Mississippi Supreme Court Presiding Justice Kay B. Cobb announced today that she will retire, effective May 1, 2007.
Justice Cobb, of Oxford, is retiring after eight years on the court. Her term is scheduled to expire in January 2009. Gov. Haley Barbour will appoint someone to serve out the remainder of the term.
Justice Cobb in a March 2 letter informing Gov. Barbour of her retirement said, “It has been an extraordinary honor to serve in this highest judicial office, and I leave with complete trust and belief that the Court is in good hands. Under the leadership of Chief Justice Jim Smith and Presiding Justice Bill Waller, and the other dedicated justices who have worked diligently to make timely, fair, accurate, and just decisions, this Court has attained a level of excellence which should continue for years to come.”
Justice Cobb will be designated as a senior judge upon retirement. She may be called upon to serve as a special judge to hear cases when a sitting judge is unable to preside due to illness or recusal.
Former Gov. Kirk Fordice appointed Justice Cobb to the Supreme Court on April 1, 1999. She filled the unexpired term of former Justice James L. Roberts Jr., then was elected to a full term in November 2000.
She is the third longest serving justice currently on the court. By seniority, she serves as a presiding justice over three-judge panels of the court to decide cases.
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