Author: Madison Taylor

Shareholder at Wilkins Patterson in Mississippi handling appeals as well as all stages of liability and workers' compensation matters. Admitted to the bar in Mississippi, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of May 1, 2025

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two opinions yesterday. One is a MDOR case and the other is a direct criminal appeal. The Court also entered orders amending the Rules for Court Reporters and the Justice Court Rules.

Mississippi Department of Revenue v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC, 2023-SA-01079-SCT (Civil – State Boards & Agencies)
Affirming the chancery court’s grant of summary judgment against the MDOR, holding that MDOR improperly included freight charges in the taxpayer’s use-tax base where the taxpayer hired a third-party carrier for the shipment of the goods in a closed transaction.
(7-1-0: Sullivan specially concurred, joined by Ishee; Randolph did not participate)

Tubbs v. State, 2023-KA-01124-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of desecration of a human corpse, holding that the conviction was supported by sufficient evidence and that the trial court did not commit plain error by not excluding a deputy’s testimony about the defendant’s confession.
(9-0)

Other Orders

  • Rules for Court Reporters, 89-R-99021-SCT (granting Petition of the Mississippi Court Reporters Association to Amend Rules I(U) and IX(E)(6) of the Rules and Regulations Governing Certified Court Reporters)
  • In Re: Justice Court Rules, 89-R-99024-SCT (amending Rules 9, 14, and 27 of the Rules of Justice Court)
  • Shanks v. State, 2023-CT-00271-SCT (denying cert)
  • Johnson v. SW Gambling LLC, 2023-CT-00505-SCT (denying cert)

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Mississippi Court of Appeals Decisions of April 29, 2025

The Mississippi Court of Appeals handed down two opinions today. One is a PCR case and the other is a direct appeal of a felony conviction. Not much to upsell today.

Harris v. State, 2024-CA-00231-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming denial of PCR motion, holding that the ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim lacked merit.
(10-0)

McGee v. State, 2023-KA-00083-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by allowing evidence of his prior arrest, that the conviction was supported by sufficient evidence, that the claim that the indictment was procedurally barred because it was not raised in the trial court, that the search of the defendant’s car was not illegal, and that the defendant was not subject to an ex post facto violation.
(8-2-0: McDonald concurred in part and in the result without writing; Westbrooks concurred in the result only without writing)

Other Orders

  • Fox v. State, 2023-KA-00596-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Young v. Martin, 2023-CA-00980-COA (denying rehearing)

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Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of April 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2025

Here is Part 2 of my April catch-up posting. The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down nine opinions over the past four weeks. On April 3, appellants went 2-1 with a wills and estates undue-influence case, a divorce case, and an MTCA case with a seven-justice special concurrence addressing confusion in the post-Brantley era. Over the following three weeks there was a case addressing a name-change petition on behalf of a minor undergoing gender transition. There is also a case where a majority of the supreme court justices were unhappy with–but affirmed–the application of one of the Court’s rules requiring a defense attorney had to pay jury costs as part of his client’s plea bargain.

April 3, 2025

In Re Estate of Autry: Autry v. Autry, 2023-CA-01300-SCT (Civil – Wills, Trusts & Estates)
Affirming the chancery court’s order invalidating warranty deeds and a last will and testament, holding that the will was invalid because it was not duly authenticated and that the warranty deeds were the product of undue influence.
(9-0)

Sistrunk v. Sistrunk, 2023-CA-01130-SCT (Civil – Domestic Relations)
Reversing the chancellor’s judgment in a divorce case, holding that the court erred by not making specific findings of fact supported by evidence for each of the Ferguson factors and that as a result the court also erred in its rulings on alimony, child support, use of the martial home, determination of marital assets, and attorney’s fees.
(9-0)

J.S. by and through Segroves v. Ocean Springs School District, 2023-CA-01009-SCT (Civil – Personal Injury)
Reversing the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in an MTCA case, holding (1) that discretionary-function immunity protected the defendant from claims that it failed to adopt sufficient policies and procedure, (2) that the plaintiff’s claims regarding negligent hiring, supervision, and training are claims sound in simple negligence and should not have been dismissed, and (3) that the plaintiff demonstrated a triable issue of fact on foreseeability.
(6-7*-1-0: Maxwell specially concurred, joined by Coleman, Chamberlin, Ishee, Griffis, Sullivan, and Branning; Griffis concurred in part and in the result without writing; Randolph did not participate)

Note – You know what that sound means… Justice Maxwell has written another special concurrence that garnered enough votes to have precedential effect. This concurrence addressed ongoing confusion in MTCA law after Wilcher overruled Brantley:

