Upcoming article in the Clarion-Ledger
May 8, 2008
Kitch just got off the phone with Jerry Mitchell of The Clarion-Ledger.
Jerry is working on an article about the Mississippi Supreme Court races, which we assume will publish on Saturday or Sunday.
Here are some of the highlights of what Kitch had to say:
The courts belong to the people of Mississippi, and the people deserve a Supreme Court justice who understands their needs and issues.
Jim Kitchens has spent 41 years as both a prosecutor and as an advocate for the people.
Jim Kitchens will fight to protect the people’s right to elect their judges, unlike the incumbent chief justice who has publicly advocated an appointed judiciary.
While Jim Kitchens is disappointed in the actions of attorneys who have pled guilty to bribery charges, he is encouraged by Judge Henry Lackey, an elected judge, who did the right thing. Kitch believes Lackey’s decision to do the right thing shows the system of electing judges works.
There needs to be a conversation about campaign finance reform. That conversation should include judges, attorneys and the people of Mississippi. It should not be decided by just a few powerful judges and politicians behind closed doors.
Kitch believes campaign finance reform needs to be enacted. Judges should not have knowledge of who donated to their campaign or who declined to donate to their campaign.
Make sure you read the article and let us know what you think.
Jam with Kitch at Blues Jam
May 7, 2008
The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation and the annual Robert Johnson Blues Festival are dear to Kitch’s heart.
If you have poked around the website, you’ve read a bit about Kitch and his work with Claud Johnson. This truly is a great story.
I’ve not yet met Claud Johnson, but I’m looking forward to doing so. From all accounts, he’s an unassuming guy who found himself at the center of one of the greatest Blues stories.
Kitch will be at the festival, as he rarely (if ever) misses it. Not to mention, it’s located in his hometown of Crystal Springs.
The festival begins Friday with Robert Johnson Blues Hall of Fame honors. On Saturday, gates open at 9 a.m. for Blues Jam 2008.
If you are looking for Crystal Springs, it is located south of Jackson off of I-55.
If you can make it, we’ll see you there.
We’ve been noticed… again
May 5, 2008
An additional thanks to folo for a little link love. We even scored brownie points for saying they are one of my top three MS blogs after Will Bardwell linked up to us.
We’ve been noticed
May 5, 2008
Will Bardwell, of Ole Miss Law School fame, gave us a nice plug today. We greatly appreciate it.
Bardwell has one of the best three Mississippi blogs going. The other two would be CottonMouth and Folo, for those of you who care about my opinion on Mississippi blogs. You can also get a lot of good information from Y’all Politics. 
Speaking to the Magnolia Bar Association
May 3, 2008
Kitch had the great opportunity to speak to the Magnolia Bar Association on Friday. Carlton Reeves, the outgoing president of the association, invited Kitch to say a few words during the president’s luncheon.
Kitch focused most of his remarks on the need to protect our state’s system of electing judges. He said it would be a crime to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Mississippians from electing leaders in one complete branch of our government. He vowed to fight any attempts to hand the power of selecting judges into the hands of a few powerful and out-of-touch politicians.
Kitch also talked about plans to reform campaign finance laws as they relate to electing judges. This is an important issue, one he has been talking about for years as a leader in the justice system. He recognizes that this will require a conversation among legal professionals and the people of the state, and he is encouraging that conversation during this campaign.
Many thanks to Carlton Reeves and the Magnolia Bar Association for the opportunity to speak.
Protecting your right to elect judges
May 1, 2008
One of the most important issues in this race will be whether or not we Mississippians continue to elect our judges. Jim Kitchens is a stout supporter of an elected judiciary, a system in which the people of Mississippi, not politicians, choose our judges.
Opponents of electing judges say that federal investigations into a small number of attorneys who are accused of bribing judges points to the need for a change in our system. These same people say to rid the judicial system of politics we must appoint, not elect, our judges.
But Jim Kitchens believes opponents of electing judges in Mississippi are wrong. Here are a few reasons why:
It was Judge Henry L. Lackey — an elected judge — who went to the FBI when he was approached with a bribe.
Federal authorities are currently investigating whether a second judge accepted a bribe. Federal prosecutors claim that judge hoped to get an appointed judgeship.
Jim Kitchens supports electing our judges in Mississippi because he feels the people, not politicians, are best suited to choose who will interpret the laws of our state.
Jim Kitchens opposes appointing judges in Mississippi because it will take away from the people their rights to vote for one branch of our government and give more influence to a very few powerful politicians.
Jim Kitchens knows that a system of appointing judges would shroud the process in secrecy where the public would have no input in the selection of people who help decide their fate in a court of law.
“As a Supreme Court justice, I will always protect the interest of the people when it comes to the selection process of our judges,” Jim Kitchens said. “To take this basic right of electing our leaders away from the people and place it in the hands of powerful politicians is wrong.”
