Jackson Jambalaya

Hey Sid, maybe if your bunch wasn't so intent on creating law from the bench, the "partisanship" would not exist in these elections.

I urge everyone to look up Branning's resume. She did not distinguish herself in law school. She apparently was not offered a job with a law firm after graduating. She has no experience other than attempting to practiced family law on her own after she graduated from MS College law school. She is running against an experienced, well respected sitting judge, Kitchens who like the entire court is conservative. A judge needs to have some relevant legal experience. And, our court doesn't need a show pony, they need someone who can actually write a legal opinion and settle legal disputes.

October 30, 2024 at 8:29 AM
>Kitchens who like the entire court is conservative.
Kitchens sure didn't act like one when regarding the CCID. I will not be voting for him.

"overtly" rather than "tacitly" (both parties)

I do not know Branning or Kitchens. I practiced law in MS for 47 years before retiring.
Being a distinguished or poor student in law school has absolutely no bearing on a person’s ability to become a good lawyer or judge. The top graduate in my class bombed as a lawyer. The lowest ranked member of my class became, and still is, one of the absolute best lawyers in the entire southeast US. These 2 are not the exception.
Many graduates do not seek jobs with law firms.
Do you have any idea how many lawyers in MS practice “family” law on their own. Many feel this is their calling. Many do this their entire career and are very successful.
What kind of “relevant” legal experience does a supreme court justice need to have. They hear all kinds of cases.
You do realize that supreme court justices have clerks that write their opinions.
You do realize that supreme court justices do not “settle” disputes.
If we’re going to make any kind of semblance of fairness in this post, should we mention that Kitchens is 81 years old, and this is an 8 year term.

You are correct. Branning has never darkened the door of the Mississippi Supreme Court--the same court where she wants to be a judge.

Kitchens is conservative? ROFLMAO Thanks for your opinion troll.

Kitchens as conservative?

In one of her recent campaign advertisements, I noticed Mrs. Branning overtly states, "I am the only candidate endorsed by the Mississippi Republican Party." Surely this statement crosses the line where "non-partisan judicial races" are concerned?

Kitchens and Hosemann both need to be put out to pasture.

@9:28 AM - Thank you. Everyone on here should read your comment, twice.

All lawyers are literal parasites. Law shouldn't be a career. Laws should be written in plain language and any layperson should be able to understand the law without the help of a glorified latin major. It is sad that we live in a society where these vampires run things.

Having had many cases before the Supreme Court, I can tell you that the one thing Kitchens isn’t is a conservative who makes his decisions on the law, rather than the law as he thinks it should be. Do not be deceived by that country lawyer schtick he puts on. If people are going to claim that Branning was a not a good student, then I think it would only be fair to find out how good Kitchens was, and compare that to the academic record of the other members of the court

Here's a funny story: The original law passed by the legislature stated that no candidate could identify him/herself with a political party. In 1994, when Frank Barber and Bobby DeLaughter were the two candidates for a seat in the newly created MS Court of Appeals. A former GOP legislator was advising Barber and told him that the law (at that time) did not prohibit identifying YOUR OPPONENT with a party). Barber, who was a lifelong yellow-dog Democrat, obtained the GOP voter list and sent a mailer identifying DeLaughter as a Democrat, due to his running before as a Democrat (but not identifying Barber as also a Dem). It worked, as Barber carried the GOP precincts. The legislature, IIRC, later clarified the law and closed that loophole.

Here is where partisanship would come into play. If Kitchens is reelected and resigns during his term, the Governor will appoint his replacement.

Non-partisan judicial elections is an oxymoron.

Kitchens is way past retirement. Please, let’s retire him and those boring garbage commercials of him and his wife. Everybody in Crystal Springs knows he’s democrat and voted for the democrat running for mayor to keep Dan Gibson from winning. Gibson lost by a couple votes and Kitchens was happy.

Thank you 9:28, so true. Time to retire him.

9:34 am Yes and some of you seem not to realize that our judges if conservative, still have to follow the LAW.
And, in terms of the rest of you, I'm sorry but for our Supreme Court, we need to have the most qualified lawyers. Or they will just get overturned.
Those of you demeaning making good grades in law school or writing a legal opinion that gets published (that's another way besides grades to make Law Review) or learning from an experienced, successful lawyer and being his second in a court room or working with a sitting judge as his clerk are just being ridiculous.
Successful law firms recruit lawyers. They have them do summer clerkships. Being able to deal with other humans matters in everything.
While it is possible to distinguish yourself by winning cases in court and building your own firm, she's not done that either.
Y'all are total fools or crooks if you don't want a judge actually who knows the law judging YOU!
We have lawyers in Mississippi who are nationally and internationally recognized. Our Mississippi Business Journal recognizes the best in their practice areas. And, these guys love their hometowns in Mississippi and love their State. They could be anywhere making more money. And, frankly, our other very conservative judges met the qualifications y'all are naysaying and they'd rather have someone that can write an opinion from time to time than someone who probably wouldn't even be a good legal secretary for them!

Branding in the state senate voted to keep the old flag.
She is a unreconstructed Confederate.

I will be happy to vote Kitchens into retirement since he seems unwilling to ever volunteer for that role.

There are comments about Kitchens and Branning in the Central District. Does anyone have any knowledge about the other three candidates (Byron Carter, Ceola James and Abby Gale Robinson) in this district?

