HB 1544 Summary

• Revises the composition, number of judges, and residency requirements for Mississippi's 21 circuit court districts, with changes effective on staggered dates between January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2035.

• Increases the total number of circuit judges by adding judges to the Third Circuit Court District (three to four judges effective 2031), Seventh Circuit Court District (four to five judges effective 2027, then six judges through 2035), Nineteenth Circuit Court District (three to four judges effective 2027), and Twenty-first Circuit Court District (two to three judges effective 2027, then four judges effective 2027).

• Reorganizes circuit court district boundaries by moving counties between districts, including moving Wayne County from the Tenth to the Eighteenth Circuit District, moving Pike County from the Fourteenth to the Sixth Circuit District, and adding Claiborne and Jefferson Counties to the Seventh Circuit District.

• Adjusts the number of legal assistants and criminal investigators authorized for district attorneys across multiple circuit court districts to align with judicial changes.

• Establishes election procedures for new judicial positions and transition provisions for district attorneys in districts with changed boundaries.