Judges' salaries; increase and delete provision setting at level recommended by State Personnel Board.

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To: Appropriations A;
Judiciary B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Read, Cockerham

HOUSE BILL NO. 1752
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 25-3-35 AND 9-9-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE 1
OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE ANNUAL SALARIES OF THE JUSTICES OF THE 2
SUPREME COURT, THE JUDGES OF THE COURT OF APPEALS AND THE CHANCERY 3
AND CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2027; TO SET THE 4
AMOUNT OF THE SALARY SUPPLEMENT FOR THE COUNTY COURT JUDGES THAT 5
IS PAID FROM THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM OPERATION FUND; TO DELETE THE 6
PROVISIONS THAT SET THE ANNUAL SALARIES OF THE STATE COURT JUDGES 7
AND COUNTY COURT JUDGES AT THE LEVEL OF COMPENSATION RECOMMENDED 8
BY THE STATE PERSONNEL BOARD ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS; AND FOR 9
RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. Section 25-3-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 12
amended as follows: 13
25-3-35. (1) The annual salaries of the following judges 14
are fixed as follows: 15
* * * 16
From and after January 1, 2023 * * *, through December 31, 17
2026: 18
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court................ $181,491.00 19
Presiding Justices of the Supreme Court, each..... 176,737.00 20
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, each..... 173,800.00 21
From and after January 1, 2027: 22
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Chief Justice of the Supreme Court................ $194,171.00 23
Presiding Justices of the Supreme Court, each..... $190,614.00 24
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, each..... $187,625.00 25
There are imposed upon the Supreme Court justices the extra 26
duties of taking all necessary action to promote judicial 27
education in schools, intervention courts, electronic filing and 28
case management systems as developed by the Administrative Office 29
of Courts, or such other additional duties as may be assigned by 30
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For such extra services 31
each justice, from and after January 1, * * * 2027, shall receive 32
a sum sufficient to aggregate, per annum, the salaries set forth 33
in this subsection (1). 34
The fixed salaries in this subsection (1) shall be paid from 35
the State General Fund and from the Judicial System Operation Fund 36
created under Section 9-21-45. No less than: One Hundred Fifteen 37
Thousand Three Hundred Ninety Dollars ($115,390.00) of the Chief 38
Justice's salary in this subsection (1), One Hundred Thirteen 39
Thousand One Hundred Ninety Dollars ($113,190.00) of the salary of 40
a presiding justice in this subsection (1), and One Hundred Twelve 41
Thousand Five Hundred Thirty Dollars ($112,530.00) of the salary 42
of an associate justice in this subsection (1) shall be paid from 43
general fund monies; in addition, the Legislature shall 44
appropriate annually from the Judicial System Operation Fund a sum 45
sufficient to increase the salary of the Chief Justice, a 46
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presiding justice and an associate justice to the levels set forth 47
in this subsection (1). 48
The fixed salaries as specified in this subsection (1) shall 49
be the exclusive and total compensation which can be reported to 50
the Public Employees' Retirement System for retirement 51
purposes * * *. 52
(2) The annual salaries of the judges of the Court of 53
Appeals of Mississippi are fixed as follows: 54
* * * 55
From and after January 1, 2023 * * *, through December 31, 56
2026: 57
Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals............... $169,349.00 58
Associate Judges of the Court of Appeals, each.... 168,467.00 59
From and after January 1, 2027: 60
Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals............... $182,624.00 61
Associate Judges of the Court of Appeals, each.... $179,871.00 62
From and after January 1, * * * 2027, each judge shall 63
receive a sum sufficient to aggregate, per annum, the salaries set 64
forth in this subsection (2). 65
The fixed salaries in this subsection (2) shall be paid from 66
the State General Fund and from the Judicial System Operation Fund 67
created under Section 9-21-45. No less than One Hundred Eight 68
Thousand One Hundred Thirty Dollars ($108,130.00) of the Chief 69
Judge's salary in this subsection (2) shall be paid from general 70
fund monies; in addition, the Legislature shall appropriate 71
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annually from the Judicial System Operation Fund a sum sufficient 72
to increase the Chief Judge's salary to the level set forth in 73
this subsection (2). No less than One Hundred Five Thousand Fifty 74
Dollars ($105,050.00) of the salary of an associate judge in this 75
subsection (2) shall be paid from general fund monies; in 76
addition, the Legislature shall appropriate annually from the 77
Judicial System Operation Fund a sum sufficient to increase the 78
salary of an associate judge to the level set forth in this 79
subsection (2). 80
The fixed salaries as specified in this subsection (2) shall 81
be the exclusive and total compensation which can be reported to 82
the Public Employees' Retirement System for retirement 83
purposes * * *. 84
(3) The annual salaries of the chancery and circuit court 85
judges are fixed as follows: 86
* * * 87
From and after January 1, 2023 * * *,through December 31, 88
2026: 89
Chancery Judges, each............................. $158,000.00 90
