Holmes County Circuit Court Overview
Mississippi splits its trial courts by subject. Circuit Court takes felony criminal cases and broad civil claims. It holds original jurisdiction over matters that no law assigns to another court. It also reviews appeals from County, Justice, and Municipal Courts and from county boards and commissions. In Holmes County, this court carries the heaviest criminal docket. Most felony prosecutions in the county end here. Larger civil suits land here too. The Mississippi court system places Circuit Court at the trial level, below the state appellate courts.
The local bench is part of the 21st Circuit Court District. That district covers Holmes, Humphreys, and Yazoo counties. Judge Jannie M. Lewis presides over Holmes County matters. District Attorney Akillie Malone-Oliver prosecutes felony cases across the three-county district and can be reached at 662-653-3191. Case files for the court are kept by the Holmes County Circuit Clerk. The court sits at the Circuit Court Complex in Lexington.
The Circuit Clerk does more than store files. The office receives and files lawsuits, indictments, and motions, issues summonses and subpoenas, draws jurors, and qualifies juries. It also keeps judgments and the court's executions. Anyone who needs a record from a Circuit Court case starts with that office or with the statewide electronic system. The clerk counter remains the route for older paper files and certified copies.
Holmes County Circuit Court Complex
22549 Depot Street
PO Box 149
Lexington, MS 39095
Phone: 662-834-1452
Judge: Hon. Jannie M. Lewis
List of Holmes County Courts
Holmes County court business is spread across several offices in and around Lexington. Mississippi does not use numbered Texas-style district courts. Instead, each court level handles its own subjects. The table groups each court, where it sits, who staffs it, and what it decides.
An official roster of these courts, with judges and jurisdiction notes, appears on the Holmes County courts page.
That county page is the safest source for current phone numbers before a visit. The list below reflects the addresses and judges the county publishes.
| Court | Address | Phone | Judges / Officials | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21st Circuit Court | 22549 Depot Street, PO Box 149, Lexington, MS 39095 | 662-834-1452 | Hon. Jannie M. Lewis | Felonies, broad civil cases, appeals from lower courts and boards |
| 11th Chancery District Court | 116 E. China Street, PO Box 39, Lexington, MS 39095 | 662-834-1285 | Hon. Robert G. Clark III, Hon. Cynthia Brewer, Hon. James C. Walker | Divorce, custody, estates, land title, equity, commitments |
| Holmes County Justice Court | 200 Court Square, PO Box 99, Lexington, MS 39095 | 662-834-4565 | Hon. Shirley Neal (Dist 1), Hon. Marcus Fisher (Dist 2), Clerk Dedra Edwards | Misdemeanors, traffic, DUI, small civil under $3,500, first appearances |
| Youth Court | Holmes County Courthouse; referee office PO Box 151, Durant, MS 39063 | 662-653-3030 | John M. Gilmore, Referee | Delinquency, abuse and neglect, dependency, parental rights |
How a Case Moves Through the Holmes County System
A case does not start and finish in one court. Criminal matters often begin at the jail or in Justice Court for a first appearance. Felony charges then move up to Circuit Court for indictment and trial. Civil suits over larger sums are filed in Circuit Court from the start. The flow lines below trace each path.
Criminal flow: Arrest › First Appearance (Justice Court) › Indictment by Grand Jury › Arraignment › Pretrial Motions › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal
Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Answer › Discovery › Pretrial Conference › Trial › Judgment › Appeal
Justice Court judges hold sessions at the jail three times each week. That schedule protects the right to a first appearance within three days of arrest. From there, the route depends on whether the charge is a felony or a misdemeanor.
Note: A felony case can pass through three courts before it is over, since lower-court appearances feed the Circuit Court trial and any appeal moves higher still.
Circuit Court vs Chancery Court vs Justice Court
The three trial courts in Holmes County rarely overlap. Circuit Court handles crime and general civil disputes. Chancery Court handles equity, family, and property matters. Justice Court handles small local cases. The grid sets their limits side by side so you file or search in the right place.
| Circuit Court | Chancery Court | Justice Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Limit | Broad civil claims, no fixed cap | Equity and property matters, including disputes over $50,000 | Civil actions up to $3,500 |
| Criminal Jurisdiction | Felony prosecutions | None | Misdemeanors, DUI, ordinance cases, first appearances |
| Family Cases | No | Yes, divorce and custody | No |
| Jury | 12 jurors, with one or two alternates | No jury, the judge decides | Judge hears most cases |
Felony and Civil Cases in Holmes County
Circuit Court is where felony charges become formal cases. A grand jury reviews the evidence and may return an indictment. The District Attorney then prosecutes the case through trial or a plea. The court can impose long prison terms and large fines on a conviction. Pleas, dismissals, and nolle prosequi decisions all show up in the criminal file. The full case file, charges, and sentence are explained on the county criminal court records page.
