Today, Judge Dan Jordan recused himself (hattip Jackson Jambalaya) citing him having a family member that was running in a district that will be affected by redistricting. It looks like that now Carlton Reeves has been handed the case.
Of course, Rep. Cottonmouth (D) is all atwitter about the judicial appointments by Judge Edith Jones saying that Reeves and Justice Graves ought to be the guys to round out the panel (purely for fairness of course).
However, from the award winning Memory Division at YallPolitics, Carlton Reeves represented the Democrats in 2001 version of the redistricting fight. In addition, his co-counsel in the case, Rob McDuff, is involved in the case ostensibly representing the House of Representatives (at the behest of Rep. Tommy Reynolds (D)), who have filed to intervene.
In 2001, Reeves helped represent Mississippi Democrats in court battles over congressional redistricting. The state went from five U.S. House seats to four after the 2000 Census, and two of the districts were combined into one. Ultimately, a Republican-backed redistricting plan was approved by a panel of federal judges.
Here is the copy of the MSSC appeal involving redistricting.
MAULDIN v. BRANCH
Carolyn MAULDIN, Stacy Spearman, David Mitchell, James Clay Hays, Jr., and Mississippi Republican Executive Committee v. Beatrice BRANCH, Rims Barber, L.C. Dorsey, David Rule, Melvin Horton, James Woodard, Joseph P. Hudson and Robert Norvel.
No.?2002-CA-00146-SCT.
— December 18, 2003
EN BANC.Michael B. Wallace,Christopher Royce Shaw, Jackson, Arthur F. Jernigan, Jr., Richard F. Scruggs, Pascagoula, F. Keith Ball, Louisville, Tupelo, Grant M. Fox, Staci Bozant O’Neal, attorneys for appellants.Robert B. McDuff, Jackson, Carlton W. Reeves, attorneys for appellees.
It would be hard to imagine that another recusal motion won’t hit the docket shortly.
