I don’t think Judge DeLaughter will make it back to the bench in the wake of the judicial bribery scandal. Speculation is growing as to who Governor Barbour will appoint to replace DeLaughter. The pool of potential candidates is huge for two reasons:
- half the lawyers in the state live in the Jackson area; and
- private practice is not as lucrative as it once was, expanding the pool of individuals who would be willing to work for the position’s salary.
The leading contender may be Hinds County Court Judge Bill Skinner. If Barbour wants to appoint a female to the position, he could look to Amanda Jones (currently serving on Barbour’s staff) or Jackson attorneys Rebecca Wiggs or Cheri Green. Having two Judge Greens in Hinds County would create chaos for lawyers who can barely show up in the right courtroom as it is.
Other potential appointees with ties to the republican party include Paul Hurst, Joe Nosef and Dave Fulcher. Governor Barbour might even take a look at Jackson lawyers Trent Walker and Pieter Teeuwissen, who both recently completed stints as special circuit court judges. Walker could end up running for the seat during the next election cycle or Skinner’s county court seat should Skinner get the appointment.
Some individuals who would be on the list of potential candidates are out because they do not live in Hinds County. Examples include Cynthia Speetjens and Cory Wilson. Carlton Reeves is not on the list because he is rumored to be in line for the open federal district court appointment. Likewise for Cliff Johnson who is a candidate for one of the U.S. attorney slots in Mississippi. There are also many highly qualified individuals in private practice who probably would not be able to accept an appointment due to the pay cut that they would have to take. If you are a lawyer with kids in private school, I probably would not list you as a candidate for that reason alone.
One thing to keep in mind is that in appointing judges, Barbour has historically been concerned with appointing someone who can win an election. This may be a bigger factor for Barbour than appointing someone who is ultra conservative. Hopefully people will post comments with other potential candidates.