Circuit court’s 3-week term begins Monday

October 14, 2011

By COLLEEN MCCARTHY
sdnedu@bellsouth.net

The October term of the Oktibbeha County Circuit Court begins Monday.
Over 200 cases are on the docket to be heard over a three week period. While most of the cases will be trials, there are a number of revocation hearings, arraignments and sentencing hearings on the docket as well.
Three judges will preside over the court term — Judge Jim Kitchens will hear 87 cases, Judge Lee Howard will hear 82 cases and Judge Lee Coleman will hear 44 cases.
Over 70 of the scheduled cases are drug related, while over 50 of the cases are property crimes.
There are 16 violent crime cases to be heard, including two scheduled murder trials.
Floyd Robinson is scheduled to stand trial for murder on Oct. 31. He was convicted of the shooting death of Bridget Moore in 2007, but was granted a retrial by the Mississippi Court of Appeals. The case has been on the docket several times, but has been continued each time.
Steven D. Love is scheduled to stand trial for the murder of William C. Brown on Wednesday. This case has also been continued a number of times after Love switched legal representation.
George Johnson of Weir, who is accused of one count of armed robbery and two counts of aggravated assault for stabbing two Shipley’s Do-Nuts employees in May, is scheduled for arraignment on Monday. Johnson allegedly entered Shipley’s Do-Nuts at approximately 6 a.m. on May 31, pulled a knife on a female employee and demanded money. Police said he then cut her throat while he attempted to rob her, and when another employee attempted to intervene, Johnson cut him in the throat, too. He fled the scene without stealing any money and was later arrested when he was found walking on Highway 25. Johnson is expected to stand trial during the January court term.
The court term will run through Nov. 4.