With 10th Circuit Court Judge Lester Williamson Jr. retiring from the bench at the end of his term, voters in Kemper, Lauderdale, Clarke and Wayne counties will have an opportunity to elect a new judge to work alongside Judge Charles Wright, who is running unopposed.

Meridian natives Robert “Bo” Bailey and Robert Compton will face off on Nov. 6 for the second seat in the court, the first opportunity in four decades for voters to choose a judicial candidate. Since the second seat’s creation in 1978, judges have either been appointed or ran unopposed.

Following his graduation from Ole Miss, Bailey decided to move to Washington D.C. temporarily during the “hanging Chad” election of George W. Bush.

“There was lots of legal work and that got me thinking,” Bailey said. “We (my wife and I) decided we needed to go to law school and move back home.”

Moving to a small city, attorneys need to have a general practice and takes “whatever comes through the door,” Bailey said.

“You do the job,” Bailey said. “And I enjoy helping people.”

Bailey’s father also worked as an attorney and later as a judge, exposing the younger Bailey to life in the courthouse.

“I saw the personal commitment it took to do that job,” Bailey said. “There’s never been an opportunity to throw my name in the hat… I want to be that person that when people come in they know they’re getting fair treatment.”

Bailey discussed the need for the circuit’s next judge to be ready for change, especially as the future renovations of the courthouse remain uncertain. If the court makes the transition to the Mississippi Electronic Filing system, accessibility for judges and attorneys would improve.

“But someone in jail still can’t file electronically,” Bailey said. “Obviously, change is not easy – it takes time, it takes patience. I believe I have the temperament, patience and time to see these changes go through.”

Streamlining the docket and pushing cases along will require being there “every day, all day,” Bailey said and being available for conferences and mediation.

“One of the tough things about Circuit Court is the criminal docket – people deserve to have their cases heard in a timely manner,” Bailey said. “It’s just not respectful to let them linger.”

While most politicians might complain about campaigning, Bailey said he’s enjoyed talking to potential voters at Friday night football games and knocking on more than 2,500 doors.

“It’s my first time doing this and it’s refreshing for people. They appreciate that I’m running and that I’ve made the effort,” Bailey said. “And I like being able to campaign and watch football at the same time.”

If he wins the seat, Bailey said he would keep an open mind when listening to the facts of the cases before rendering an opinion. 

“People when they come to Circuit Court deserve a fair shake,” Bailey said, discussing the rippling effect a court has on the surrounding area. “When people are involved and when crime is low – I think those go hand-in-hand. When people get involved it pushes crime away… And it’s important that my community – and the district in general – thrives.”

Compton has criminal, civil experience 

Compton, also a Meridian native, followed in the footsteps of his father and went to law school immediately after graduating from Mississippi State University-Meridian.

“For me, I always had a desire to study law, I guess from seeing my dad as an attorney,” Compton said. “He recommended that if I wanted to practice law in Mississippi, I go to a law school in Mississippi for the connections.”

Having a general practice has given Compton the chance to explore all sorts of cases, both civil and criminal, he said.

“It seems that I have a tendency for unusual cases – not the usual run-of-the-mill cases,” Compton said. “It’s usually something new every day and it doesn’t get stale.”

The thought of becoming a judge someday crossed Compton’s mind the day he graduated from law school.

“My friends commented that as I was wearing the graduation gown I looked like a judge,” Compton said. “And I said, ‘Actually, I would like to be a trial judge.’ “

Compton served as the prosecuting attorney for Lauderdale County in 1979 alongside former District Attorney Charles Wright, who is now running unopposed as the senior judge in the Circuit Court. 

“Because I was a county prosecuting attorney, I had experience handling thousands of cases,” Compton said, adding that the district attorney’s office worked closely with the county prosecutor before expanding under current District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell. 

Compton oversaw prosecution in the case against Ma Shumate’s, a well-known brothel, finally shutting down the organization by prosecuting it as the area’s first Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) case in East Mississippi. 

“I’ve worked well with (Wright) over the years. I don’t foresee a problem working on a professional level with him,” Compton said.

Compton said that the elected judge would oversee drug court and said he’d discuss implementing the Mississippi Electronic Courts filing system with Wright. Since three of the four chancery courts in the circuit court’s jurisdiction already have electronic courts, Compton anticipated an easier transition.

“The Chancery Clerks in those three counties would be able to give assistance to the Circuit Clerks,” Compton said. “I think it would be advantageous for judges to be able to access the docket at any time on a laptop or computer… so a judge would have access and be able to personally participate or make sure the cases are moving along.”

“I enjoy trial work and I enjoy helping people with their problems,” Compton said. “I’m the only candidate that’s tried criminal and civil cases.”

Compton discussed the history the seat he hopes to win, pointing out that all previous judges had been appointed first and ran unopposed until they decided to retire. This election would be the first time in the history of the seat, created in 1978, that voters could choose a judge.

“The good Lord has given me these 40 years (of law practice) to prepare for it,” Compton said. “We’ve been fortunate to have good judges.”