Younger defendants accused of more violent crimes a concerning trend in 16th Judicial District

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) –Younger defendants accused of more violent crimes. That’s one of the biggest changes Judge Jim Kitchens has seen in the last 2 and half decades in the 16th Circuit Court District.

Kitchens has been working in the 16th since the late 90’s. First as an Assistant District Attorney and for the past 20 years as a Circuit Court Judge.

The court is in the midst of its Lowndes County session, and Kitchens and his fellow judges are dealing with a heavy caseload.

About 400 people checked in for cases this week.

Much of that caseload is driven by drugs and violence, and Kitchens says he is seeing more defendants in their late teens, because they’re getting involved with drugs at an earlier age.

He sees a disturbing trend across the district.

“90% of my defendants quit school by the 9th Grade. 90% of them come from a single-parent family, and 90% of them are using some kind of illegal drugs. And those are 3 terrible ’90’s’ right there, and it’s pretty much uniform in all 4 of my counties. You can just about take those ’90 percents’ to the bank, and it’s devastating. When a kid quits school in the 9th Grade, there’s nothing good that usually happens to them.”
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Kitchens also said having an extra courtroom available could help to move cases through quicker. Currently in Lowndes County, Judges have to share courtroom space.