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SB2412 • 2026

Legal assistants; bring forward code section related to.

AN ACT TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 25-31-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH AUTHORIZES THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANTS IN CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICTS, FOR POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Sparks
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about hiring additional staff that were not directly supported by the official source material. The bill text does allow for additional legal assistants if funds are provided, but it is unclear whether this applies specifically to district attorneys or other entities within the circuit court districts.

Legal Assistants; Bring Forward Code Section

This bill brings forward a section of the Mississippi Code that sets the number of full-time legal assistants in each circuit court district for possible amendment.

What This Bill Does

  • Brings forward Section 25-31-5 of the Mississippi Code, which lists the number of full-time legal assistants allowed in each circuit court district.
  • Includes a list of specific numbers of legal assistants authorized for each circuit court district.
  • Allows additional legal assistants if funds are provided by the state or local governments.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Circuit courts and their districts in Mississippi
  • Legal assistants working for circuit court districts

Terms To Know

legal assistant
A person who helps lawyers with legal work, such as researching laws or preparing documents.
circuit court district
An area in Mississippi where a circuit court has authority to hear cases.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • Some parts of the bill will be repealed after certain dates, such as January 1, 2031.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (S) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (S) Referred To Judiciary, Division A;Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Legal assistants; bring forward code section related to.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S. B. No. 2412 *SS36/R936* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS36/R936
PAGE 1 (ens\tb)

To: Judiciary, Division A;
Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Sparks