Other Orders

  • Georgen v. Estate of Brown-Barrett, 2023-CT-00344-SCT (denying cert)
  • Robinson v. State, 2023-KA-00773-SCT (denying rehearing)
  • Miller v. State, 2023-CT-00812-SCT (denying cert)
  • Adams v. State, 2025-M-00014 (denying petition for writ of habeas corpus in the nature of a post-conviction application, and finding that the filing was frivolous

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April 10, 2025

Hawkins v. State, 2023-KA-00978-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of one count of sexual battery and two counts of fondling, holding that the conviction was supported by sufficient evidence and that the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, and that the second trial did not violate double jeopardy where the first trial ended in mistrial due to juror misconduct.
(9-0)

Other Orders

  • LaFleur v. State, 2022-CT-00500-SCT (denying cert)
  • Wilkerson v. Allred, 2023-CT-00393-SCT (denying cert)
  • Fox v. Allen Automotive, Inc., 2023-CT-00441-SCT (denying cert)
  • Phillips v. Forrest County Industrial Park Commission, 2023-CT-01132-SCT (dismissing cert petition)
  • Williams v. Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, 2023-CA-01225-SCT (denying rehearing)

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April 17, 2025

In the Matter of S.M. v. Mississippi State Board of Health, 2023-CA-01379-SCT (Civil – Other)
Affirming the chancellor’s decision denying a minor female’s petition to legally change her name to a more masculine name as part of a gender transition, holding that the chancellor did not abuse her discretion in determining that the child needed to mature more before refiling her request and that the chancellor was not required to apply the Albright factors in reaching that decision.
(8-1: King dissented)

Mississippi Apartment Association v. City of Jackson, 2023-CA-01068-SCT (Civil – Other)
Affirming the chancery court’s decision granting a motion to dismiss an action seeking injunctions based on interpretations and enforcement of city ordinances, holding that the circuit court had exclusive jurisdiction in a previously-filed action challenging the City’s decision to adopt and also hand pendent jurisdiction over the equitable claims in chancery court.
(5-4: Coleman dissented, joined by Branning, Maxwell, and Griffis; Maxwell dissented, joined by Griffis, and joined in part by Coleman, and Branning)

In Re: Jex, 2024-CP-00291-SCT (Civil – Other)
Affirming the circuit court’s order requiring the defendant’s attorney to pay jury costs, holding that the record confirmed that the attorney voluntarily agreed to do so as part of negotiating a plea bargain for his client.
(4-5*-3: Chamberlin specially concurred, joined by Maxwell, Ishee, Griffis, and Branning; Sullivan dissented, joined by King and Coleman)

Note – Chamberlin’s special concurrence has a total of five votes giving it precedential value. Both the special concurrence and the dissent note some difficult facts in this case and the duress, albeit not “legal duress” the State put the defense attorney under.

Final Note – I count eight votes from the rule-making body unhappy with the application of a rule in this case (Rule 3.13 of the Uniform Civil Rules of Circuit and County Court Practice). See Newell v. State, 308 So. 2d 71 (Miss. 1975).

Other Orders

  • In Re: State Intervention Courts Advisory Committee, 89-R-99039-SCT (approving the designation of Katharine Surkin, Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, of Justice Robert P. Chamberlin as Chair of the State Intervention Courts Advisory Committee and the following as members through December 31, 2026: Judge Michael M. Taylor, Judge Winston L. Kidd, Judge Robert Helfrich, Judge Charles E. Webster, Judge Kathy King Jackson, Judge Randi P. Mueller, Judge John White, Nathan Blevins Deputy Commissioner of Community Corrections, MDOC, Representative Kevin Horan, Chairman, House Judiciary B Committee, Andrea Sanders, Commissioner, Miss. Department of Child Protection Services, and Consuelo Walley, Coordinator, Jones County Drug Ct, 18th Judicial Circuit, and further designating the following alternate members who may attend and vote in the absence of an appointed committee member: Judge Mary “Betsy” Cotton, Judge Mike Dickinson, Judge Walt Brown and W. Dewayne Richardson, District Attorney, Fourth Circuit Court District.)
  • Brown v. State, 2023-CT-00648-SCT (denying cert)
  • In the Matter of Estate of Johnson: Manners v. Estate of Johnson, 2023-CT-00823-SCT (granting cert)
  • In Re: Administrative Orders of the Supreme Court of Mississippi, 2025-AD-00001-SCT (directing the disbursement of $149,116.92 in civil legal assistance funds among the MS Center for Legal Services, MS Volunteer Lawyers Project, and North MS Rural Legal Services)

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April 24, 2025

Quinn v. State, 2024-KA-00195-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, holding that the trial court did not err by denying the defendant’s proposed jury instruction defining “homicide,” “murder,” and “deliberate design,” and that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction.
(9-0)

