A former city judge and two prior candidates for the job are among 11 applicants for the justice court judgeship covering Warren County’s Central District, while three vying for the small claims gavel in the Southern District on the Nov. 3 special election ballot prepare for a forum Thursday.

If you go

• Southern District Justice Court Judge candidate forum; 5:30 p.m. Thursday at United Way of West Central Mississippi, South and Cherry streets

Precincts to decide races Nov. 3

District 1

• Bovina Subdistricts A, B and C for justice court

District 3

• VJHS Subdistrict B for justice court

• No. 7 Fire Station Subdistrict A for justice court

District 4

• Carpenter’s Union, for justice court

• Goodrum, for justice court

• Yokena for justice court

• Elks Lodge precinct 452 for justice court

District 5

• Beechwood, for Election Commission

• Moose Lodge, for both contests

• Tingleville, for both contests

• Plumbers and Pipefitters, for Election Commission

• YMCA, for both contests

One applicant will be appointed Monday by county supervisors and will hold the seat vacated Oct. 1 by former judge Richard Bradford, who resigned. Former city judge J. Allen Derivaux Jr. has applied, as has Vicksburg Police Sgt. Beverly Prentiss and retired police lieutenant Dora Smith, who ran unsuccessfully against Bradford in 2007.

Additional applicants whom supervisors will consider include attorney Marcie Southerland, former Central District constable Rudolph Walker, funeral home director and one-time interim constable James E. Jefferson Jr., Mississippi Department of Transportation law enforcement officer Linda M. Stevens, Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Driver Services Officer Maggie J. Hunter, NRoute operations manager Audrey Jones-Jackson, Flora Police officer Eros J. Smith and Edna J. Green, a professor in the Alcorn State University Department of Social Sciences.

Once appointed, the choice will serve until a special election is held in November 2010, when races for the U.S. House and Senate headline the ballot. 

Southern District Justice Court Judge Jeff Crevitt will be joined by challengers Sally Sheffield McDaniel and Lisa Anglin Counts for a forum at the United Way building on South Street. Domestic violence is the topic of the session, organized by the Episcopal Church Women of The Church of the Holy Trinity, Episcopal, in conjunction with October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Crevitt was appointed July 20 by supervisors following the death of his father, Joe Crevitt, who held the seat for nearly 12 years. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the votes plus one, a runoff will be Nov. 24.

Terms on justice court seats are decided during county- and state-level election cycles, which means the winner in next year’s Central District race must run again in 2011. Timing of Bradford’s resignation did not allow for the seat to be included in this year’s special election. Historically, cases left without a judge due to resignations, illnesses and other absences have been handled by the other two judges.

Another contested race, for Election Commissioner in District 5, appears in this year’s special election. Incumbent Lonnie Wooley is challenged by Gordon Cordes.

In Mississippi, justice court judges hear small claims civil cases involving debts up to $3,500, misdemeanor criminal cases and any traffic offenses that occur outside municipalities. Justice court judges also conduct bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases and may issue search warrants.

Election commissioners are elected to four-year terms from each of the five supervisor districts. They enroll voters, assign them polling places, prepare ballots, certify non-party candidates, conduct all general and special elections and certify results to the Secretary of State’s Office.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com