I got a mailer from her campaign that said she's the only candidate endorsed by the "Repubican" party.

Branning knows all the MAGA buzzwords. I suspect that's about it.

Branning's lack of ANY appellate court experience is much more relevant that her law school standing.

Yes, Jim Kitchens is old, but Jenifer Branning is really young.
Jim Kitchens has vast trial experience, but no one has said anything about Branning handling a jury trial or even a non-jury trial for that matter.
Jim Kitchens has vast appellate experience, but no one has said anything about Branning in an appellate case.
I see no reason to believe Branning has any experience that would make her a suitable appellate judge.
I had never heard of Branning until she announced her candidacy. I met Jim 30 years ago. We have a few philosophical differences, but we agree on treating people kindly and professionally and that the law should be applied fairly. Jim Kitchens is qualified. Branning is not.
If Branning wins, the court will include a judge with no verifiable courtroom experience. That should bother everyone. An endorsement by the GOP and various businesses does not cure the fact this person should serve on our highest court.
RMQ

I'm voting against Kitchens. He seems to "lean" too left for me.

For you 'experience' trolls: Nobody has appellate experience before they are either appointed or successfully run for an appellate position.

That argument is weak on its face.

Save all the peripheral minutiae. Kitchens will be replaced simply because the electorate knows it's time to put him out to pasture. He'll have a nice PERS retirement, and, yes, this is a PERS covered position.

Branning will win the election. The other three are farts in a whirlwind.

Geez, I have never heard Branning use the words, "garbage, deplorables, and irredeemables" which are the words used when I see MAGA mentioned in a pejorative use.

2:49
Not that it matters. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts Kitchens is already drawing his PERS.

Count yourself lucky if you don't have to rely on the Capitol Police to do a professional job! The fellows are nice enough but apparently either don't have in their vehicles / know how to use GPS!

October 30, 2024 at 6:31 PM
As opposed to JPD who won't even show up?

@ 11:35 - "I'm sorry but for our Supreme Court, we need to have the most qualified lawyers. Or they will just get overturned."

Overturned by whom?

@2:46 Jesus what a scary statement. Again, Branning has no verifiable trial court experience, no verifiable appearances before the Court of Appeals or MSSC. That’s pretty important. There is no record of her having a reported case. Ever. I know you don’t know what that means so please ask someone

10:02
You have at least 4 posts on this blog trashing Branning. Why dont you tell us the real reason you don’t like her. Or, are you one of Kitchens 13 grandchildren.

For a quick recap of the state's judicial elections and the candidates, see, https://mississippitoday.org/2024/10/31/mississippi-election-supreme-court-appeals-kitchens-branning-beam/ and https://magnoliatribune.com/2024/10/21/central-supreme-court-southern-court-of-appeals-races-to-watch-in-mississippi-nov-5/ (the latter URL has links at each candidate's name to the MS SOS campaign reports)

For whatever yet another opinion is worth, here's mine, which I'm offering because I think these are pretty important elections even if most people don't realize it. I'm not an ardent supporter or personal friend of any of them.

Kitchens seems to be a decent man and judge, but he is 80-plus years old. That does not foreclose him serving the full 8 years competently but his age is a reasonable consideration for voters. His winning and retiring mid-term, with the guv appointing someone, is not a bad thing in and of itself - depends on the appointee, obviously. Branning seems a bit too, er, zealous in painting herself as CONSERVATIVE!!! Aside from the variety of forms that can take, especially in MS, from reasonable to batshit wacko, Supreme Court justices should not be zealous in painting themselves too far off-center on the political spectrum. It is an admission of strong personal political bias and a somewhat-desperate election strategy. But it often works, unfortunately. Ceola James, yet again, doesn't appear to stand a chance, which is good. She has proved she is not qualified to be a judge each time she has been one. I don't know enough about the other two to offer an opinion, and it appears no one else knows enough about them for either to stand a chance. In my opinion, Kitchens, at least 80% for him and 20% or less against Branning, but conceding the possibility she might turn out to be a fair (in both meanings) jurist.

As to the COA D5P2 (the southeast counties) race, it appears the most likely winner will be either Jennifer Schloegel, who isn't perfect but she is much more qualified and has fewer problematic ties and (real or apparent) conflicts than the other, Amy St. Pe. Ian Baker seems like a well-qualified candidate with no serious baggage, he was a COA clerk, and worked for Smith when he DA. If I were voting there, I'd go with Baker or Schloegel, 60-70% as a vote for them and 30-40% against the unqualified, problematic St. Pe.

So is Kitchens only running so he can retire and the Guvnah can appoint his replacement? Circumventing the democratic process like the DNC did by choosing Harris as their candidate?? Seems they all want to take away the citizens right to choose….

He has been eating out of the public trough longer than Joe Xiden, errr, Biden.

9:57 and 12:27 I was shocked that she was allowed to even mention party in her television and print ads. She is clearly showing partisanship which should have judicial review!

11:48, One of the main reasons I will NOT be voting for her.

Appelgate judges don't need courtroom experience. Why would they? Their job is to understand the law and apply it.

You'd lose that bet. Nobody still in the system is allowed to draw PERS retirement.

Don't need your dollars, but I'll take the donuts.