United Emergency Services of Mississippi, Inc. v. Miller, 2023-IA-00767-SCT, consolidated with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, inc. v. Miller, 2023-IA-00772-SCT (Civil – Wrongful Death)
Affirming in part and reversing in part the circuit court’s denial of the defendants’ motions for summary judgment in a med mal case, holding that the there were genuine issues of material fact as to all claims except those relying on the theory that one defendant-doctor should have admitted the decedent to the hospital.
(9-0)

Other Orders

  • Knight v. State, 2022-KA-01138-SCT (denying rehearing)
  • Middleton v. State, 2024-IA-00144-SCT (denying rehearing)
  • McPhail v. McPhail, 2024-TS-00849 (reinstating appeal)

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Mississippi Court of Appeals Decisions of April 8, 15, and 22, 2025

After a few weeks of attending to other matters, I am back on the blogging horse. Fortunately, the appellate courts went relatively light on me in terms of the number of decisions handed down.

Summaries the hand downs from the Mississippi Court of Appeals from the past three weeks are below. There are several divorce cases, three mal cases (two opinions reached different results after the respective plaintiff’s expert testimony was struck), several MTCA cases, personal injury cases, felonies, an arbitration case, and more.

April 8, 2025

McFall v. Osborne, 2023-CA-01234-COA (Civil – Domestic Relations)
Affirming the chancellor’s decision in a divorce action denying the ex-husband’s Rule 60(b) motion attacking the court’s subject matter jurisdiction, holding that the chancellor had subject matter jurisdiction, that the ex-husband could not attack the merits of the underlying judgment because it was not appealed in time, and that the chancellor did not err in finding the ex-husband in contempt for failing to pay as ordered in the underlying judgment.
(9-0: Westbrooks did not participate)

Estate of Boleware v. McPhail, 2024-CA-00156-COA (Civil – Wills, Trusts & Estates)
Affirming with modification the circuit court’s decision staying litigation and compelling arbitration, holding that the circuit court did not err in finding that the arbitration agreement was valid but modifying the judgment to clarify that the arbitrator must decide whether the claims are within the scope of the arbitration agreement.
(9-1-0: McDonald concurred in the result without writing)

Short v. Polles, 2023-CA-00607-COA (Civil – Torts)
Affirming the circuit court’s dismissal of a farmer’s suit against MDWFP for issuing a permit permitting the farmer to kill deer to protect his soybean field but limiting it to does only, holding that the circuit court did not err in finding that the agency was immune from suit because permit decisions were within the agency’s power and its actions were not arbitrary and capricious.
(8-2-0: Barnes and Wilson concurred in part and in the result without writing)

Other Orders

  • Brooks v. State, 2023-KA-01081-COA (granting pro se motion for time to file motion for rehearing)
  • Bridget v. State, 2025-TS-00100-COA (dismissing appeal for lack of appealable judgment)

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April 15, 2025

E. Cornell Malone Corp. v. Marshall Cnty. Sch. Dist., 2024-CA-00047-COA (Civil – Contract)
Affirming the circuit court’s dismissal of a complaint against the County related to a construction project, holding that the trial court did not err in finding that the tort claims were barred by the MTCA’s one-year statute of limitations or in denying the motion to amend the complaint.
(9-1-0: Carlton dissented without separate written opinion)

Anderson v. State, 2023-KA-00967-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of murder, holding that the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence.
(10-0)

Pinkton v. State, 2024-CP-00655-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming dismissal of a PCR motion, holding that the trial court did not err in finding that the claims were time-barred, waived, and without merit.
(6-4-0: McCarty concurred, joined by Wilson, Emfinger, and Weddle)

Goodson v. State, 2023-KA-00729-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of possession of meth, holding that the circuit court did not err in denying the defendant’s motion to suppress, in granting the State’s motion in limine preventing the defendant from raising the defense of bias against by the sheriff’s department, or in denying his motion for JNOV or for new trial.
(10-0)

Jordan v. State, 2023-KA-00965-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of shooting into a dwelling after reviewing the record and counsel’s Lindsey brief, holding that there was sufficient evidence to support the conviction and no issues warranting reversal.
(9-1-0: McDonald concurred in result only without writing)

Holifield v. Highland Community Hospital, 2023-CA-01342-COA (Civil – Med Mal)
Affirming dismissal of MTCA claims against a community hospital, holding that the trial court did not err in determining that the community hospital was a division of a governmental entity and not a separate entity that could be sued or in denying the plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend to substitute the correct governmental entity because the claim would be time-barred.
(7-3-0: Wilson, McDonald, and McCarty concurred in part and in the result without writing)

