Mississippi Court System
Posted by Kevin W Frye at 26 May 2008, 10:44 AM and is filed under MS DUI Law,MS Search and Seizure Law,MS Criminal Procedure,MS Drug Laws 
I am often asked how the Mississippi court system works - people are curious as to what courts we have in Mississippi and what court handles what type of case. What follows is a brief outline.
Municipal Court: Associated with a municipality (for example, Oxford Municipal Court) this court has jurisdiction over city traffic violations, misdemeanor crimes (including DUI First and DUI Second) and municipal ordinances.
Justice Court: Jurisdiction over "small claims" civil cases where the amount does not exceed $2,500.00 (claims for recovery of debt, damages or personal property) and misdemeanor crimes and traffic violations that occur outside of a municipality. For example, a DUI First received in the county rather than the city would be handled by the Justice Court. The Justice Court may issue search warrants and may hold bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases.
Chancery Court: Jurisdiction over disputes in matters involving equity: domestic matters such as divorce, child custody and adoptions; guardianships and conservatorships; wills and estates; and, disputes involving title to real property. The Chancery Court generally hears cases without a jury.
Circuit Court: Jurisdiction over civil cases where the amount exceeds $2,500.00 (unless there is a County Court) and felony criminal cases. The Circuit Court also hears appeals from Justice Court and Municipal Court. Typically, cases in Circuit Court are decided by a jury.
Court of Appeals: The Court of Appeals hears cases from throughout the state which have been assigned to it by the Supreme Court. Court of Appeals judges are elected to eight-year terms.
Supreme Court: The Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Mississippi and it hears appeals from the Chancery and Circuit Courts, and may also hear appeals from the Court of Appeals. Supreme Court justices are elected to eight-year terms.
For those interested, more detailed information can be found at the State of Mississippi Judiciary website, here.
For those interested, more detailed information can be found at the State of Mississippi Judiciary website, here.
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