The civil side covers contract fights, injury claims, and property suits that exceed the lower courts' limits. A plaintiff opens the case by filing a complaint. The defendant answers, both sides exchange evidence, and the matter heads toward trial or settlement. A judge may decide legal questions without a jury, but most trials use a 12-member panel. These terms come up often in a Circuit Court record.
A civil judgment from Circuit Court can be enforced through liens and executions. The clerk records those judgments and tracks any later satisfaction. Appeals from Justice and Municipal Courts also enter the civil docket here, often as fresh trials. That mix is why the Circuit Court file index can be long for a single dispute.
- Indictment
- A grand jury's formal accusation that starts a felony case in Circuit Court.
- Arraignment
- The hearing where the defendant hears the charges and enters a plea.
- Disposition
- The outcome of a case, such as a conviction, acquittal, or dismissal.
- Nolle Prosequi
- A prosecutor's decision to drop a charge before it is tried.
Holmes County Circuit Court Dockets
Dockets list the cases set before the court and track each step. Mississippi now runs case files through Mississippi Electronic Courts, known as MEC. Holmes County Circuit Court began mandatory electronic filing for civil and criminal cases in late 2023. By 2025 the state reported electronic filing complete across all Circuit, Chancery, and County Courts. Remote viewing needs a registered account.
The Mississippi Judiciary explains MEC and its account rules on the state courts website. Public users register through the account portal before they can pull a docket online.
That statewide system replaced paper-only access for most new filings. To register for remote access, use the PAMEC account portal and follow its login steps. A deeper look at how to read a calendar and case list lives in the county court dockets guide.
Note: An online PDF view through MEC is not a certified copy, so legal filings still require a certified document from the Circuit Clerk.
Holmes County Appeals to State Courts
Circuit Court sits in the middle of the appeal chain. It receives appeals that move up from Justice, Municipal, and County Courts and from county boards. It also sends its own decisions higher. A party who loses in Circuit Court may appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court. The Supreme Court often assigns those cases to the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
Some matters stay with the Supreme Court by rule. Those include death penalty cases, annexations, bond issues, election disputes, utility rates, and constitutional challenges. The Court of Appeals handles most other assignments, and its rulings are usually final.
Federal cases follow a separate track. Holmes County falls in the Northern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, seated in Jackson. Bankruptcy filings go to the related federal bankruptcy court, described on the Southern District bankruptcy website.
Federal court is not part of the state appeal chain, but it matters for cases that raise federal law or cross state lines. State appeals from Holmes County stay within the Mississippi courts.
Holmes County Lower Courts
Below Circuit Court sit the lower courts that handle local and limited cases. Mississippi's lower courts are Justice Court, Municipal Court, and Youth Court. Each feeds the larger system in its own way. Justice Court is the busiest of the three in Holmes County.
Holmes County Justice Court hears a wide mix of everyday matters. Its docket runs through traffic, small claims, and minor crimes. The county publishes its rules, fees, and judges on the official Justice Court page.
- Traffic tickets from the Highway Patrol and Sheriff's Department
- Misdemeanor criminal charges and county ordinance cases
- DUI cases and felony first appearances
- Small civil actions not over $3,500
- Affidavits and the start of many criminal complaints
Municipal Court handles city ordinance, in-town traffic, and misdemeanor cases inside city limits. The county site does not publish a full municipal court list, so a citation issued by town police may sit with that city's court. Youth Court handles delinquency, abuse, neglect, and dependency for minors, and its records stay confidential under state law.
These lower courts feed Circuit Court in two ways. Serious charges that begin with a first appearance move up for indictment and trial. Losing parties in civil and ordinance cases can appeal up as well. That link is why a single matter may leave a trail in more than one Holmes County court.
Note: A ticket written by city police usually goes to that city's Municipal Court, not to the county Justice Court, so confirm which court holds the case.