Lee v. Doolittle, 2023-CA-00969-COA (Civil – Med Mal)
Reversing summary judgment in favor of the defendants in a med mal case, holding that the circuit court abused its discretion in striking the plaintiff’s expert and then in granting summary judgment for lack of expert testimony.
(5-1-4: Wilson concurred in part and in the judgment without writing; Carlton dissented, joined by Barnes, Emfinger, and St. Pe’)

Other Orders

  • Miller v. State, 2023-CP-00322-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Estate of Forkner: Berry v. Forkner, 2023-CA-00707-COA (denying rehearing)

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April 22, 2025

Nabors v. State, 2024-KA-00006-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of aggravated assault of law enforcement, holding that there was sufficient evidence of the defendant’s intent to commit aggravated assault, that the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence, that the trial court did not commit plain error in giving a flight instruction, and that trial counsel was not ineffective.
(10-0)

Crocker v. Daves, 2023-CA-00602-COA (Civil – Custody)
Dismissing appeal in a custody matter, holding that the chancellor’s order holding child support in abeyance due to insufficient information before the court to award child support based on statutory guidelines was not a final, appealable order.
(10-0)

Elmore v. Elmore, 2023-CA-00875-COA (Civil – Domestic Relations)
Affirming a judgment granting divorce and dividing marital property, holding that the chancellor did not err in classifying assets as marital property, in determining what property was marital property or in equitably distributing marital assets, or in denying the motion for new trial or to alter or amend the judgment.
(8-1-0: Wilson concurred in part and dissented in part; St. Pe’ did not participate)

Mallery v. State, 2024-CP-00220-COA (Civil – PCR)
Dismissing appeal of PCR denial, holding that there was no longer an actual controversy since the petitioner had been released from custody.
(9-0: Lawrence did not participate)

Simmons v. City of Picayune, 2024-CA-00092-COA (Civil – Personal Injury)
Affirming summary judgment dismissing a premises liability claim stemming from a fall on a handicap ramp, holding that the plaintiff failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact that the curb ramp constituted a dangerous condition.
(10-0)

Cox v. Coast 132 LLC, 2023-CA-01290-COA (Civil – Personal Injury)
Affirming summary judgment in favor of a restaurant in a slip-and-fall case, holding that the windowsill that allegedly caused the fall was not a dangerous condition and that even if it was a dangerous condition the plaintiff could not prove that the restaurant created it or had actual or constructive knowledge of it.
(8-2-0: Westbrooks and McDonald concurred in result only without writing)

Sandlin v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., 2023-CP-01347-COA (Civil – Insurance)
Affirming dismissal of a pro se UM claim, holding that the trial court did not err in finding that the defendant had not been properly served with process and that the statute of limitations on the claim had run.
(9-1-0: McDonald concurred in result only without writing)

Younger v. Southern, 2022-CA-01228-COA (Civil – Personal Injury)
Affirming part and reversing in part the circuit court’s judgment after a bench trial in a personal injury claim under the MTCA, affirming the award for the loss of the plaintiff’s truck, but reversing the award of damages for past, present, and future pain and suffering and reversing the award of $21,120 in medical damages for lack of expert testimony and rendering an award of $399 for past medical expenses.
(7-3: Westbrooks concurred in part and dissented in part, joined by McDonald and McCarty; McDonald concurred in part and dissented in part, joined by Westbrooks and McCarty)

Calvin-Williams v. The Greenville Clinic, P.A., 2023-CA-01021-COA (Civil – Med Mal)
Affirming the circuit court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of the defendant, holding that the circuit court did not err in striking portions of the plaintiff’s expert’s testimony and then granting summary judgment based on the lack of expert testimony.
(8-2: McDonald dissented, joined by Westbrooks)

Other Orders

  • Parker v. State, 2023-KA-00550-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Estate of Roberts: Herd v. Stokes, 2023-CA-00713-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Gardner v. State, 2023-KA-00903-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Lawson v. State, 2023-CP-01008-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Jack v. City of Meridian, 2023-CC-01339-COA (denying pro se motion to recall mandate and dismissing motion for rehearing and amended motion for rehearing)

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Mississippi Court of Appeals Decisions of April 1, 2025

The Mississippi Court of Appeals handed down six opinions today. One case is a relatively novel appeal of a chancellor’s decision denying a name-change petition. There is also an MTCA/breach of contract/inverse condemnation case along with a couple of felony appeals and a couple of PCR cases.

