James L. Roberts Jr.
American judge (born 1945)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Lamar Roberts Jr. (born June 8, 1945)[1] is an American retired jurist who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1992 to 1999.[2]
June 8, 1945
James L. Roberts Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi | |
| In office 1992–1999 | |
| Preceded by | James L. Robertson |
| Succeeded by | Kay B. Cobb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Lamar Roberts Jr. June 8, 1945 Pontotoc, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Mississippi School of Law (JD) |
| Profession | Judge |
Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Roberts received a J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1971,[3] and served as the prosecuting attorney for Pontotoc County, Mississippi from 1972 to 1983. In 1984, Governor Bill Allain appointed him State Commissioner of Public Safety, a position he held for four years.[4]
Roberts became a justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi in 1992.[5] In April 1999, Roberts resigned form his seat on the Supreme Court to campaign for the office of governor in that year's election.[4] He sought the Democratic nomination, facing Lieutenant Governor Ronnie Musgrove.[6] Roberts did little to build a gubernatorial platform and spent most of his time attacking Musgrove for his use of state vehicles for campaign activities.[7] Musgrove won the August 3 Democratic primary, taking 57 percent of the vote to Roberts' 26 percent.[8]
In January 2019, Roberts suffered a stroke. He tendered his resignation from his circuit court judgeship effective February 29, 2020.[4]
