- Justice Court Judges hear and decide cases for small claims of $3,500 or less, low-level criminal cases and traffic cases that take place outside of cities. 
- Justice Court Judges have the power to issue search warrants for the police to search a suspect’s property, and they also have the power to decide how much bond should be for high-level criminal cases. 
- Mississippi has 82 Justice Courts with 197 Justice Court Judges. 
- Justice Court Judges are the only Mississippi judges elected in partisan elections. They serve four year terms. 

The decision maker in small claims and traffic cases

Mississippi

2023 Mississippi General Election

Public Safety

Judicial Efficiency

Justice Court Judge

- The Board of Elections is responsible for conducting your county elections. They set the boundaries for voting precincts and secure facilities to serve as polling locations for these precincts.
- The Board recruits, selects, hires, trains and assigns personnel to serve as poll workers.
- The Board conducts qualifications for candidates and develops the ballots used for each election.
- The Board acquires, maintains, prepares and delivers equipment used to conduct elections. They also publicize notices as required by law and maintain election records.

Part of the board that supervises your county's elections

Voting Access

Election Oversight

Election Commissioner

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- Some Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in odd-numbered years before presidential elections (2023, 2027, 2031, etc.).

Part of the board that governs your county's public school system

Teacher Pay

College & Career Readiness

County School Board Member

- The County Coroner runs the Coroner’s Office, which is responsible for making sure that death investigators are available 24 hours per day to investigate all deaths “affecting the public interest.” 
- Deaths that they are responsible for investigating include deaths causes by accidents, murder, suicide, radiation, heat, electric, chemicals, abortion, disease, sudden infant death syndrome, unexplained deaths, deaths in prison or jail, and deaths where the identity of the dead is unknown. 
- The Coroner is responsible for maintaining copies of all death investigations for five years and coordinating with the State Medical Examiner. 
- There are two types of coroners: chief medical examiners (CMEs) and chief medical investigations (CMEIs). CMEs have a medical or osteopathic degree, while CMEIs are non-physicians who have at least a high school diploma. 
- Coroners are elected to four year terms in partisan elections.

The chief medical examiner or chief medical investigator for the county

Forrest

County Coroner

- The County Sheriff is an elected official who acts as the chief law enforcement officer in their county. They are tasked with operating the county jails, keeping courtrooms secure during trials, and keeping the public safe through proper law enforcement. 
- Each Sheriff's Office in Mississippi may look a little different in how they hire and run their teams, but they are all responsible for serving civil paperwork, making arrests, and enforcing laws in unincorporated areas of the county. 
- While city police are in charge of law enforcement in their specific cities, county sheriffs are responsible for law enforcement in the areas outside of those cities but within the broader county. 
- There are 82 county sheriffs in Mississippi, one for each individual county. 

The chief law enforcement officer in the county

Policing

County Sheriff

- Circuit Court Clerks are responsible for receiving and filing all lawsuits, indictments, motions, and other court paperwork in all civil and criminal cases filed in county and circuit courts. 
- These clerks also issue all summons and subpoenas at the county and circuit court level, as well as selects and qualifies citizens to serve on juries. 
- Circuit Court Clerks keep records of all court judgements, issue marriage licenses, record all professional licenses, and register citizens to vote. 
- Cases in circuit court are high-level criminal cases and civil cases, while cases in county court are eminent domain cases and juvenile court matters, including youth court, delinquency, abuse, and neglect cases. 
- Circuit Court Clerks are elected every four years in partisan elections

Official record keeper and administrator of the county and circuit courts

2023 Mississippi candidates

Desoto Justice Court Judge, District 1

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Desoto Justice Court Judge, District 2

1 candidate

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Desoto Justice Court Judge, District 3

1 candidate

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Desoto Justice Court Judge, District 5

2 candidates

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Desoto Election Commissioner, District 2

2 candidates

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Desoto Election Commissioner, District 4

1 candidate

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Desoto County School Board Member, District 3

2 candidates

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Forrest County Coroner

2 candidates

Forrest County Sheriff

2 candidates

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Forrest Circuit Court Clerk

2 candidates

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