Federal Court Denies Thompson Appeal

Jackson, Miss.- A panel of three federal judges has denied former Lee County Justice Court Judge Rickey Thompson’s plea to be placed on the November 2015 ballot as a candidate for justice court judge, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.

The Mississippi Supreme Court removed Thompson from the office of Lee County Justice Court on August 13, 2015, after finding that he repeatedly violated the constitutional rights of citizens who appeared before him.  Under Mississippi law, a judge removed from office by the Supreme Court for inappropriate conduct cannot be re-elected to a judicial office.  This law protects citizens who appear in our courts and the integrity of our judicial system by ensuring that a judge removed from office for misconduct cannot simply run for the same judicial office in the next election.

Thompson filed a suit in federal court asking federal judges to overturn this important state law. A panel of three federal judges heard Thompson’s claim and the arguments submitted by the Office of the Attorney General.  Yesterday, these judges agreed with the Office of the Attorney General and denied Thompson’s request to be placed on the November election ballot.  A central part of the federal court’s ruling was that Thompson’s state-law claim must be filed in state court.  Federal District Court Judge Carlton Reeves wrote: “The state courts are the appropriate forum to determine whether § 9-19-17 violates the Mississippi Constitution.”

“I appreciate the respect that the federal judges showed the State of Mississippi by instructing Thompson to present his arguments about the Mississippi Constitution to a Mississippi court,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “We will continue to defend the constitutionality of the law that prohibits judges who have been removed from office for misconduct from running for future judicial offices.”

The Lee County Democratic party has already selected Marcus Crump to replace Thompson in the general election.