SENATE BILL NO. 2412

AN ACT TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 25-31-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1
1972, WHICH AUTHORIZES THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANTS IN 2
CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICTS, FOR POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED 3
PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 25-31-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
brought forward as follows: 7
25-31-5. (1) The following number of full-time legal 8
assistants are authorized in the following circuit court 9
districts: 10
(a) First Circuit Court District.............. ten (10) 11
legal assistants. 12
(b) Second Circuit Court District.......... eleven (11) 13
legal assistants. 14
(c) Third Circuit Court District................six (6) 15
legal assistants. 16
(d) Fourth Circuit Court District...............six (6) 17
legal assistants. 18
S. B. No. 2412 *SS36/R936* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(e) Fifth Circuit Court District...............five (5) 19
legal assistants. 20
(f) Sixth Circuit Court District............. three (3) 21
legal assistants. 22
(g) Seventh Circuit Court District....... fourteen (14) 23
legal assistants. 24
(h) Eighth Circuit Court District.............three (3) 25
legal assistants. 26
(i) Ninth Circuit Court District..............three (3) 27
legal assistants. Effective January 1, 2027, the Ninth Circuit 28
Court District shall have four (4) legal assistants. 29
(j) Tenth Circuit Court District.............. five (5) 30
legal assistants. 31
(k) Eleventh Circuit Court District............five (5) 32
legal assistants. 33
(l) Twelfth Circuit Court District.............five (5) 34
legal assistants. 35
(m) Thirteenth Circuit Court District..........four (4) 36
legal assistants. 37
(n) Fourteenth Circuit Court District.......... six (6) 38
legal assistants. Effective January 1, 2026, the Fourteenth 39
Circuit Court District shall have five (5) legal assistants. 40
(o) Fifteenth Circuit Court District......... seven (7) 41
legal assistants. 42
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(p) Sixteenth Circuit Court District........... six (6) 43
legal assistants. 44
(q) Seventeenth Circuit Court District........ four (4) 45
legal assistants. 46
(r) Eighteenth Circuit Court District...........two (2) 47
legal assistants. Effective January 1, 2027, the Eighteenth 48
Circuit Court District shall have four (4) legal assistants. 49
(s) Nineteenth Circuit Court District........ seven (7) 50
legal assistants. 51
(t) Twentieth Circuit Court District......... seven (7) 52
legal assistants. Effective January 1, 2027, the Twentieth 53
Circuit Court District shall have ten (10) legal assistants. 54
(u) Twenty-first Circuit Court District...... seven (7) 55
legal assistants. Effective January 1, 2027, the Twenty-first 56
Circuit Court District shall have eight (8) legal assistants. 57
(v) Twenty-second Circuit Court District..... four (4) 58
legal assistants. 59
(w) Twenty-third Circuit Court District...... three (3) 60
legal assistants. Effective January 1, 2027, this paragraph (w) 61
shall stand repealed. 62
(2) In addition to any legal assistants authorized pursuant 63
to subsection (1) of this section, the following number of 64
full-time legal assistants are authorized (i) in the following 65
circuit court districts if funds are appropriated by the 66
Legislature to adequately fund the salaries, expenses and fringe 67
S. B. No. 2412 *SS36/R936* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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benefits of such legal assistants, or (ii) in any of the following 68
circuit court districts in which the board of supervisors of one 69
or more of the counties in a circuit court district adopts a 70
resolution to pay all of the salaries, supplemental pay, expenses 71
and fringe benefits of legal assistants authorized in such 72
district pursuant to this subsection: 73
(a) First Circuit Court District................two (2) 74
legal assistants. 75
(b) Second Circuit Court District...............two (2) 76
legal assistants. 77
(c) Third Circuit Court District................two (2) 78
legal assistants. 79
(d) Fourth Circuit Court District...............two (2) 80
legal assistants. 81
(e) Fifth Circuit Court District................two (2) 82
legal assistants. 83
(f) Sixth Circuit Court District................two (2) 84
legal assistants. 85
(g) Seventh Circuit Court District..............two (2) 86
legal assistants. 87
(h) Eighth Circuit Court District...............two (2) 88
legal assistants. 89
(i) Ninth Circuit Court District................two (2) 90
legal assistants. 91
S. B. No. 2412 *SS36/R936* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(j) Tenth Circuit Court District................two (2) 92
legal assistants. 93
(k) Eleventh Circuit Court District.............two (2) 94
legal assistants. 95
(l) Twelfth Circuit Court District..............two (2) 96
legal assistants. 97
(m) Thirteenth Circuit Court District...........two (2) 98
legal assistants. 99
(n) Fourteenth Circuit Court District...........two (2) 100
legal assistants. 101
(o) Fifteenth Circuit Court District............two (2) 102
legal assistants. 103
(p) Sixteenth Circuit Court District............two (2) 104
legal assistants. 105
(q) Seventeenth Circuit Court District..........two (2) 106
legal assistants. 107
(r) Eighteenth Circuit Court District...........two (2) 108
legal assistants. 109
(s) Nineteenth Circuit Court District...........two (2) 110
legal assistants. 111
(t) Twentieth Circuit Court District...........five (5) 112
legal assistants. 113
(u) Twenty-first Circuit Court District.........two (2) 114
legal assistants. 115
S. B. No. 2412 *SS36/R936* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(v) Twenty-second Circuit Court District........two (2) 116
legal assistants. From and after January 1, 2031, this paragraph 117
(v) shall stand repealed. 118
(w) Twenty-third Circuit Court District........two (2) 119
legal assistants. From and after January 1, 2027, this paragraph 120
(w) shall stand repealed. 121
(3) The board of supervisors of any county may pay all or a 122
part of the salary, supplemental pay, expenses and fringe benefits 123
of any district attorney or legal assistant authorized in the 124
circuit court district to which such county belongs pursuant to 125
this section. 126
(4) The district attorney of any circuit court district may 127
employ additional legal assistants or criminal investigators, or 128
both, without regard to any limitation on the number of legal 129
assistants authorized in this section or criminal investigators 130
authorized by other provisions of law to the extent that the 131
district attorney's office receives funds from any source. Any 132
source shall include, but is not limited to, office generated 133
funds, funds from a county, a combination of counties, a 134
municipality, a combination of municipalities, federal funds, 135
private grants or foundations, or by means of an Interlocal 136
Cooperative Agreement authorized by Section 17-13-1 which may be 137
expended for those positions in an amount sufficient to pay all of 138
the salary, supplemental pay, expenses and fringe benefits of the 139
positions. Such funds may either be paid out of district attorney 140
S. B. No. 2412 *SS36/R936* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Legal assistants; bring forward code
section related to.
accounts, transferred by the district attorney to the Department 141
of Finance and Administration or to one or more of the separate 142
counties comprising the circuit court district, and the funds 143
shall be disbursed to such employees in the same manner as 144
state-funded criminal investigators and full-time legal 145
assistants. The district attorney shall report to the board of 146
supervisors of each county comprising the circuit court district 147
the amount and source of the supplemental salary, expenses and 148
fringe benefits, and the board in each county shall spread the 149
same on its minutes. The district attorney shall also report such 150
information to the Department of Finance and Administration which 151
shall make such information available to the Legislative Budget 152
Office. 153
(5) The district attorney shall be authorized to assign the 154
duties of a legal assistant regardless of the source of funding 155
for such legal assistants. 156
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 157
and after July 1, 2026. 158