Haralson v. State, 2023-CP-01309-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming denial of PCR motion challenging revocation of post-release supervision, holding that the trial court did not err in summarily dismissing the motion.
(10-0)

Hatchett v. State, 2024-KA-00100-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of one count of sexual battery, holding that the conviction was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence.
(9-0: Emfinger did not participate)

Hulitt v. State, 2024-CA-00182-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming dismissal of motion for PCR, holding that the trial court that adjudicated the charged offenses to which he pleaded guilty was a county of venue.
(7-2-0: Westbrooks and McDonald concurred in result only without writing; Emfinger did not participate)

Rogers v. City of Lumberton, 2023-CA-01133-COA (Civil – Property Damage)
Affirming in part and reversing in part the circuit court’s order granting the City’s motion to dismiss, holding that the trial court did not err in dismissing the plaintiff’s negligence claims for non-compliance with the pre-suit notice requirements of the MTCA or in dismissing the breach of contract claim, but that the trial court did err in dismissing the inverse condemnation claim because it was not subject to the pre-suit requirements of the MTCA.
(10-0)

In Re Name Change: Petitioner Yasmine Montia Jones, By and Through Her Guardian and Conservator, John D. K. Taylor, 2023-CA-01343-COA (Civil – Other)
Reversing the chancery court’s decision denying a petition to change the last name of a adult woman with disabilities, holding that the chancellor improperly substituted his judgment for that of the guardian without sufficient evidentiary support.
(8-2: Wilson dissented, joined by Lawrence)

Phinizee v. State, 2023-KA-01090-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of conspiracy and attempt to commit murder, holding that the conviction for conspiracy to commit murder was supported by sufficient evidence, that the trial court did not err by excluding hearsay testimony that the victim previously attacked the defendant, and that the trial court did not err in refusing the defendant’s requested instruction on the lesser offense of aggravated domestic violence.
(10-0)

Other Orders

  • Pilot Travel Centers, LLC v. Womack, 2023-CA-00035-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Alexander v. State, 2023-KA-00331-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Williams v. State, 2023-KA-00346-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Patton v. State, 2023-CP-00618-COA (denying rehearing)
  • The University of Mississippi Medical Center v. Redd, 2023-CA-00711-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Mallard v. State, 2023-CP-01155-COA (denying rehearing)

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Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of March 27, 2025

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two opinions today. One is a tax sale case and the other is a direct criminal appeal. There is also a disciplinary order granting an irrevocable resignation to an attorney who did not wish to defend a complaint by The Mississippi Bar.

Foreman v. DHP1, LLC, 2023-CA-01293-SCT (Civil – Real Property)
Affirming the chancery court’s grant of summary judgment in a tax sale case, holding that the chancery court did not err in finding that the tax sale was void for failure to provide notice of forfeiture to a former owner who was entitled to notice under Section 27-43-3.
(8-0: Griffis did not participate)

Hunter v. State, 2023-KA-01246-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of first-degree murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle, holding that the defendant was procedurally barred from claiming improper admission of a previous charge of marijuana possession and that it was not plain error to admit it.
(9-0)

Other Orders

  • Conrad v. The Mississippi Bar, 2025-BD-00177-SCT (granting irrevocable resignation in compliance with Rule 11(a) of the Rules of Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar)
  • Campbell v. State, 2022-CT-01055-SCT (denying cert)
  • Haley v. State, 2023-CT-00918-SCT (denying cert)

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Mississippi Court of Appeals Decisions of March 25, 2025

The Mississippi Court of Appeals handed down eight opinions today. One opinion is an appeal from a hybrid MTCA/common law med mal trial that cites a law journal article I wrote several years ago on an unresolved procedural conundrum. There is also a premises liability summary judgment case, a breach of contract/attorney’s fees case, three direct criminal appeals, and two PCR cases.

Brown v. State, 2023-CA-00921-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming denial of PCR, holding that the trial court did not err in summarily dismissing the PCR petition as time-barred.
(10-0)

Foote v. Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, 2023-CA-00504-COA (Civil – Med Mal)
Affirming the circuit court’s judgment in a med mal action against a hospital (a public entity) and a surgeon and the surgeon’s clinic (private entities) after a single, bifurcated bench and jury trial in which the trial court dismissed the claims against the hospital, holding that if the trial court relied on counsel’s closing statements as evidence it was error but harmless because there was sufficient evidence on the point, that the trial court did not err in finding that the plaintiff failed to present a prima facie case that the surgeon proximately caused or contributed to the injuries, and that the plaintiff failed to object to the jury’s involvement in the MTCA claim so the trial court did not err in partially bifurcating the trial where the jury decided the claims against the private defendants and gave an advisory verdict as to the public defendant, and that the trial court did not err in allowing the jury to allocate fault to the public defendant and the finding that the allocation was not supported by substantial evidence.
(7-2-1: Wilson and Emfinger concurred in part and in the result without writing, Lawrence dissented)

