Lynn Walton presided over the meeting today. Mark Killingsworth provided the opening prayer and Bill MacLauchlan led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lynn led the club in the Four Way Test. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn in Hattiesburg and via Zoom.
Lynn thanked Wes for the club’s newsletter. She also thanked members who attended today’s meeting noting that it is good to be back after the Thanksgiving break. She noted that a few slots remain unfilled for the Club’s bell ringing schedule next weekend. The Salvation Army is our charity of the quarter. They will present to the club on December 21. Silent auction items are still needed. She encouraged members to get their donations in before January 1, 2022, so the auction can go live. Membership solicitation brochures were distributed. She encouraged members to take one and consider bringing a new member into our club. Mike Ratliff introduced his guest, Daniel Waide.
Shirley Moore than introduced today’s guest speaker, The Honorable Michael Parker, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge for the Southern District. Judge Parker was appointed to this position in 2006. Prior to the appointment he was a Hinds County Judge and served on the Drug Court Advisory Committee. He graduated from Millsaps College.
He noted that the court handles federal cases, cases involving the constitution and cases involving different states. Thirty percent of the federal cases are prisoner cases. The next largest segment of cases involves employment issues.
Mississippi has two federal court districts. Each court has two judges and a bankruptcy judge. District Judges are appointed for life by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Magistrate Judges are appointed for an eight-year term by the District Judge. Bankruptcy Judges are also appointed by the District Judge.
The COVID pandemic presented the courts with several challenges, the largest of which was finding a way to keep the courts open. The courts were closed for one week and then began hearing cases virtually. Judge Parker noted that the courts will likely continue to hear cases virtually even after the pandemic. Although virtual hearings are more efficient, they have become less personal. He estimates that he only spends about 10 percent of his time in the courthouse. Because of COVID, trials have changed significantly. Everyone is required to wear masks except the witnesses. Shields have been constructed in front of witnesses and the jury. Juries no longer retire to a jury room for deliberations. Instead their deliberations take place in several rooms throughout the courthouse.
Lynn thanked Judge Parker for his very informative remarks. There being no further business to come before the club, she adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”