Circuit Judges, each.............................. 158,000.00 91
From and after January 1, 2027: 92
Chancery Judges, each............................. $171,063.00 93
Circuit Judges, each.............................. $171,063.00 94
In addition to their present official duties, the circuit and 95
chancery judges shall take necessary action to promote judicial 96
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education in schools, intervention courts, electronic filing and 97
case management systems as developed by the Administrative Office 98
of Courts, or such other additional duties as may be assigned by 99
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For such extra services 100
each judge, from and after January 1, * * * 2027, shall receive a 101
sum sufficient to aggregate, per annum, the salaries set forth in 102
this subsection (3). 103
The fixed salaries in this subsection (3) shall be paid from 104
the State General Fund and from the Judicial System Operation Fund 105
created under Section 9-21-45. No less than One Hundred Four 106
Thousand One Hundred Seventy Dollars ($104,170.00) of the salary 107
of a chancery or circuit judge in this subsection (3) shall be 108
paid from general fund monies; in addition, the Legislature shall 109
appropriate annually from the Judicial System Operation Fund a sum 110
sufficient to increase the salary of a chancery or circuit judge 111
to the levels set forth in this subsection (3). 112
* * * 113
( * * *4) The Supreme Court shall prepare a payroll for 114
chancery judges and circuit judges and submit such payroll to the 115
Department of Finance and Administration. 116
( * * *5) The annual salary of the full-time district 117
attorneys shall be: 118
* * * 119
From and after January 1, 2026 * * *, through December 31, 120
2027: 121
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One Hundred Fifty Thousand One Hundred Dollars ($150,100.00). 122
From and after January 1, 2028: 123
Ninety-five percent (95%) of the salary authorized by law for 124
circuit and chancery court judges of this state. 125
( * * *6) The annual salary of the full-time legal 126
assistants shall be not less than Fifteen Thousand Dollars 127
($15,000.00) nor more than eighty percent (80%) of the salary of 128
the district attorney for legal assistants who have been licensed 129
to practice law for five (5) years or less; eighty-five percent 130
(85%) of the salary of the district attorney for legal assistants 131
who have been licensed to practice law for at least five (5) years 132
but less than fifteen (15) years; and ninety percent (90%) of the 133
salary of the district attorney for legal assistants who have been 134
licensed to practice law for at least fifteen (15) years or more. 135
SECTION 2. Section 9-9-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 136
amended as follows: 137
9-9-11. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsections 138
(2), (3) and (4), the county court judge shall receive an annual 139
salary payable monthly out of the county treasury in an amount not 140
to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) less than the salary 141
which is now or shall hereafter be provided for circuit and 142
chancery judges of this state, in the discretion of the board of 143
supervisors of said county; provided, however, that the salary of 144
such judge shall not be reduced during his term of office. 145
Provided further, that the office of county court judge in any 146
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county receiving an annual salary of Thirty-six Thousand Dollars 147
($36,000.00) or more shall be a full-time position, and the holder 148
thereof shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law. 149
(2) If a county court is established by agreement between 150
two (2) or more counties as provided in Section 9-9-3, the county 151
judge of the court so established shall be paid a salary equal to 152
one and one-half (1-1/2) times that salary that he would be paid 153
if he were the judge of the smallest of such two (2) or more 154
counties, such salary to be paid in monthly installments as 155
provided by law; provided that such salary shall not exceed One 156
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) less than the salary of the circuit 157
and chancery judges of this state. 158
(3) The county court judge shall receive an annual salary 159
payable monthly out of the county treasury as follows: 160
(a) In any county having a population of seventy 161
thousand (70,000) or more according to the 1980 federal census, 162
the county judge shall receive an annual salary of One Thousand 163
Dollars ($1,000.00) less than that paid to a circuit court judge. 164
The office of county judge shall be a full-time position, and the 165
holder thereof shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law. 166
(b) In any county having a population of sixty thousand 167
(60,000) or more but less than seventy thousand (70,000) according 168
to the 1980 federal census, the county judge shall receive an 169
annual salary of Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00). The office 170
of county judge shall be a full-time position, and the holder 171
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thereof shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law. The 172
county judge shall not be eligible for any additional salary 173
except as may be authorized in subsection (4). 174
(c) In any county having a population of twenty-seven 175
thousand (27,000) or more but less than sixty thousand (60,000) 176
according to the 1980 federal census, the county judge shall 177
receive an annual salary of not less than Twelve Thousand Dollars 178
