By Rupert Howell

Mississippi Supreme Court Justice George C. Carlson Jr. of Batesville has recently become a presiding justice of the Court.

The nine-member Supreme Court usually works in panels of three justices.  The chief justice, the justice with the longest time on the court, presides over one panel.  The two justices next in seniority preside over the two other panels. 

Justice Carlson is now second in seniority on the court.

Carlson was appointed to the Supreme Court on Nov. 1, 2001, by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. He has since been elected to an eight-year term in November 2004.

Carlson has assumed additional duties as chair of the Supreme Court’s newly constituted  Rules Committee on Practice and Procedure. He has worked with other justices in revising court rules since he joined the court more than seven years ago. In 2003, he was one of the recipients of the court’s Chief Justice Award for his work on the Rules Committee.

Carlson served as circuit judge in the 17th Judicial Court District which includes DeSoto, Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate and Yalobusha counties, from 1983 through 2001.

 He is a 1964 graduate of South Panola High School in Batesville; a 1969 graduate of Mississippi State University (bachelor of science degree); and a 1972 graduate of the University of Mississippi (law degree). Justice Carlson also graduated from the National Judicial College, University of Nevada, Reno, in October 1982.

Married to the former Jane Ivy Russel, they have two adult children, Russel Carlson and Meredith Carlson Fleming.

While keeping their permanent residence in Batesville, Carlson makes time to serve as “Voice of the Tigers” each Friday in the fall for his alma mater and the championship Tiger football team.

Carlson also chairs the recently created  Mississippi Model Jury Instructions Commission. The 21-member commission will conduct a comprehensive examination of jury instructions being used in civil and criminal trials in state courts and recommend  revisions.

Carlson continues to serve as the Supreme Court’s representative on the Board of Governors of the Mississippi Judicial College which is the policy setting body which guides development of continuing judicial education for the state’s trial and appellate judges.

Justice Carlson served as Circuit Judge in the 17th Judicial Court District which includes DeSoto, Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate and Yalobusha Counties, from 1983 through 2001.

 He is a 1964 graduate of South Panola High School in Batesville; a 1969 graduate of Mississippi State University (Bachelor of Science Degree); and a 1972 graduate of the University of Mississippi (Law Degree). Justice Carlson also graduated from the National Judicial College, University of Nevada, Reno, in October 1982.

Married to the former Jane Ivy Russel  and they have two adult children, Russel Carlson and Meredith Carlson Fleming. While keeping their permanent residence in Batesville, Carlson makes time to serve as “Voice of the Tigers” each Friday in the fall for his alma mater and the championship Tiger football team.