Hollowell appointed Circuit Judge in new DeSoto County seat

• This is the second appointment to a new judicial office Governor Reeves has made this week.

A new judicial office created by the Mississippi Legislature in DeSoto County has been filled by an appointment from Governor Tate Reeves.

Reeves announced Thursday that he had appointed Wayne Douglas Hollowell III of Olive Branch to the Office of the Circuit Judge for the 21st Circuit Court District. The judge’s term will begin on September 1 and will end in January 2027.

Hollowell earned a J.D. at the University of Miami School of Law and B.A. from the University of Mississippi. He has served as the Justice Court Judge for DeSoto County’s District 1 since 2021, earning re-election in 2023. He also serves as Judge Pro Tem for the municipalities of Horn Lake and Walls, and as Public Defender for Byhalia Municipal Court. 

Governor Reeves said Hollowell’s deep legal expertise, proven leadership, and unwavering commitment to justice makes him an outstanding choice for Circuit Judge.

“His appointment reflects my ongoing mission to ensure that Mississippi’s judiciary is led by honorable and trusted stewards of the law,” Reeves said.

This is the second appointment to a new judicial office Reeves has made this week. On Wednesday, the governor announced the appointment of Damon R. Stevenson of Clinton to serve as the Circuit Judge for the 7^th Circuit Court District in Hinds County.