($12,000.00) but not more than Forty Thousand Dollars 179
($40,000.00), in the discretion of the board of supervisors of 180
said county. The county judge shall not be eligible for any 181
additional salary except as may be authorized in subsection (4). 182
In the event that the board of supervisors of said county elects 183
to pay such county judge an annual salary of Thirty Thousand 184
Dollars ($30,000.00) or more, the office of county judge shall be 185
a full-time position, and the holder thereof shall not otherwise 186
engage in the practice of law. 187
(d) In any county having a population of less than 188
twenty-seven thousand (27,000) according to the 1980 federal 189
census, the county judge shall receive an annual salary of not 190
less than Four Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($4,200.00) and not 191
more than Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($8,500.00), in the 192
discretion of the board of supervisors of said county. The county 193
judge shall not be eligible for any additional salary except as 194
may be authorized in subsection (4). 195
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(4) The county judge of any county described in this 196
subsection shall be paid the compensation, and he shall be subject 197
to any restrictions set forth in the following paragraphs: 198
(a) The county judge of any such Class 1 county with a 199
population according to the latest federal decennial census of 200
forty-five thousand (45,000) or more and lying wholly within a 201
levee district and having two (2) judicial districts shall, in the 202
discretion of the board of supervisors of such county, receive an 203
annual salary not exceeding Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00), 204
or a sum which is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) less than the 205
salary which is now or shall hereafter be provided for circuit and 206
chancery judges of the state, whichever is greater. 207
(b) The county judge of any Class 1 county having an 208
area in excess of nine hundred twenty-five (925) square miles 209
shall receive an annual salary of not less than Thirty Thousand 210
Dollars ($30,000.00) but, in the discretion of the board of 211
supervisors of such county, such salary may be not more than Five 212
Hundred Dollars ($500.00) less than the annual salary of a circuit 213
judge, payable monthly out of the county treasury, and the county 214
judge shall not practice law. 215
(c) The office of county judge in any such Class 1 216
county with a population according to the 1970 federal decennial 217
census of greater than thirty-nine thousand (39,000), and where 218
U.S. Highway 61 and Mississippi Highway 6 intersect, shall receive 219
an annual salary to be paid in monthly installments of not less 220
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than an amount equal to ninety percent (90%) of the annual salary 221
which is now or shall hereafter be provided for circuit and 222
chancery judges of the state, as follows: The salary of the 223
county judge shall be increased by ten percent (10%) annually 224
above the base salary of the preceding year until such time as the 225
judge's salary is equal to the amount that is provided by this 226
subsection. The office of county judge shall be a full-time 227
position and the holder thereof shall not otherwise engage in the 228
practice of law. 229
(d) In any Class 1 county bordering on the Mississippi 230
River and which has situated therein a national military park and 231
national military cemetery, the office of county judge shall be a 232
full-time position and the holder thereof shall not otherwise 233
engage in the practice of law. The salary for the county judge in 234
said county shall be fixed at a sum which is One Thousand Dollars 235
($1,000.00) less than the salary which is now or shall hereafter 236
be provided for circuit and chancery judges of this state. 237
(e) The county judge in any county having a population 238
of at least forty-two thousand one hundred eleven (42,111), 239
according to the 1970 census, and where U.S. Highway 49E and U.S. 240
Highway 82 intersect, shall receive an annual salary to be paid in 241
monthly installments of not less than Thirty Thousand Dollars 242
($30,000.00) but not more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars 243
($2,500.00) less than the annual salary of the circuit judge, in 244
the discretion of the board of supervisors of said county. 245
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(f) The county judge in any Class 1 county bordering on 246
the Mississippi River and having an area of less than four hundred 247
fifty (450) square miles wherein U.S. Highways 84 and 61 intersect 248
shall receive an annual salary of Four Thousand Dollars 249
($4,000.00) less than the annual salary of a circuit judge, and 250
such county judge shall not practice law in any manner. The 251
county judge in such county shall not be eligible to receive any 252
additional salary authorized by this section or from any other 253
source other than that set out and authorized by this paragraph. 254
(g) The county judge of any Class 1 county bordering on 255
the Mississippi River on the west and the State of Tennessee on 256
the north, and traversed north to south by Interstate Highway 55, 257
shall receive an annual salary of ninety percent (90%) of the 258
salary which is now or shall hereafter be provided for chancery 259
and circuit judges of this state, but in any event not less than 260
Sixty Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($60,200.00). 261
(h) The county judge of any Class 1 county with a 262
population of greater than sixty-nine thousand (69,000) according 263
