Saunders v. Mississippi
Plaintiffs claimed that a bill set to restructure the judiciary in Hinds County violated state constitutional clauses governing the selection of trial judges and establishment of inferior courts. The bill requires the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court to appoint four temporary trial judges and establishes a new municipal court for certain criminal matters in Hinds County.
The Mississippi Supreme Court held that the portions of the law creating new appointed temporary special circuit judge positions violated the state constitution’s requirement that circuit judges be elected. The Court upheld the remainder of the law.
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