Rudolph Walker has announced his candidacy for Warren County Justice Court in the Central District.

Walker will join Henry Phillips, Audrey Jones Jackson, LeVern W. Powell and incumbent James E. Jefferson on the ballot Nov. 2 to represent central Vicksburg on the justice court bench.

Walker, a Vicksburg native and graduate of Rosa A. Temple High School, is employed as a case manager for MIDD-West Industries and has experience in elected office, law enforcement and private security.

He spent 31 years with the Vicksburg Police Department, working in the patrol division, and eight years as a juvenile investigator. Fifteen of those years were spent working private security for various retail locations. For three years, he worked as an investigator in the District Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Circuit Court. He was elected constable from the central district in 2002 and served until July 2007.

Justice court judges hear small-claim cases of up to $3,500, misdemeanor criminal cases and any traffic offenses outside Vicksburg’s city limits. They also conduct bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases and have the authority to issue search warrants. Justice court judges are not required to possess a law degree, but they must complete state training programs.

In Mississippi, salaries for justice court judges depend on county populations. In Warren County, the position pays $40,075 annually. Warren County has three justice court seats. Eddie Woods has held the Northern District spot since 2003, and Jeff Crevitt was elected from the Southern District last year.