Judges recuse themselves from Jackson council's case against mayor. Special judge tapped

Staff Reports
·1 min read

The Mississippi Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed a special judge to preside over a case brought against Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba by the Jackson City Council over awarding a garbage collection contract after all judges of Mississippi’s Fifth Chancery Court District which represents Hinds County disqualified themselves on Tuesday.

The supreme court named Senior Status Judge H. David Clark II to preside over the case after the Chancery court chancellors recused themselves in an order issued Tuesday, Feb. 7. The order asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to appoint a judge to hear the case, citing the judges’ inability to rule impartially in the case, specifically Canon 3 C of the Judicial Code of Conduct that directs judges to “perform duties of judicial office impartially and diligently.”

Clark is a former chancellor of the Second Chancery Court of Jasper, Newton and Scott counties, according to the Supreme Court. He is retired from the Second Chancery bench in December 2018.

The Firth Chancery Court District Chancellors recusing themselves are Dewayne Thomas, division I; Tiffany Grove, division II’ Tamertrice E. Hodges, division III; Crystal Wise Martin, division IV.

The Jackson City Council filed the complaint against Lumumba seeking a declaratory judgment from the court on Feb. 1 in the ongoing battle between the mayor and council over awarding a garbage collection contract for the City of Jackson.

The council has rejected Lamumba’s preferred candidate Richard’s Disposal Inc., which continues to collect garbage without a contract and has filed suit against the city. The mayor says he believes Richard’s was the lowest and best contract offered in a blind process but the council prefers Waste Management.

The council is seeking judgment against the mayor’s awarding the contract to Richard’s without council approval.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Chancellors ask supreme court to appoint judge in Jackson MS garbage case