A local Circuit Court Judge has requested that the Mississippi Supreme Court appoint someone else to hear a Laurel resident’s lawsuit against the city and county in connection with the relocation of the Jones County Department of Human Services building.
Circuit Court Judge Billy J. Landrum this week signed an order of recusal in the case of Anthony Jerome Hudson vs. City of Laurel, the Laurel City Council, Jones County and the Jones County Board of Supervisors.
Landrum’s order signed on Oct. 22nd states that “the court recuse himself for reasons of conflict.” The circuit judge further ordered that the circuit clerk certify a copy of his order to the Supreme Court, “who is requested to appoint another circuit judge to hear pre-trial motions as well as the trial on the merits ... and to perform whatever acts necessary as Special Circuit Judge in the timely disposition of the” case.
On Oct. 19, Hudson formerly filed the lawsuit against the parties named in Jones County Circuit Court.
Hudson said locating the building in Ellisville will cause hardship on the residents of Laurel.
“Since it had been determined by Jones County, the City of Laurel and DHS that 75 to 80 percent of the citizens of Laurel use DHS and the fact that this is a certified retirement city, DHS need to remain in the City of Laurel,” the lawsuit states. If the building is relocated to Highway 11 “it will cause irreparable damage and or injury to the citizens of Laurel.”
Hudson also requested that a temporary restraining order be issued until a preliminary injunction hearing could be held preventing the removal of the Jones County DHS from Laurel.
This lawsuit is the result of several weeks of city and county officials meeting and discussing the location of the new DHS building.
On Oct. 5, the county board voted to proceed with constructing the new building on Highway 11.
Hudson’s suit states that many suggestions were made concerning the construction of the new facility in Laurel.
The county has proposed to construct a 20,000 to 21,000-square-foot building, which is estimated to cost about $3 million.
The county has received a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant for the construction of the proposed building.
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Judge Landrum recuses himself from DHS lawsuit
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