In Mississippi, candidates for judges must meet certain qualifications that include being:
A practicing attorney
At least 26 years of age for circuit and chancery court judges and 30 years of age for appeals and supreme court judges.
A citizen of the state for five years preceding the day of election.
“I trust the people to select their judges from a list of qualified candidates more than I trust a politician to choose our judges from a list of friends or financial backers,” Jim Kitchens said.
Toughness, fairness in the courts
May 1, 2008
Jim Kitchens has seen both sides of the law.
As a district attorney, he prosecuted drug dealers, murderers and all kinds of criminals.
As a defense attorney, he defended people accused of drug-related offenses, murder and other assorted crimes.
No one can call Jim Kitchens soft on crime. His work as a district attorney and his time spent training young prosecutors and law enforcement officers speaks for itself.
Throughout his career, Jim Kitchens has:
Taught criminal law to law enforcement officers at Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Taught classes at the Mississippi Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy
Assisted with in-service training for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
Assisted in teaching classes at Ole Miss and Mississippi College law schools
Served as a mentor at Crystal Springs Middle School
Served as a preceptor to law student interns from Ole Miss Law School
Jim Kitchens also knows that not everyone who appears before a judge accused of a crime is guilty. He knows that in America, every defendant — regardless of their guilt or innocence — is entitled to a fair defense.
Jim Kitchens believes in:
Law enforcement agencies’ having all the tools necessary to rid our communities of crime.
Every defendant’s having competent representation so that justice may be properly decided.
Victims of violent crimes’ having certain rights as their cases are investigated and prosecuted.
Defendants’ being treated fairly and presumed innocent until proven guilty, at which time their punishment should be equal to the crime they committed.
Similar punishments for similar crimes, regardless of a person’s race, financial standing, family ties or political connections.
“I won’t do favors for the guilty,” Jim Kitchens said. “At the same time, I won’t presume someone’s guilt or innocence without first hearing both sides of the case. I’ll treat everyone fairly, and I’ll ensure to the best of my ability that everyone is given a fair shake.”
Ensuring equal access to the courts
May 1, 2008
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The most sacred of the duties of a government is to do equal and impartial justice to all of its citizens.”
Jim Kitchens could not agree more with one of our most famous founding fathers. This is reflected in his work as a district attorney, as a defense attorney and as a civil attorney.
He believes that all Mississippi judges and Supreme Court justices should share and practice Mr. Jefferson’s timeless values.
We have a state Supreme Court majority that routinely takes the side of powerful corporations over the interests of everyday Mississippians. Such one-sided rulings do not represent “equal and impartial justice” for the people of Mississippi.
“Judges should be fair to all those who appear before them,” Jim Kitchens said. “As a judge, I will be guided by the law. I will not make decisions based on who my friends or my supporters are.”
Jim Kitchens believes:
All people should be able to seek justice from the courts, regardless of their position in life.
Judges should rule based on the law, not based on their political philosophies or the political philosophies of their financial supporters.
The rights of individuals should be protected against the desires of large corporations and insurance companies.
Juries, not politicians, should decide to how much a wronged person is entitled.
“Being fair and impartial should be the aim of every judge, and it will be my aim as a Supreme Court justice,” Jim Kitchens said. “I will not consider politics or personal preferences when it comes to making a decision. I will consider only the rule of law.”
Upholding strong family values
May 1, 2008
Jim Kitchens is a family man who has lived his entire life in rural Mississippi. This year he celebrates 40 years of marriage with Mary, with whom he raised five children.
It should come as no surprise that Jim Kitchens values family above all things, and tough decisions he made reflect this. When he was still fresh out of college, Kitch left the family business and moved to Oxford so his 17-year-old brother could attend Ole Miss, then go to medical school. And Jim Kitchens left his influential post as district attorney to provide for his young son who was diagnosed with cancer.
More than making tough decisions, Kitch believes in doing the right thing and living one’s life according to Christian principles.
Jim Kitchens is a Sunday School teacher, a Baptist deacon and works in the church nursery.
Jim Kitchens gives back to his community, his state and his profession through volunteer work, by helping with Camp Rainbow for children with cancer and by mentoring new lawyers.
And Kitch even tries to keep up with his 93-year-old mother who lives just down the road from him in Crystal Springs. She still teaches piano full time.
No matter what his opponents may say in this race, Kitch knows that his life’s work speaks for his true nature. He’s been a tough prosecutor, fought for the rights of ordinary people and represented people who were wrongly accused of crimes.
And along the way, Kitch has fulfilled his ethical obligation as an attorney to shepherd everyone who seeks his assistance through the legal system, even when that means simply ensuring guilty people are given fair representation as they prepare to serve their sentence for crimes they committed.
Jim Kitchens has a record of being fair to all people, honest above reproach and self-sacrificing to help his fellow man. You can expect no less of him as a justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court.
