JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The top judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals is retiring when this term ends Jan. 1.
Chief Judge L. Joseph Lee of Jackson had filed to seek another eight-year term this November. However, the 72-year-old announced Tuesday that he would retire.
Candidates have until May 11 to qualify. Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill has announced for the appeals court post.
Lee was first elected to the 10-member court in 1998. Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. named him chief judge in 2011.
The Court of Appeals hears cases assigned by the Supreme Court.
Lee’s nonpartisan seat covers a south Mississippi district including Adams, Amite, Copiah, Covington, Franklin, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pike, Simpson, Walthall and Wilkinson counties; plus parts of Hinds and Jones counties.
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