More than a year has passed since the establishment of a state-appointed court in Jackson, culminating in the dismissal of lawsuits that challenged its appointments and various powers. The Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID) Court officially commenced operations recently.
On Monday morning, newly appointed Judge Stanley Alexander presided over the court’s inaugural session, accompanied by fellow judicial appointee James Holland, who offered some insights and responded to queries.
“As you can see, we’re working out a few initial issues,” Holland stated regarding the court’s launch. The first day involved preliminary hearings for two individuals who had been apprehended by Capitol Police over the weekend. The initial case involved a charge of misdemeanor marijuana possession; Alexander ruled for the release of the Madison resident on personal recognizance.
The second case involved a domestic violence allegation against a woman from Jackson. Her public defender indicated that she was involved in a dispute with a prior partner, stated she has no criminal history, and maintained that she was not a flight risk. Alexander ultimately set a $500 bond and stipulated that the woman must not contact the alleged male victim. The judge authorized an escort from Capitol Police to assist her in retrieving her belongings from a shared residence with the man.
Defendants accused of felonies are typically brought to this court from the Hinds County Detention Center located in Raymond, while those facing misdemeanor charges come from Rankin County jail. On this occasion, both defendants were transported from the Raymond facility.
After the court session wrapped up, Holland addressed the audience and court watchers. Danyelle Holmes, executive director of the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign, inquired if there would be delays in initial appearances — a common occurrence in Hinds County. “That will not be the case here,” Alexander assured.
Holland elaborated that the CCID court aims to alleviate some of the case load from the county court, ensuring that individuals will not have to wait over 48 hours for a hearing. Initial felony appearances will be conducted each weekday morning. Once an initial appearance is made before the CCID court for a felony or bond revocation, that generally marks the conclusion of its involvement in that particular case, as subsequent proceedings will take place in the county court, leading to conviction and sentencing in the circuit court.
Similar to a municipal court, the CCID court is equipped to adjudicate misdemeanor cases, and it plans to hold trials concerning those cases on Thursdays. Holland noted that while the law permits sentences to include time at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility — a state prison — the court intends to determine appropriate measures for each defendant on a case-by-case basis.
Tuesdays will be designated for traffic-related offenses, though the judges are not expected to manage those cases until the transition from county court is complete and once the Capitol Police depletes tickets printed with the previous court’s address. All fines imposed by the court will be directed to the city of Jackson.
The cases the court will hear are sourced exclusively from Capitol Police, which patrols the district encompassing downtown, the vicinity surrounding Jackson State University, Belhaven, Fondren, and extending up to Northside Drive. They also retain concurrent jurisdiction throughout Jackson.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has appointed Special Assistant Attorneys General Donovan Mitchell and Mike Ward as prosecutors for the CCID court, with Ward previously managing a 2015 officer shooting case in Columbus that the Attorney General’s office later declined to pursue.
The first session also marked the debut for volunteer court observers trained by the MacArthur Justice Center. Director Cliff Johnson was present alongside Holmes. Though Johnson has publicly criticized the establishment of the CCID court and advocated for support for the city of Jackson’s elected judicial system, he expressed hope regarding the willingness of court officials to engage with a variety of stakeholders and answer questions following Monday’s session. “An excellent CCID court benefits everyone,” Johnson remarked.
The volunteer court watchers, consisting of community organizations and law students, received training over several sessions focused on criminal procedures, terminology, processes, and how cases progress from arrest to indictment. The MacArthur Justice Center’s monitoring of other courts throughout the state has revealed issues such as the misuse of cash bail, detention for unpaid fines, and limited access to public defenders. Observers are keen to ensure such practices do not occur in the CCID court, according to Johnson.
Volunteers are expected to be present in court during the early days of operation, systematically tracking information and making it publicly available online.