NOTE – I was excited to see one of my law review articles cited in this opinion. (If you are so inclined, you can read my article here.) There is no clear guidance from the rules or case law as to how trials should proceed when there a public defendant (entitled to a bench trial under the MTCA) and private defendant (entitled to a jury trial under Mississippi’s constitution, et al). I advocated for a specific procedure in the article that was cited in today’s opinion. In today’s case, the public defendant advocated for the procedure I proposed and the plaintiff argued for a different approach that involved the jury rendering an advisory verdict as to the public defendant. The trial court adopted the plaintiff’s approach. The plaintiff complained about the procedure on appeal, but the Court of Appeals held he could not argue that the trial court erred in following his proposal. Here is the Court of Appeals’ recapitulation of the argument following my proposal:

In 2016, the Rules Committee on Civil Procedure solicited input for a “Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure Revision Project.” I submitted a proposed amendment to Rule 38 along with a copy of my article:

I never did hear anything back.

Blumer v. Majestic Homes, LLC, 2024-CA-00163-COA (Civil – Contract)
Affirming in part and reversing in part the circuit court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of a homeowner against a home builder awarding liquidated damages, attoyne’s fees, and expenses, holding that the trial court did not err entering a corrected order granting relief under Rule 60(b) since there had been no judgment expressly adjudicating the remaining claims and that the trial court did not err in dismissing the claims against the home builder in his individual capacity, but that the trial court did err in reducing the award of attorney’s fees.
(9-0: Emfinger did not participate)

Dewberry v. State, 2023-KA-01135-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of one count of sexual battery, one count of fondling, and one count of child exploitation, holding that the trial court did not err in seating jurors after a Batson challenge and that a jury instruction did not constitute a constructive substantive amendment of a count in the indictment under the plain-error doctrine.
(10-0)

Rodriguez v. Diamondhead Country Club, 2024-CA-00238-COA (Civil – Torts)
Affirming summary judgment in favor of the defendant in a premises liability case, holding that the trial court did not err in finding that a one-half-inch height differential between sidewalk slabs was not a dangerous or unreasonably hazardous condition or in finding that there was no evidence to support a negligence per se claim under the ADA where the plaintiff was not disabled.
(10-0)

Thomas v. State, 2023-KA-00512-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of second-degree murder, holding that the trial court did not err in admitting a Facebook post, that the trial court did not err denying a directed verdict under Weathersby, that the conviction was support by sufficient evidence, that the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, that the trial court did not err in denying a motion to suppress the defendant’s statements to law enforcement, that the trial court did not err in admitting autopsy photos, and that the cumulative error doctrine did not apply.
(8-2-0: Emfinger concurred in part and in the result without writing; McDonald concurred in result only without writing)

Rasberry v. State, 2023-KA-01161-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of failing to register as a sex offender, holding that the lack of specificity in the indictment was at most harmless error, that the trial court did not err by granting an unopposed motion to amend the indictment, and that trial counsel was not ineffective.
(10-0)

Deer v. State, 2024-CP-00019-COA (Civil – PCR)
Affirming the dismissal of a PCR motion, holding that the trial court properly dismissed the motion pursuant to the UPCCRA’s three-year statute of limitations.
(9-0: Emfinger did not participate)

Other Orders

  • None

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Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of March 20, 2025

The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down two opinions today in direct criminal appeals. One was on cert on a Confrontation Clause issue after the Court of Appeals affirmed a conviction.

Walker v. State, 2023-KA-01153-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of first-degree murder, shooting into occupied vehicle, and felony fleeing from law enforcement, holding that the trial court did not err in refusing a proposed lesser-included-offense jury instruction as to heat of passion manslaughter, that the conviction was supported by sufficient evidence and the verdict was not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, that the trial court did not commit plain error by failing to exclude a portion of the defendant’s statement, that the jury instruction conference should have been on the record by the defendant was procedurally barred from raising the issue on appeal, and that the defendant did not demonstrate that trial counsel was ineffective.
(9-0)

Practice Point – When there is no transcript available…

The opinion concluded:

Pitts v. State, 2021-CT-00740-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of sexual battery, holding that the defendant’s rights under the Confrontation Clause were not violated where a screen was placed between a child witness and the defendant at trial.
(5-3-1: Maxwell concurred in result only, joined by Chamberlin and Griffis; King dissented)

Note – This opinion has a lengthy and detailed analysis of the Confrontation Clause.

