The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down one opinion last week and three this week. Two are custody cases, one is a direct criminal appeal, and one is a wrongful death case up on the issue of whether an arbitration agreement is enforceable. There are three Bar matters and one order amending the MRAP among the “Other Orders.”
May 21, 2026
Solop v. Solop, 2025-CA-01513-SCT (Civil – Custody)
Affirming the chancellor’s decision denying the father’s motion to delegate non-custodial time to his parents during his upcoming deployment, holding that the chancellor did not err in applying section 93-5-34 and did abuse her discretion awarding only extended visitation to the grandparents during the deployment.
(7-o: Branning for the Court)
Other Orders
- Johnson v. State, 2024-CT-0065-SCT (dismissing notice construed as cert petition)
- Hewitt v. TJM Properties, Inc., 2024-CA-01312-SCT (denying rehearing)
- Strickland v. The Mississippi Bar, 2026-BR-00352-SCT (granting dismissal of reinstatement petition for noncompliance)
May 28, 2026
Shipley v. Shipley, 2023-CT-00814-SCT (Civil – Custody)
Affirming in part and reversing in part on cert, holding that the chancellor did not err by not appointing a GAL, but that the chancellor did not perform a proper Albright analysis and reversed the Court of Appeals’ decision affirming the chancellor.
(7-0: King for the Court)
Practice Point – The Supreme Court specifically addressed whether the appointment of a mandatory GAL can be waived:
Zattoni v. State, 2024-KA-01382-SCT (Criminal – Felony)
Affirming convictions of kidnapping and felon in possession of a weapon, holding that the trial court erred by not accepting a stipulation that the defendant was a convicted felon until after the State has put on its case in chief and that the trial court erred in admitting an unredacted audio recording of the defendant’s interview with police on the basis that it was after he had been Mirandized without considering Rule 404(b) or Rule 403, but concluding that the errors were harmless.
(7-0: Sullivan for the Court)
Hubbard v. Nexion Health at Clinton, Inc., 2025-CP-00019-SCT, consolidated with Hubbard v. Estes, No. 2025-CP-00386-SCT (Civil – Wrongful Death)
Reversing the circuit court’s grant of a motion to compel arbitration, holding that the record contained insufficient evidence to establish the son’s authority to bind the father to arbitration when signing paperwork during the father’s admission to a rehab facility.
(7-0: Branning for the Court)
Other Orders
- In Re: Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure, 89-R-99027-SCT (amending the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure)
- The Mississippi Bar v. Valley, 2008-BD-01884-SCT (suspending respondent from the practice of law)
- Wooten v. State, 2023-CT-01318-SCT (denying cert)
- Fields v. State, 2024-CT-00807-SCT (denying cert)
- Hessler v. The Mississippi Bar, 2024-BR-01041-SCT (granting reinstatement from deferred suspension)
- Jackson v. State, 2025-M-01401 (denying response to order denying recusal and renewed request for appointment of special justices)
Mississippi Appeals Blog 