Adam Lynch, Jackson Free Press
- The state of Mississippi swore in its first African American judge under Republican Gov. Haley Barbour this morning.
Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens administered the oath of office to new Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Malcolm Harrison this morning, reversing Barbour’s five-year trend of only appointing white judges.
“We’re pleasantly surprised that the governor, after over 20 opportunities, has finally seen the wisdom and appointed an African American to a state court bench,” Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson told the Jackson Free Press.
