By Jason C. Mattox

A field of four candidates are gearing up for election day November 2 when each will hope to fill the unexpired term of the late Justice Court Judge James W. Appleton who died in office in August 2009.

Appleton’s widow, Emily Appleton, was appointed to serve in the position during the interim but chose not to seek a full term.

Candidates vying for the Northern District seat include Como resident Billy Brown and Sardis residents Tim Holiday, Hal Johnson and Mike Wilson.

Billy Brown

A relative newcomer to politics, Billy Brown, 43, of Como is the director of Let’s Talk It Out, a non-profit youth organization.

Brown said he feels that running for and winning the position would allow him a chance to work with youth and adults.

“To me, it seems like we have more issues with our youth,” he said. “The young people are the future, and if we are not able to motivate our young people, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.”

Brown said during his time on the campaign trail, voters are asking only to be treated fairly.

“People, all people, want to be treated fairly,” he said. “They don’t feel like they have a voice and most feel when they walk into a courtroom they are automatically guilty.”

Brown said he has acquired a basic knowledge of the law through law classes he took while gaining his degree in computer science.

“I have the acquired knowledge and the ability to be humble and serve the people who come into the court. I want to do the best I can to best serve the people,” Brown said.

Tim Holiday

Tim Holiday is no stranger to politics having been elected once to the North Panola School District Board of Trustees in 2009 and sought the office of the late District 2 Supervisor Robert Avant the same year.

Holiday is currently serving on the Panola County Land Development Commission.

At press time, Holiday had not returned phone calls from The Panolian.

Hal Johnson

Sardis resident and Church of Christ preacher Hal Johnson was one of the first to qualify when the position became vacant, saying he had been discussing a run for the position with Appleton on occasion.

“The toughest part of the job will be understanding the legalities of things, but I plan to attend any seminars or training they offer for first time judges,” Johnson said. “You are dealing with people from the community, and you have got to be fair to the people that come before the court,” he said.

Johnson said people on the campaign trail want to see fairness and honesty on the bench and less slaps on the wrists of habitual offenders.

“One of the things about Justice Court is a chance to help someone change their ways before they become totally consumed with even greater criminal activities,” he said. “This should the be the first and last stop for the people who come to this court.”

Johnson said he will work hard to hear both sides of a case and make a fair decision, but also added that he hoped people would take his advice to heart.

“Sometimes, people just need someone to counsel them and point them in the right direction, and maybe they haven’t had that before,” he said.

Johnson said his time as a preacher and as a counselor for his church members has prepared him and helped him become a good listener and how to hear all sides.

“I understand people, and I think my best quality as an individual is to be able to sit down and talk and listen to people,” he said.

Johnson said he is going to be fair but when it comes to breaking the law, penalties will be imposed.

“People need to take personal responsibility for the actions,” he said. “But I will sit there and listen to it all and try to understand the facts of the case and make the best decision possible.”

Mike Wilson

When asked what he felt the biggest challenges were facing the new judge, Wilson, 47, and currently serving as an alderman for the City of Sardis, said he could not properly comment because he has not be around the court offices as often as he would like.

“When they were located in the courthouse, I would stop by and have coffee and visit with everyone, but since they moved into the new building, I haven’t stopped by as often because I don’t want our police department thinking I’m coming to check up on them rather than checking into something in Justice Court.”        

Wilson said he’d been prompted by voters to consider running.

“I have to say I have been thinking about this for quite a while and said that I was going to seriously consider when the time was right,” he said. “The biggest thing that tilted me in the direction of running is because I have made a career in criminal justice as an investigator, Sardis Police chief and several other positions in criminal justice, I am nearing the end of that career, and I would like nothing more than to finish my time here in Panola County.”

Wilson said he believes that a law enforcement of legal background is more important now that it is more of a criminal court.

“This used to be the justice of the peace but they changed that in the 1980s,” he said. “When they did a study, they stopped just short of saying that a two-year degree in law of criminal justice would be required.”

Wilson said his time on the campaign trail is not spent seeking out problems with the court, but rather just touting his qualifications.

“The people that I have been talking to have been telling me that they want someone with a knowledge of the law,” Wilson said.

Wilson said one way the knowledge of the law would be beneficial is when initial appearances are held for felony cases that could move forward to the Panola County grand jury.

“I think in that situation, it would be good to have a general understanding so that you don’t violate the rights of the person charged or the state,” he said.

As for his position as alderman, Wilson said if he wins the judgeship, he will resign his city post.