State of Mississippi Judiciary

Chancellors, County Court Judges elect conference officers

November 2, 2021

Chancellor Robert G. Clark III of Lexington was elected Oct. 28 as chair of the Conference of Chancery Court Judges. Chancellor Gerald Martin of Raleigh was elected vice-chair, and Chancellor Larry Little of Oxford was re-elected secretary-treasurer.

Chancellor Carter Bise of Gulfport was re-nominated to serve on the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules, and Chancellor Jennifer Schloegel of Gulfport was nominated to serve on the Committee on Continuing Judicial Education.

County Court Judges re-elected Madison County Court Judge Edwin Hannan as chairman, Washington County Court Judge Vernita King Johnson as vice-chair, and Lauderdale County Court Judge Veldore Young Graham as secretary of the Conference of County Court Judges.

The Conference of Circuit Judges re-nominated Circuit Judge Ashley Hines of Greenville to serve on the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules, and nominated Judge Toni Walker Terrett of Vicksburg as the Circuit representative on the Committee on Continuing Judicial Education.

Conference elections were held Oct. 28 during the fall Trial and Appellate Judges Conference in Jackson.

Judge Clark previously served as vice-chair of the Conference of Chancery Court Judges. He has served on the bench of the 11th Chancery District since January 2015. The district includes Holmes, Leake, Madison and Yazoo counties. He served as Holmes County Youth Court Referee 2004-2014. He was Lexington Municipal Judge 2005-2014. He previously served as board attorney for the Holmes County Board of Supervisors, attorney for the town of Cruger and the city of Tchula, and Holmes County Youth Court public defender. He earned an Associate degree from Holmes Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stillman College and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Judge Martin has served on the 13th Chancery Court bench since January 2015. The district includes Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Simpson and Smith counties. He previously served as a court appointed mediator in Circuit and Chancery courts, and as a special master in Circuit Courts. He served as attorney for the Smith County Economic Development District, was attorney for the towns of Raleigh and Taylorsville, and was municipal prosecutor for Raleigh. While in private practice, he also provided pro bono legal counsel to local churches, youth sports leagues and other non-profits organizations. He coached children’s soccer and was president of Mississippi 4-H. Judge Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mississippi State University and a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Judge Little took office in January 2019 in the 18th Chancery Court, which includes Benton, Calhoun, Lafayette, Marshall and Tippah counties. He previously served as district attorney for the Third Circuit for 10 years, and for 19 years as part-time Oxford Municipal Judge. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Mississippi School of Law for four years. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, and earned his law degree from the former Jackson School of Law, now Mississippi College School of Law.

Judge Bise has served as a chancellor of the 8th Chancery Court since January 2002. The 8th Chancery includes Harrison, Hancock and Stone counties. He practiced law on the Gulf Coast for 20 years before he took the bench. He served twice as president of the Harrison County Young Lawyers, and on the boards of Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, Harrison County Habitat for Humanity, and South Mississippi AIDS Task Force. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Belhaven College, now Belhaven University, and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Judge Schloegel has served as a chancellor of the 8th Chancery Court since January 2011. She practiced law for 19 years in the areas of business law, estate planning, wills and probate matters. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Louisiana State University and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Judge Hannan has served as chairman of the Conference of County Court Judges since 2015. Judge Johnson has been vice-chair since October 2004. Judge Young Graham began her service as Conference secretary in April 2012.

Judge Hannan, of Madison, began his service as Madison County Court Judge in January 2007. He previously served for more than nine years as Madison Municipal Judge. He practiced law for 25 years before he was elected to the Madison County Court bench. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Judge Johnson, of Greenville, has served as Washington County Court Judge since 1999. She previously served as Hollandale Municipal Court Judge 1986-1994, Arcola Municipal Court Judge 1992-1998, and Greenville Municipal Court Judge 1996-1998. She served as Washington County Youth Court prosecutor 1981-1994. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Judge Young Graham, of Meridian, has served on the Lauderdale County Court bench since January 2007. She previously presided over the 10th Judicial District Drug Court and served on the State Drug Courts Advisory Committee. Before she was elected to the bench, she served for seven years as assistant district attorney, and for two years as a public defender for the 10th Circuit Court District of Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale and Wayne counties. She engaged in private law practice in Jackson before becoming a public defender.

Judge Hines has served as a judge of the Fourth Circuit Court since January 1996. The district includes Leflore, Sunflower and Washington counties. He has served as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Rules for the past six years. He was a Scoutmaster for 15 years. He is a Worship Leader at St James’ Episcopal Church, where he also served as Junior Warden and Senior Warden. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Judge Terrett has served as a judge of the Ninth Circuit Court since January 2019. The district includes Warren, Sharkey and Issaquena counties. She served as Vicksburg Municipal Judge for six years, and as Vicksburg judge pro tempore and Community Court judge for four years. She was coordinator of the Vicksburg Domestic Violence Victims Empowerment Program. She served as a Drug Court public defender and worked for Legal Services. She was a faculty member at Alcorn State University in the Department of Mass Communications. She began her career in journalism as news director and senior producer at the Alcorn State University radio station, WPRL-FM. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Tougaloo College, a Master of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Memphis, and a law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.

####