/ ListenUpYall.com
Apr 6, 2021 3:26 PM
NATCHEZ, Miss. – Another attempt is being recommended by a former state Supreme Court justice for establishing an Adams County office of lawyers to defend accused criminals who can’t afford to pay for them.
Adams County supervisors agreed last year to set it up the public defenders office but later aborted it. Ethics questions arose about Adams County Circuit Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders’ daughter and sister being among the defense lawyers working under someone appointed by Sanders.
Former justice Randy Pierce, who’s now director of the Mississippi Judicial College, presented a compromise proposal Monday to Adams County supervisors. It would have retired Adams County circuit judge Al Johnson appoint the county’s chief public defender rather than Sanders.
/ ListenUpYall.com
Mar 1, 2021 11:36 PM
NATCHEZ, Miss. – County supervisors have agreed to pay public defense attorneys for their recent work amid a squabble between Adams County’s two circuit judges about who they should appoint to represent indigent clients.
At Monday’s meeting of the county board, Judges Lillie Blackmon Sanders and Debra Blackwell displayed their disagreements in full view of the supervisors.
“It’s my courtroom, and I’m not going to let Judge Sanders or anyone else force me to appoint someone I don’t want to appoint,” Blackwell told the supervisors.
Sanders – as Adams County’s longest-serving Circuit Court judge holds seniority status, but the anti-nepotism law doesn’t allow her to appoint daughter Aisha Sanders and sister Lydia Blackmon as county public defense lawyers.