Other Orders

  • Powers v. State, 2017-DR-00696-SCT (denying motion for relief under Rule 60(b)(6))
  • White v. The Home Depot, 2022-CT-00894-SCT (denying pro se cert petition)
  • Galang v. State, 2023-CT-00006-SCT (denying cert)
  • Corrothers v. State, 2023-CA-00401-SCT (denying rehearing)
  • Carroll v. State, 2023-CT-00688-SCT (denying pro se cert petition)
  • Toler v. State, 2023-KA-00712-SCT (denying rehearing)
  • In Re: Administrative Orders of the Supreme Court of Mississippi, 2025-AD-00001-SCT (appointing Timothy Lewis as Deputy Marshal of the Supreme Court of Mississippi)

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Mississippi Court of Appeals Decisions of March 18, 2025

The Mississippi Court of Appeals handed down five opinions on Tuesday. There is something for everybody with a workers’ comp case, an unemployment case, a direct criminal appeal, a premises liability case, and a PCR case.

King v. State, 2023-CA-00770-COA (Civil – PCR)
Reversing the circuit court’s dismissal of the claimant’s motion for PCR wherein he claimed the circuit court improperly revoked probation and participation in drug court and imposed his original suspended sentence, holding that the claimant was statutorily barred from participating in drug court because he was charged with and pleaded guilty to a crime of violence, and since his probation was revoked only twice for violations of drug court conditions, the circuit court lacked authority to impose the full sentence, and remanding with instructions to reinstate the probation.
(5-2-3: Wilson concurred in part and in the result without writing; Emfinger concurred in result only without writing; Lawrence dissented, joined by Weddle and St. Pe’, joined in part by Emfinger)

Porter v. State, 2023-KA-00809-COA (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of capital murder, holding that the trial court did not err in denying a motion to suppress the defendant’s (who was 17 at the time) statements to police, that the defendant had no viable Sixth Amendment claim based on the size and composition of the jury venire without proof that minorities were intentionally or systematically excluded because of their race, that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in limiting the defendant’s attorney’s opening statement, that the trial court did not err in limiting the defendant’s questioning of a witness for impeachment purposes, that the trial court did not err by excluding two character witnesses, that the trial court did not err by refusing the defendant’s lesser-included offense instruction of manslaughter because they had no foundation in the evidence and because a reasonable jury could find the defendant guilty of capital murder, that the trial court did not err by not granting a mistrial for the State’s remarks during closing, and that the trial court did not err by not granting a mistrial when the jury sent out its first note because the defendant did not obtain a ruling and because the assignment was meritless, and that the cumulative error doctrine did not apply.
(8-2-0: Wilson and Westbrooks concurred in result only without separate written opinion)

Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi v. Mississippi Department of Employment Security, 2024-CC-00152-COA (Civil – State Boards & Agencies)
Affirming an award of unemployment benefits after MDES initially determined that the claimant voluntarily left his employment, holding that the Board of Review’s decision was supported by substantial evidence so the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in affirming it.
(9-1-0: Wilson concurred in part and in the result without writing)

Harris v. Casino Vicksburg, LLC, 2023-CA-00959-COA (Civil – Personal Injury)
Affirming summary judgment in favor of a casino in a premises liability case arising from a chair that slipped out from under the plaintiff, holding that the plaintiff failed to show the existence of a dangerous condition.
(7-3: Westbrooks dissented, joined by Carlton and McDonald)

Caffey v. Forrest Health, 2023-WC-01232-COA (Civil – Workers’ Comp)
Affirming the MWCC’s decision reversing the AJ’s finding that the claimant sustained a 50% loss of wage-earning capacity, holding that the though the MWCC erred in its Jordan analysis on whether employment was offered post-MMI the claimant nonetheless did not make a prima facie case under Jordan because he never reported back to work after MMI or under Thompson because there was no evidence the claimant independently searched for employment.
(8-1-1: Wilson concurred in part and in the result without writing; McDonald concurred in part and dissented in part without writing)

Other Orders

  • Ellzey v. State, 2022-KA-00797-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Allred v. Tishomingo County, Mississippi, 2023-CA-00569-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Old Hattiesburg High, L.P. v. Harris Construction Services, LLC, 2023-CA-00579-COA (denying rehearing)
  • Sullivant v. Freeland, 2023-CP-01393-COA (granting appelles’ motion for monetary sanctions)

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Mississippi Supreme Court Decisions of March 13, 2025

The Mississippi Supreme Court waited until I was out of town last week to unleash its largest batch of opinions of the year. Six opinions were handed down on Thursday, including one of my cases which was on interlocutory appeal for a service of process issue. There is also one direct criminal appeal, two breach of contract cases (one trial and one summary judgment), an election contest, and a statute of limitations case.

The Court also adopted a new rule of evidence that is “residual exception” to the rule against hearsay.

