Rule 1 - Divisions of Court(a) Pursuant to the provisions of § 9-9-18.5, Mississippi Code Annotated, the undersigned, as County Judge who has been for the longest time continuously a judge of the Court, does hereby divide the duties and responsibilities of the County Court and Youth Court of DeSoto County, Mississippi as follows: (1) There is hereby created a Youth Court Division within the County Court of DeSoto County, Mississippi, and the Judge serving in Place Two referred to in the aforementioned statute shall, effective January 1, 2009, and thereafter until changed by further order of this Court, serve as the Judge of the Youth Court Division, and all duties and responsibilities related in any way to the Youth Court Act and any other laws affecting children within the jurisdiction of the Act (except those specifically retained by the Judge serving in Place One) shall be handled by said Judge of Place Two. Additionally, this Judge shall have the primary responsibility for hearing Petitions for Protection from Domestic Abuse pursuant to §§ 93-21-1, et seq.; extradition hearings for prisoners being held in DeSoto County on Fugitive from Justice Warrants; and any other matters as assigned by the Senior Judge serving in Place One.
(2) The Judge serving in Place One referred to in the aforementioned statute shall, effective January 1, 2009, and thereafter until changed by further order of this Court, have all duties and responsibilities related in any way to the civil, equity, and criminal jurisdiction of County Court; assignments from the Circuit Court of DeSoto County; and DeSoto County Juvenile Drug Court. Said Judge shall also be responsible for overseeing the preparation of budgets for the various divisions of the County Court as well as the appointment of Administrators, Designees, Legal Staff and other personnel under the control of the County, Youth and Juvenile Drug Courts of DeSoto County.
(b) Nothing in the aforementioned division of duties and responsibilities shall impede or prevent the exercise of jurisdiction by either Judge in the Division assigned to the other Judge when such exercise of jurisdiction is necessitated by schedule conflicts, emergencies, recusal, and the like, toward the end that the best interests of justice and judicial economy and the interests of the public in the prompt disposition of the business of the Court will be served by each such exercise of jurisdiction.Adopted 9/3/2008, and approved by order of the Supreme Court effective 4/23/2009.