[03/07/02]With the filing deadline still two months away, four of six incumbent judges whose districts include Warren County have either filed for re-election or said they plan to run.

Warren County Judge Gerald Hosemann, facing an aggravated assault charge in Hinds County, is one of the two who have not made public their plans for the November election.

Initially, the 16-year judge said he would have no comment on his plans. Later, however, he phoned the newspaper and asked that a dictated statement be taken down and then repeated back to him.

“Concerning the upcoming judicial elections and possible candidates and candidacy, at the proper time,” he said, “I will make an announcement to the decent and reputable media, which does not include the Vicksburg Evening Post.”

As of Wednesday, the Warren County Circuit Clerk’s Office reported no candidates had filed to run for the county court judgeship held by Hosemann, 49. He is also Youth Court judge and has said the felony charge against him stems from a hoax.

Former court reporter Juanita Johnston, 47, with whom court records disclose a longstanding extramarital relationship, was found on Hosemann’s property Dec. 6 and hospitalized for more than five weeks. In the affidavit on which his Dec. 28 arrest was based, Johnston says Hosemann beat her.

Supreme Court District 1 Position 2 Justice James E. Graves Jr., Second District Court of Appeals Judge Tyree Irving, 9th Circuit District Judge Frank Vollor and 9th Chancery District Subdistrict 3 Chancellor Vicki Roach Barnes, all of whose terms expire in January, have either filed the required candidacy documents with the Secretary of State’s Office or said they plan to run.

Circuit Court Judge Isadore Patrick could not be reached regarding his plans for the election, but his court administrator said she had no reason to believe he would not run again.

Elections for Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, Chancery Court and County Court judges are scheduled for Nov. 5. Candidates whose districts include more than one county must qualify through the Secretary of State’s office by May 10.

Although state party primaries will be June 4 and June 25, these will not include these judicial candidates, who no longer seek office by party affiliation.

Graves, who was appointed to the post recently by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and serves from the central of the state’s three Supreme Court districts and qualified for what is to be a special election to fill former Justice Fred Banks’ remaining term. Chancellor Ceola James, whose district is based in Greenville, has also filed to run for the same Supreme Court seat.