Judicial seat filled

By Julie Cooper (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Tuesday, December 8, 2009

NATCHEZ — Natchez attorney Sen. Vincent Davis will fill the 17th District Chancery Court position left vacant when Judge Kennie Middleton died in September.

Davis, a Fayette resident, will be resigning from his position as Mississippi state senator representing District 36 and closing his Natchez law office.

Gov. Haley Barbour notified Davis of his new judicial post Monday morning, and Davis agreed to start work today.

“I’m going to go to the courthouse, get with Judge (George) Ward and see what he wants or needs me to do,” Davis said. “I’m going to pick a starting point and start.”

Ward is also a 17th District chancery judge and has been filling in the gaps since Middleton’s death.

The 17th District includes Adams, Claiborne, Jefferson and Wilkinson counties, all areas with which Davis said he is familiar.

He has represented the people of Claiborne and Jefferson counties as a state senator since January 2008. Prior to that he was the assistant district attorney for seven years in the Sixth District, which includes Adams and Wilkinson counties.

After Middleton’s death, Davis began receiving calls asking him to apply for the judiciary position, he said.

“Judge Middleton was a friend of mine. If I had my choice he would still be here and on the bench,” he said. “But sometimes situations change. The calls just kept coming, and I started giving it serious consideration.”

Davis submitted his resume to a judicial search committee formed by the governor. He made their cut, and moved on for an interview with the governor. That interview occurred recently, and Davis said he left with a good feeling.

“The interview felt fairly comfortable to me,” he said. “He did not indicate at the time what he would do, but he expressed to me at the time, having worked with me the last few years in the senate, that he had an appreciation for my work ethic and the way I tend to approach matters.”

Now with the formal appointment, Davis said he’s looking forward to serving the communities that he knows so well.

“The only way I know to carry myself is to be the kind of person that listens before I make decisions, be very deliberate and try to be fair,” he said. “I intend to maintain the integrity that judges in this area have shown and maintain the integrity of the bench.”

Davis said he will be working immediately to resolve his ongoing cases at his private practice or transfer them elsewhere.

He planned to resign from the senate today. A special election will be held to replace him.

Davis is a graduate of Alcorn State University and the Mississippi College School of Law.

Chancery clerks hear civil cases including divorces, custody matters and wills, among other things. They do not hear criminal cases.