state courts will be on a Pacer-like system – and I’m beginning to wonder if there still won’t be Katrina cases when that one-day finally comes.
The special judges include seven retired judges, three former presidents of the Mississippi Bar and a law professor.
State Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Smith will administer the oath of office at 3 p.m. today for some of the special judges.
They are:
Former Hinds County Court Judge James Bell of Jackson. Patricia Bennett of Jackson, professor of law at the Mississippi College School of Law. Richard Bennett of Jackson, former Mississippi Bar president. Retired Court of Appeals Judge Billy Bridges of Brandon. Retired Circuit Judge Kenneth Coleman of New Albany. Retired Chancery Judge William Lutz of Canton. Retired Chancery Judge Ray Montgomery of Canton. Retired Chancery Judge Edward Prisock of Louisville. Charles Swayze Jr. of Greenwood, former Mississippi Bar president. William “Cham” Trotter III of Belzoni, former Mississippi Bar president. Retired Chancery Judge Thomas Zebert of Pearl.