Four candidates vying to represent Mississippi’s northern district on the state Supreme Court made their pitches to the Columbus Exchange Club on Thursday.
John Brady, Bobby Chamberlin, Steve Crampton and Jim Kitchens are competing for Ann Lamar’s seat on the court. Lamar announced early this year that she will not seek another term on the court.
The northern district covers 33 counties in Mississippi, including Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay.
Exchange Club President-elect Ann Marie Langford said she thought it was good to have the candidates in — especially all four at one time to allow club members to ask questions and hear responses from each candidate.
“I work in the circuit clerk’s office and we’re doing absentee voting,” Langford said. “When people come in, they know there’s the presidential election, but they’re shocked to see there’s a supreme court election, an appellate court election and local election commissioners.
“…So it is good to publicize that and make the public aware that there’s more candidates on the ballot than just for President,” she added.
John Brady
Brady, of Columbus, said he strongly believes that the role of the court is to interpret, not make, laws.
“I want to see our state progress, and I want to see our citizens prosper,” he said. “I think we need conservative, Christian leaders on the court who will fairly apply the law of the case to the facts of the case and not try to legislate from the bench.”
Brady began practicing law in 1994 at a law firm in Jackson. He’s worked with Mitchell, McNutt and Sams in Columbus since 2003.
He said in his 22 years of law practice, he’s primarily worked on litigation defense. Brady has defended law enforcement, government entities, large and small businesses and individuals. He said he also has extensive appellate experience and has gone before the Mississippi Supreme Court and other appellate courts many times.
Brady also touted his endorsements by former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and the Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC).
Bobby Chamberlin
Chamberlin said he has three beliefs about what judges should stand for.
He said he believes judges should follow and apply the law, rather than make it. He said the the Constitution says what it says and it should be followed as such.
“It’s [the Constitution] not, as they say, a living document that can be changed just to suit what’s going on today,” Chamberlin said. “It’s served us very well for many, many years. I believe the people who wrote that document had divine guidance, and if the people think it needs to be changed, there’s a process to do that contained in our Constitution.”
Chamberlin added that, as a Christian, he believes he should bring his Christian values to the court.
All of those, he said, fall under what he called an “overriding rule” for courtrooms.
“Everyone is entitled to a fair and level playing field, and each and every person who comes into a courtroom should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve,” Chamberlin said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Chamberlin is form Hernando. He’s a judge in Mississippi’s 17th Circuit Court District, where he’s served for 18 years. He’s also served as a board attorney for Coldwater, a municipal prosecutor and a senator in the Mississippi Legislature.
Steve Crampton
Crampton said he’s running because he believes an expanded government threatens the rights of ordinary civilians.
“The cold, hard truth is the more there is of government, the less there is of freedom,” Crampton said. “It’s just the natural, inevitable consequence as our government continues to grow.”
Crampton is from Tupelo. He has more than 30 years of legal experience, including corporate, civil and criminal law on the trial and appellate levels.
He noted he’s been particularly involved in defending the constitutional rights of Christians across the country in state and federal courts.
“We’re not really winning the war on religious freedom,” he said. “In fact, as we stand here today, our nation faces the greatest threat to our religious beliefs that we’ve ever faced. As our religious freedom goes, so go the rest of our freedoms. Even the freedom to vote, I think, is ultimately at risk.”
Jim Kitchens
Kitchens, of Caledonia, told the Exchange Club he believes it’s vitally important to have judges on the Supreme Court who have trial court experience.
Kitchens worked as a clerk for a former Chief Justice Dan Lee on the court from 1994-96. He currently serves as a judge in Mississippi’s 16th Circuit Court District — a position he’s held for 14 years. His past work also includes experience as an assistant district attorney for former district attorney Forrest Allgood.
While Kitchens noted his belief that all four candidates are good men, he said that, unless he or Chamberlin wins the seat, the court will be without a circuit judge.
“When I left the court to come back home in ’96, six of the nine judges on the court had been trial judges,” he said. “Now there are two. Soon there may only be one trial judge on that court. Ann Lamar is the only circuit judge left on that court and she’s retiring.
“I think you need a circuit judge on that court who has tried a jury trial, who’s tried a death penalty case,” he said.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.