House Bill 1256

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 9-1-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT A JUDGE SHALL NOT PRESIDE ON THE TRIAL OF ANY CAUSE WHERE THE PARTIES, THE ATTORNEYS OF THE PARTIES OR ANY ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH THE PARTIES OR THE ATTORNEYS BELONG MADE CERTAIN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE JUDGE OR HIS OPPONENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

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

9-1-11. The judge of a court shall not preside on the trial of any cause where the parties, or either of them, shall be connected with him by affinity or consanguinity, or where he may be interested in the same, or wherein he may have been of counsel, except by the consent of the judge and of the parties. The judge of a court shall not preside on the trial of any cause where the parties, or either of them, or the attorneys for the parties, or either of them, or any organizations to which the parties or the attorneys belong, gave, donated, appropriated or furnished, directly or indirectly, any money, security, funds or property of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) or more to the judge or his opponent, or the political committee of the judge or his opponent, for the purpose of aiding the judge or his opponent in the campaign for the judgeship.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.