MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Fees and Salaries of Public Officers; County Affairs

By: Representatives Coleman (65th), Blackmon, Hudson, Morris, Nettles, Wallace

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 9-11-27, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ESTABLISH A MINIMUM SALARY TO BE PAID TO THE JUSTICE COURT CLERKS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 9-11-27, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

9-11-27. The board of supervisors of each county * * *, at its own expense, shall appoint one (1) person to serve as clerk of the justice court system of the county, and may appoint such other employees for the justice court of the county as it deems necessary, including a person or persons to serve as deputy clerk or deputy clerks. The board of supervisors of each county with two (2) judicial districts * * *, at its own expense, may appoint two (2) persons to serve as clerks of the justice court system of the county, one (1) for each judicial district, and may appoint such other employees for the justice court system of the county as it deems necessary including persons to serve as deputy clerks. The clerk and deputy clerks shall be empowered to file and record actions and pleadings, to receive and receipt for monies, to acknowledge affidavits, to issue warrants in criminal cases upon direction by a justice court judge in the county, to approve the sufficiency of bonds in civil and criminal cases, to certify and issue copies of all records, documents and pleadings filed in the justice court and to issue all process necessary for the operation of the justice court. The clerk or deputy clerks may refuse to accept a personal check in payment of any fine or cost or to satisfy any other payment required to be made to the justice court. All orders from the justice court judge to the clerk of the justice court shall be written. All cases, civil and criminal, shall be assigned by the clerk to the justice court judges of the county in the manner provided in Section 11-9-105 and Section 99-33-2. Each justice court clerk shall receive as full compensation for his services an annual salary of not less than Twenty-four Thousand Dollars ($24,000.00). The salary shall be payable by warrant drawn by the clerk of the board of supervisors on the general fund of the county.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after October 1, 1999.