Longtime federal judge E. Grady Jolly dies at 88

• Jolly was appointed to the federal bench in 1982 by former President Ronald Reagan. He went on to serve for 35 years.

Former U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge E. Grady Jolly has died at the age of 88.

Jolly was appointed to the federal bench in 1982 by former President Ronald Reagan. He succeeded the late Judge James Coleman.

Former U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, the first Republican Senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction, advocated for Jolly’s appointment by Reagan in 1981. A lengthy squabble between then-House Minority Whip Trent Lott and Cochran over who should be Mississippi’s pick for the seat nearly resulted in the state losing the appointment.

When the dust settled, Cochran’s pick of Jolly ultimately won out with President Reagan. Jolly received unanimous consent from the U.S. Senate. He went on to serve for 35 years on the federal bench, assuming senior status at the age of 80. He was an active member of the Circuit’s senior-status bench until October 2025 when he took senior inactive status.

Former Cochran Chief of Staff Brad White, now the executive director at the Mississippi Department of Transportation, said Monday that a lifetime on the federal bench is rare.

“However, Judge Jolly’s decades of principled service was extraordinary,” White said in a social media post early Monday morning. “His devotion to the rule of law leaves a legacy that will guide generations. His robe represented more than authority. It represented patience, wisdom, and fidelity to the Constitution for more than forty years. On top of all that, he was a good friend and a joy to be around.”

Jolly, a Winston County native, graduated from Ole Miss before working as an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in North Caroline. He returned to Mississippi and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District prior to working as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. Jolly then entered private practice until his appointment to the federal bench.

Jolly was succeeded on the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals by Cory Wilson. Wilson was nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term and supported by then-Senator Cochran and Senator Roger Wicker.