Unruh v. Johnson, 2024-IA-00028-SCT (Civil – Personal Injury)
Reversing the trial court’s denial of motions to dismiss for insufficient service of process, holding that the trial court erred by granting the plaintiff’s motion for enlargement of time to serve process because the plaintiff could not show “good cause” where both the motion for enlargement of time and the first service attempt came one day after the 120-day service period ended and the plaintiff failed to articulate a legitimate basis for failing to attempt to timely serve process, holding that filing the motion for enlargement of time one day after the 120-day period did not toll the statute of limitations, and rendering judgment in favor of the defendant.
(9-0)

Note – I represented the appellant/defendant in this appeal. I jumped in on this one with Bobby Stephenson when I joined Wilkins Patterson last summer right after interlocutory appeal was granted.

Phillips v. State, 2023-KA-01218-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming conviction of aggravated assault, holding that the admission of statements on body-camera footage were not testimonial and statements in search warrant affidavit did not violate the Confrontation Clause, that introducing underlying facts and circumstances of the search warrant containing a comment about the defendant’s post-Miranda silence was error albeit harmless, that the cumulative error doctrine did not apply, and that the defendant did not receive ineffective assistance of counsel.
(8-0: Randolph did not participate)

Radco Fishing and Rental Tools, Inc. v. Commercial Resources, Inc., 2023-CA-00376-SCT (Civil – Contract)
Affirming judgment against the defendant for outstanding principal and interest under an accounts receivable line of credit agreement and award of attorneys’ fees, holding that the trial court did not err by granting a motion for partial summary judgment dismissing affirmative defenses, that the defendants’ motions for summary judgment are not reviewable on appeal after they proceeded to trial and litigated, that the trial court did not err by granting a motion to admit parol evidence, that the trial court did not err in denying the defendants’ motions for directed verdict and granting the plaintiff’s motion for directed verdict, that the trial court did not err in granting the plaintiff’s jury instruction on liability, that the trial court did not err by denying the defendants’ post-trial motions, and that the trial court did not err in altering the judgment due to the jury’s disregard of the peremptory instruction and directed verdict, and that the trial court did not err by granting the plaintiff’s motion to bifurcate and award attorneys’ fees.
(6-6*-2: Maxwell specially concurred, joined by five other justices, making it binding precedent; Griffis concurred in part and dissented in part, joined by Coleman)

*Precedential Special Concurrence – With a total of six votes, Maxwell’s special concurrence is precedent and provides significant guidance for the bench and bar going forward, so it deserves its own summary. The special concurrence held that the trial court erred in granting a blanket ruling against all of the defendants’ affirmative defenses, specifically holding that Horton does not apply to “all” affirmative defenses, only those that would have terminated litigation if asserted earlier.

The concurrence explained:

Footnote 11 was also noteworthy:

Final Note – The dissent argued for limiting the Horton doctrine to the issue of asserting the right to arbitration.

Housing Authority of the City of Yazoo City, Mississippi v. Billings, 2023-IA-00975-SCT (Civil – Contract)
Reversing the trial court’s order denying the Housing Authority’s motion for summary judgment on a breach of contract claim against it, holding that none of the alleged terms of the employment contract were contained in the Housing Authority board’s minutes, and rendering judgment in favor of the Housing Authority.
(9-0)

Gavin v. Evers, 2024-EC-00061-SCT (Civil – Election Contest)
Affirming the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in an election contest, holding that the trial court did not err in considering the motion to dismiss and motion for summary judgment simultaneously, did not err in excluding an affidavit that was not based on the affiant’s personal knowledge, did not err in finding no genuine issue of material fact in the voting irregularities claim, did not err by finding that the prevailing candidate met the two-year residency requirement, and did not err in denying the motion for reconsideration and request for additional findings of fact and conclusions of law.
(9-0)

Dollar General Corporation v. Dobbs, 2023-IA-00617-SCT (Civil – Torts)
Reversing the county court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, holding that the trial court erred in finding the three-year statute of limitations applied where the complaint stated only a claim of defamation which is subject to a one-year statute of limitations.
(5-4)

Other Orders

  • Johnson v. State, 2022-CT-00665-SCT (denying cert)
  • Law Will and Testament of Prichard: Martin v. Arceneaux, 2022-CT-01035-SCT (denying cert)
  • Wilson v. State, 2023-CT-00070-SCT (dismissing pro se cert petition as untimely)
  • Wallace v. State, 2023-CT-00071-SCT (denying cert)
  • NCAA v. Farrar, 2023-IA-00282-SCT (denying rehearing)
  • In Re: Capitol Complex Improvement District Inferior Court, 2025-M-00007-SCT (granting motion to withdraw petition to adopt local rules of CCID Court)
  • In Re: Mississippi Rules of Evidence, 89-R-99002-SCT (granting motion to adopt Mississippi Rule of Evidence 807) Here is the text of the new rule:

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