Recently appointed Circuit Judge Christopher M. Posey of Philadelphia took the oath of office before friends, family and colleagues at an investiture ceremony at the Neshoba County Courthouse on July 22.
Supreme Court Justice Jenifer Branning of Philadelphia administered the ceremonial oath.
Fellow Circuit Judge Caleb May swore in Judge Posey on July 15 at the start of his appointive term. It is traditional to have a formal investiture at a later date.
Justice Branning recalled nearly two decades of practicing law in the same courthouse and seeing Posey in the courtroom. “I am confident that you will serve the people of this district very well,” she said before administering the oath.
The 8th Circuit Court District includes Neshoba, Leake, Newton and Scott counties.
Chief Cyrus Ben, Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, called Judge Posey a friend whose work helped the Choctaw people. Chief Ben offered prayers in Choctaw and English.
Judge Posey, 43, said, “I’ve been in the Circuit Court on all sides over the course of 19 years.” He started practicing law with Ed Williamson, representing clients in products liability and medical malpractice cases. Posey then did criminal defense and some civil defense work. He served as an assistant district attorney for the past nine years.
Judge Posey said, “This is going to be an adjustment going from advocating for one side to being a fair and impartial referee....I’m looking forward to this new challenge, and I appreciate everybody coming out today.”
Gov. Tate Reeves appointed Judge Posey to the position formerly held by Circuit Judge Mark Duncan, who retired on June 30.
Duncan shared Judge Posey’s excitement at the judicial appointment. They have known each other since the new judge was a youngster. “I know what kind of person he is, what kind of lawyer he is and what kind of judge he is going to make,” Duncan told the crowd at the investiture. “I knew him as a young lawyer who came back to his hometown to practice law, which is beginning to be a real rarity....I watched him grow up and become a great prosecutor and a great trial attorney.” Duncan hired Posey as an assistant district attorney in 2016, while Duncan was District Attorney for the 8th Circuit District.
But, Duncan said, to be a judge, “you need somebody who is more than just a good lawyer. The role of a judge carries great power and carries great responsibility. And when you are picking a judge, you want somebody with the unquestioned qualities of honesty, integrity, compassion, fairness, patience and impartiality, somebody who understands the real world consequences and effects of the decisions that he or she makes upon the people involved, and we are getting those things with Chris Posey.”
Judge Duncan told the new judge that every action that he takes affects public trust in the judicial system. “It is a solemn oath to be impartial and fair. The courtroom is a place where the most powerful in our society and the weakest are equals. It is a place where truth is sought, order is preserved and justice found, and judges safeguard all of those things for us. Judges are guardians of our rights, the protectors of our Constitution and a steward of the public trust, and at a time when our courts and our Constitution are being attacked on many fronts, judges must stand firm as pillars of our democracy,” Duncan said.
