Special Judge Jess Dickinson recused himself from the John Davis case today. Davis is the former Director of the Department of Human Services. A Hinds County grand jury indicted him for fraud, embezzlement, and conspiracy in 2020.
The case was assigned to Judge Adrienne Wooten. However, Judge Wooten's docket mushroomed thanks to repeated shutdowns of the courts during the pandemic. Judge Wooten reassigned the case to Judge Dickinson earlier this week. However, the former Justice was Executive Director of Child Protective Services while Davis was DHS Director. Judge Dickinson said he recused himself to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Judge Dickinson stated:
This matter was assigned to me, the undersigned Special Hinds County Circuit Court Judge, on February 8, 2022. In September 2017, Governor Phil Bryant appointed me as Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services ("MDCPS") where I served until February 2020. During my tenure as Commissioner of MDCPS, the defendant, John Davis, was the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services ("MDHS"). While I had little personal contact with the defendant, many members of my staff interacted on a daily basis with members of the MDHS staff, who processed a large part of MDCPS's financial transactions, including payment to foster parents and congregate care facilities, as well as payroll to MDCPS's approximately 1,300 employees.
Additionally, when I began my tenure as Commissioner of MDCPS and discovered the agency was on track to experience a deficit of more.then $50 million for the then-current fiscal year, MDHS provided a substantial portion of the funds necessary for MDCPS to meet its financial obligations and allow the agency to complete the fiscal year without a deficit.
Because of the close working relationship ofmy staff with the MDHS staff; and because of the substantial funding provided by MDHS to MDCPS during my tenure as Commissioner, I believe the potential appearance of a conflict of interest in the mind of the public is too strong for me to preside over this case. I therefore must recuse.The case is reassigned to Judge Wooten.
19 comments:
Lmao @ 0 comments
Only one comment? This blog is a complete joke.
KF - are you not posting comments due to the gag order?
The fact that it was even assigned to Dickinson should be investigated. What on earth was she thinking? AND, why did she take sides and agree to rule for the gag order supporting the defense's position? Public officials, public money, state and federal resources - how much more public can you get? Where's the transparency?
Mississippi - where secrets go to die, and everyone - including the judges - are in on the scam. In this case, it might be literally true since she worked in that agency prior to becoming a judge. Talk about a need for recusal....
Diogenes could not figure this one out.
Judge Wooten!!! Are you kidding me!!!
Happy now 10:01?
@10:01 PM - I think this site is a Russian troll farm and the Russians are busy with other things right now.
A case like this being assigned to a hot headed, racist dunce like Wooten is laughable. She has the legal acumen of the last in the class at America's worst law school.
This blog is a complete joke.
But sufficiently relevant enough to stimulate your infantile droppings on a daily basis.
I would have thought that Judge Wooten would at least ask Jess in advance if he was in a position to take the case before transferring the case to him.
@6:39 - its not that hard to understand if you know anything about how the law works, which evidently you do not.
When Wooten recused/resigned, Presiding Judge Tommie Green had the responsibility to assign the case to another Judge - a Judge that is currently serving in Hinds County.
Judge Dickinson has been assigned by the Chief Justice to help clear the docket in Hinds County - so he is a "special judge" available for the case (along with Green and the other two circuit judges of the county).
Now that Dickinson has recused himself (appropriately, I must say) the ''honorable'' Judge Green can request the Chief Justice to assign another Judge, probably a Senior Active one, to handle the case. But she did not have, nor has, the ability to just pick a Judge from somewhere else to handle cases in the county.
Got it?
Not a judge in this state sufficiently bright enough to stay awake and on top of these proceedings as they advance through trial.
"Ah, wait, what? RECESS! (Scrambles into chambers to discuss what just happened with law clerks)
And that's why it will all boil down to a guilty plea on one charge and one only.
@9:16 AM
Judge Wooten not knowing you sorta places your anonymous comments into their proper perspective. You’re the type of person who quotes the Bible yet has no clue where in the same Bible the exact verse is located.
Damn, people. This is how it's supposed to work. Are you really that antagonistic to the American judicial system? What do you want, ecclesiastical courts? Judge Solomon to come back and decide everything for us? Just what, exactly, is your major malfunction?
11:12 you can support the racist bitch all you want to. I have had cases in her court room. 9:16 is exactly right.
Ah, 1:32, not sure how you read the comment at 11:12 as "support".
@1:32PM
It’s not that I “support” Judge Wooten, not at all. It’s just that I don’t “support” your statements against Judge Wooten. I know your kind—you’re the type to hold grudges against whatever judge yet beg the broad who pressed charges to take you back. FOH.
3:38. Wooten is a disgrace to her profession. She got elected only because she is black and no other black ran. The legislators around her went to Char to celebrate her election, as they were through, finally, with the hotheaded bitch.
9:06
You must have seen us!
@9:06 PM
Didn’t I just say I don’t support your statements against Judge Wooten? Who do you think I am? You think a social media account has more influence over my life than I do?
Who do you think I am? Kim Johnson? Hahahaha.
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