Touart v. Johnston

656 So. 2d 318, 1995 WL 338910
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJune 8, 1995
Docket93-CA-01310-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 656 So. 2d 318 (Touart v. Johnston) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Touart v. Johnston, 656 So. 2d 318, 1995 WL 338910 (Mich. 1995).

Opinion

656 So.2d 318 (1995)

George TOUART, Peggy Mullins, J.B. Carter and Jackson County Board of Supervisors
v.
Albert Sidney JOHNSTON, III, Youth Court Judge of Jackson County.

No. 93-CA-01310-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

June 8, 1995.

James H. Heidelberg, Colingo Williams Heidelberg Steinberger & McElhaney, Pascagoula, Jennifer L. Smith, Nashville, TN, for appellant.

Earl L. Denham, Levi & Denham, Ocean Springs, for appellee.

Before PRATHER, P.J., and BANKS and SMITH, JJ.

SMITH, Justice, for the Court:

George Touart, Peggy Mullins, J.B. Carter and the Jackson County Board of Supervisors (hereinafter Appellants) have appealed to this Court from the dismissal of their Writ of Prohibition sought in the Jackson County Circuit Court against Albert Sidney Johnston, III, Youth Court Judge of Jackson County.

*319 Judge Johnston appointed Deirdre Sabine McGowan as Youth Court Administrator to replace Margaret Steele, who had resigned to take another employment position. The Jackson County Board of Supervisors hired J.B. Carter as Steele's replacement, referring to Carter's position as "Youth Court Facilities Administrator." Judge Johnston issued a temporary injunction concerning the Board's appointment of Carter. This Court appointed Judge Joe N. Pigott to preside over this case. Judge Pigott dismissed appellants' requested Writ of Prohibition against Judge Johnston. Appellants moved for reconsideration, or alternatively, for clarification of the order of dismissal. Judge Pigott denied the appellants' motion and additionally found it to be "frivolous" and filed to delay the proceedings, thus Rule 11 sanctions were assessed against appellants.

Aggrieved, appellants present the following assigned errors for this Court's consideration:

I. THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS THE YOUTH COURT JUDGE FROM EXERCISING BOTH JUDICIAL AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.
A. The separation of powers doctrine under Article 1, §§ 1 and 2 of the Mississippi Constitution applies to Youth Court judges.
B. Administration of youth detention and shelter facilities is at the core of the executive branch of government.
C. The Youth Court Judge may not delegate authority at the core of the executive branch of government.
II. THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO HIRE A YOUTH COURT FACILITIES ADMINISTRATOR.
III. THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN IMPOSING SANCTIONS UPON PLAINTIFFS PURSUANT TO RULE 11(b), MISS.R.CIV.P., FOR FILING THEIR MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION, OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, FOR CLARIFICATION.

Appellants failed to raise Issue I, as to whether Miss. Code Ann. § 43-21-119 or any other part of the Youth Court Act was unconstitutional at trial. Therefore, appellants are not entitled to present this new issue before this Court.

The issue of whether Judge Johnston had the authority to hire a new Youth Court Administrator can be determined without considering the constitutionality of the Youth Court Act. We find the appellants' claims to be without merit. Statutory authority for the appointment of a Youth Court Administrator is clearly granted only to the Youth Court Judge. Judge Johnston complied with all appropriate statutes in his appointment of a replacement Youth Court Administrator.

Issue II, concerning whether the Board had statutory authority to hire a Youth Court Facilities Administrator is totally devoid of merit. There is no statutory authority per se but, contrary to the argument of appellants, Judge Pigott did not prohibit the Board from hiring a "facilities administrator." Judge Pigott instead determined that the Board could not interfere in Judge Johnston's hiring of a Youth Court Administrator. Judge Pigott did note that there was no statutory support for the Board's position that they could hire a Youth Court Facilities Administrator, constituting a second and separate administrator from Judge Johnston's Youth Court Administrator.

We find Issue III, whether Judge Pigott's imposition of sanctions was proper, to be without merit and discussion thereof unnecessary.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Margaret Steele, former Youth Court Administrator for Jackson County, resigned effective July 30, 1993, to take another employment position. Judge Albert Sidney Johnston, III, was the duly elected Youth Court Judge of Jackson County in 1993. Johnston testified that he believed his predecessor separated Steele's position from the Youth Court and placed Steele's salary into the "facilities category" for budgeting reasons — to lower expenditures of the Youth Court. Johnston testified he intended to "put it back together." The Youth Court offices, staff *320 and youth detention were located inside the Youth Court Facility.

Judge Johnston maintained that it was his responsibility to carry out the function of the Youth Court and everything involved in carrying out that policy was accomplished by his own actions or by delegating authority through the Court Administrator, formerly Steele. He stated that Steele performed all the non-judicial tasks of the court, everything except actually "climbing up on the bench."

Johnston also stated that if the Board of Supervisors wanted to hire a Youth Facilities Administrator, that was fine, but the position of Youth Court Administrator was statutorily a position under his direction and control. Johnston stated that if J.B. Carter was employed by the Board, he could take care of the youth court facilities.

Judge Johnston testified that his appointment of Deirdre McGowan as Youth Court Administrator complied with Miss. Code Ann. § 9-17-1, which explained how court administrators are hired. He forwarded a copy of the appointment order to this Court, which approved the appointment.

Pamela Samples, Administrative Secretary for Judge Johnston was designated "Assistant Court Administrator" by Judge Johnston. She testified that Margaret Steele ran the Youth Court in the Judge's absence, and performed the non-judicial tasks of the court.

Charlie Moseley, President of the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, stated that Steele was the former Youth Court Facilities Administrator. Upon Steele's resignation, the Board instructed George Touart, County Administrator, to begin interviewing for a replacement. The Board hired J.B. Carter to be the "Youth Court Facilities Administrator," whereupon Judge Johnston issued an injunction preventing Carter from commencing work. Moseley claimed that the Board had in the past appointed persons to this position. According to Moseley, the Board agreed that Judge Johnston "has complete control over his Youth Court." Moseley further explained the Board's position by stating, "The Judge has charge of the personnel that are involved in his court. We have charge of the facilities, which includes the facilities personnel." Moseley claimed Steele was budgeted as Facilities Administrator and Pam Samples was paid as Youth Court Administrator.

George Touart, Jackson County Administrator, testified that the Facilities Administrator for the Youth Court was "in charge of the shelter." He stated that Margaret Steele was the Facilities Administrator and the duties of the position were related to the operation of the shelter.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
656 So. 2d 318, 1995 WL 338910, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/touart-v-johnston-miss-1995.