African-American women judges determined to make a difference

Monica Land

Contributing Writer

Seventeenth century poet John Dryden once said, “Justice is blind and knows nobody.” But for many, justice is not blind, especially in the state of Mississippi, where in recent years so many murder cases from the Civil Rights era have been revisited in a never-ending quest for justice.

For more than 200 years, African-Americans in the south have been severely oppress-ed and violated. Wars were fought and lives were lost, all for the sake of justice.

For this and other reasons more and more African-Americans are entering the legal field with the hope of rendering fair and impartial justice. Even in the state of Mississippi, the number of African-American lawyers and judges continues to rise. Reportedly, there are more than 30 women and 24 African-Americans among the 147-member state judiciary, which includes chancery, circuit, county and appellate judges.

There are six African-American women chancellors and five African-American women serving as circuit court judges. In the federal judiciary, which includes magistrates, districts and circuit judges, there are numerous members. Two are African-American and one is female.

Judge Linda Randle Anderson is that one female.

Born and reared on a farm in rural Holmes County, Anderson, following the lead of so many in her family, pursued a career in education, while secretly yearning to be a lawyer.

“I did what my mom and other wonderful role models did and that’s teach,” Anderson said. “Becoming a lawyer was a childhood dream that at the time did not seem likely because we grew up in one of the poorest counties in the state. I was black, female, and had never even met a real lawyer. However, we were blessed with loving parents who provided all that we needed and convinced us that we could achieve whatever we desired.”

In 1981, Anderson decided to pursue her dream and enrolled in the Mississippi College School of Law, while continuing her full-time job as a teacher.

In her capacity as a magistrate judge, Anderson handles numerous matters including civil discovery and civil trials and preliminary and criminal proceedings. Anderson was part of the initial historic trial of reputed KKK member James Seale in 2007.

When Seale appeared in court before Judge Anderson a week later, she denied his request for bond, stating, “Neither the weight of the crime nor its circumstances have been diminished by the passage of time.”

In June 2007, Seale was convicted and sentenced to serve three life terms for his crimes. That conviction was later overturned.

But Anderson still believes in justice.

“I’m focused on doing the right thing,” she said. “And I’m very much focused on applying the law fairly and impartially.”

Chancery Court Judge Denise Owens of Jackson also believes in fair and impartial justice. In fact, Owens comes from a family of lawyers who have been fighting for equal rights for decades. As a child, her neighbors were Myrlie and Medgar Evers, who had a definite impact on the Owens’ household.

“My mom was very supportive of Medgar and the boycotts,” Owens said. “And it was a long time before we shopped in Jackson. She would say, ‘Medgar wouldn’t want us to shop there. And she never went back. So, we ordered our clothes from catalogs.”

Owens said growing up in that environment set the stage for her career path.

“It was a way that I saw to contribute,” she said. “At that time, I would look at R. Jess Brown, Ruben Anderson and Fred Banks because there were so few African-American attorneys. But those were really the movers and shakers in the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement.

When she was elected to the bench more than 20 years ago, Owens and Judge Patricia Wise were the first African-Americans to be elected chancellors of the state.

As a chancery court judge, Owens handles matters of equity, domestic and business disputes, child support and custody, land issues, probate, guardianship and appeals for administrative agencies.

In a recent interview with CLEO Magazine, Owens said, “she divides her time between the courtroom and the classroom. She works with students to encourage interest in legal careers, prepare them academically for law school and assist them in seeking law school admission.”

Two other judges, Janine Lewis and Tomie Green, also, continue to make significant and positive strides in the judicial field.

A recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award for outstanding and dedicated service, Lewis is a Circuit Judge in the 21st Judicial District. She is the first woman and the first African-American to serve in that capacity. With more than 12 years of judicial experience, Lewis was also the first woman to serve as Municipal Court Judge of Tchula and the first African-American woman to serve on the Circuit Bench in her district.

As Circuit Judge, Lewis created and spearheaded a “Drug/DUI Court,” an innovative program to eradicate drugs and alcohol use in the district that leads to crime.

Educated in the Jackson Public School System, Green became the first woman elected to the Hinds County Circuit Court bench in January 1999. Green has also served two terms on the Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Rules, and the Supreme Courts Committee on Media and the Courts.

In 2003, Green made history when she allowed several networks: Court TV, ABC, NBC and CBS to televise a multi-million dollar negligence case being tried before the court, a first for the state of Mississippi.

Green has sought diverse legislation in the state and as a result of her academic excellence and commitment to community service Green has received numerous honors and awards.

Judge Anderson summed it up well when she said, “…Our goal is to motivate and encourage our young people to give their best efforts in the study of not only law, but whatever their field of interest. We’re trying to help them realize that their boundaries are not set by their environment.”

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