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Mississippi State Courts

Courts – State Courts – Mississippi

Highest Court

Supreme Court
The Supreme Court consists of 9 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Mandatory jurisdiction in civil, capital criminal, criminal, administrative agency, juvenile, disciplinary, original proceeding, and interlocutory decision cases. (2) Discretionary jurisdiction in certified questions from federal court cases.

Intermediate Courts

Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals consists of 10 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Mandatory jurisdiction in civil, capital crime, administrative agency, juvenile, original proceeding, and interlocutory decision cases assigned by the Supreme Court. (2) No discretionary jurisdiction.

General Courts

Circuit Court
The Circuit Court consists of 48 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Tort, contract, real property rights ($200/no maximum), paternity, and civil appeals. (2) Felony, misdemeanors, appeals, and miscellaneous criminal.
No jury trials are overseen by this court.

Chancery Court
The Chancery Court consists of 45 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Tort, contract, real property rights, marriage dissolution, support/custody, paternity, estate, mental health, and civil appeals. (2) Hears juvenile if no County Court. (3) Appeals on record.
No jury trials are overseen by this court.

Limited Courts

County Court
The County Court consists of 24 judges. it has jurisdiction over (1) Tort, contract, real property rights ($0/$75,000), miscellaneous domestic relations, and civil appeals. (2) Misdemeanor. (3) Juvenile. (4) Preliminary hearings.
No jury trials are overseen by this court.

Justice Court
The Justice Court consists of 191 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Tort, contract, and real property rights ($0/$2,500). (2) Misdemeanor. (3) Preliminary hearings.
No jury trials are overseen by this court.

Municipal Court
The Municipal Court consists of 215 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Misdemeanor. (2) Traffic/other violations.
No jury trials are overseen by this court.

Additional Information

Adjourning if the judge be absent
In the absence of the circuit judge or chancellor, court shall stand adjourned.  On the third day of continuous absence,  it shall stand adjourned by virtue of a written order by the judge or chancellor.  It may be adjourned by the clerk or sheriff to any day of the term as the written order may direct and all parties, witnesses, and jurors must attend accordingly. (MS Code§ 9-1-9)

Judge not to sit when interested or related
A judge shall not preside over a trial where either of the parties shall be connected by affinity or consanguinity, if the case may hold some interest to the judge, or if the judge has been of counsel.  The only exemption is if the judge and both parties involved consent to the said judge presiding.
(MS Code § 9-1-11).

Allowance for stationery
The circuit, chancery, and county courts shall make a budget for the clerks’ office and courtroom needs and supplies that is to be certified to the board of supervisors.  Be aware that  furniture purchases in an excess of $500 dollars a year will not be allowed without first obtaining the approval of the board of supervisors of the county.  (MS Code § 9-1-37)

Civil docket
The Supreme Court clerk shall keep a docket of all pending or to be pending civil cases and place them in order as to when they were filed in the Supreme Court Clerk’s office. (MS Code § 9-3-19).

Issues of fact may be tried
Appeals presented to the Supreme Court will be searched for all issues of fact necessary to the appeal’s disposition and prescribe what evidence may be produced before it on the issue. (MS Code § 9-3-37)

Jurisdiction of the chancery court, in general
The chancery court in addition to the full jurisdiction in all the matters and cases expressly conferred upon it by the constitution shall have jurisdiction of all cases transferred to it by the circuit court or remanded to it by the supreme court; and such further jurisdiction, as is, in this chapter or elsewhere, provided by law. (MS Code § 9-5-81).

Judicial Advisory Study Committee.
Statute 9-21-21 of the Mississippi Code outlines how the members of the Mississippi Judicial Advisory Study Committee are chosen. (MS Code § 9-21-21)


Inside Mississippi State Courts