to the 1980 federal decennial census, and wherein U.S. Highway 80 264
and Mississippi Highway 43 intersect, shall receive an annual 265
salary in an amount not greater than the sum of Five Hundred 266
Dollars ($500.00) less than the salary which is now or shall 267
hereafter be provided for circuit and chancery judges of this 268
state, in the discretion of the board of supervisors of said 269
county. 270
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(i) The county judge of any county having a population 271
in excess of sixty-six thousand (66,000) according to the 1980 272
federal decennial census, wherein is located a state-supported 273
university and in which U.S. Highways 49 and 11 intersect, shall 274
receive an annual salary of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) less 275
than that paid to a circuit court judge. The office of such 276
county judge shall be a full-time position, and the holder thereof 277
shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law. 278
(j) The county judge of any county having two (2) 279
judicial districts, having a population in excess of sixty-one 280
thousand nine hundred (61,900) according to the 1980 federal 281
decennial census, in which U.S. Interstate Highway 59 intersects 282
with U.S. Highway 84, shall receive an annual salary of One 283
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) less than the salary which is now or 284
hereafter authorized to be paid circuit and chancery court judges 285
of this state. The office of such county judge shall be a 286
full-time position, and the holder thereof shall not otherwise 287
engage in the practice of law. 288
(k) The office of county judge of any Class I county 289
wherein U.S. Highway 51 and U.S. Highway 98 intersect shall be a 290
full-time position and the holder thereof shall not otherwise 291
engage in the practice of law. The annual salary for the office 292
of county judge in said county may be fixed, in the discretion of 293
the board of supervisors of said county, at a sum not to exceed 294
Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) less than the salary which is now 295
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or shall hereafter be provided for circuit and chancery judges of 296
this state. 297
(l) The county judge of any county having a population 298
of more than forty-one thousand six hundred (41,600) but less than 299
forty-one thousand six hundred fifty (41,650) according to the 300
1980 federal census, and wherein U.S. Highway 49 intersects with 301
Mississippi Highway 22, shall receive an annual salary payable 302
monthly out of the county treasury of One Thousand Dollars 303
($1,000.00) less than the salary provided now or hereafter for 304
circuit and chancery judges of this state. 305
(m) The county judge of any county having a population 306
of more than fifty-seven thousand (57,000) but less than 307
fifty-seven thousand one hundred (57,100) according to the 1980 308
federal census, wherein U.S. Highway 45 intersects with 309
Mississippi Highway 6, shall receive an annual salary in an amount 310
established by the board of supervisors, but in no event to exceed 311
the salary provided now or hereafter for circuit and chancery 312
judges of this state. 313
(n) The county judge of any county having a population 314
of more than fifty-seven thousand three hundred (57,300) according 315
to the 1980 federal decennial census, wherein is located a 316
state-supported university and wherein U.S. Highways 82 and 45 317
intersect, shall receive an annual salary in an amount established 318
by the board of supervisors, but in no event to exceed the salary 319
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provided now or hereafter for circuit and chancery judges of this 320
state. 321
(5) The salary of a county court judge or justice court 322
judge shall not be reduced during his term of office as a result 323
of a population decrease based upon the 1990 federal decennial 324
census. 325
(6) The salary of a sheriff shall not be reduced during his 326
term of office as a result of a population decrease based upon the 327
1990 federal decennial census. 328
(7) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the 329
contrary, the board of supervisors of any county, in its 330
discretion, may pay its county court judge an annual salary of One 331
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) less than that paid to a circuit 332
court judge. The office of county judge shall be a full-time 333
position, and the holder thereof shall not otherwise engage in the 334
practice of law. 335
(8) (a) There shall be transferred to the county for each 336
county court judge, payment to be made in monthly installments 337
from the Judicial System Operation Fund created under Section 338
9-21-45, an annual salary supplement of * * * Fifty-one Thousand 339
Eight-hundred Thirty Dollars ($51,830.00), plus any applicable 340
fringe benefits resulting from this amount. The counties shall 341
submit reimbursement requests monthly to the Administrative Office 342
of Courts for payment of the monthly installments of the annual 343
salary supplement provided under this subsection. 344
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ST: Judges' salaries; increase and delete
provision setting at level recommended by State
Personnel Board.
* * * 345
( * * *b) The total annual salary paid to the county 346
court judge out of the county treasury and out of the Judicial 347
System Operation Fund created under Section 9-21-45 shall not 348
exceed the salary limitation set forth in subsection (7) of this 349
section. 350
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 351
and after July 1, 2026. 352