By Billy Davis

A Quitman County justice court judge, who went to court to seek a new election, has won re-election to his post.

Joe Brown won re-election Dec. 13 after defeating challenger Bobbie Buggs 584 to 523, Brown told The Panolian.

An independent candidate, Jimmy Edwards, dropped out of the race after Brown won re-election, the incumbent said.  

A new election for justice court judge was ordered in November, when Circuit Court Judge Robert Chamberlain tossed out 192 absentee ballots that he declared illegal after holding a one-day trial.

Brown, a two-term justice court judge, contested the election results after Buggs won 788 to 776, a twelve-vote difference. Brown was represented by Batesville attorney Tom Womble.

Buggs serves as deputy circuit clerk in Quitman County, where the one-day trial showed that she witnessed 122 absentee ballots in the clerk’s office.

Mississippi election law forbids people from witnessing absentee ballots on which their name appears as a candidate.

Buggs was represented by Oxford attorney Tom Freeland IV, who has told The Panolian his client was unaware she was forbidden from witnessing the absentees.

The court tossed those 122 absentees and 70 others, stating “there were enough illegal votes to challenge the outcome of the election and to call into doubt the will of the voters,” according to Chamberlain’s order.

The judge’s order further explains that 61 absentee ballots were thrown out because the over-65 voters failed to have their absentee ballot notarized before they were mailed in.

Further down in his ruling, Chamberlain noted that six more absentees were cast without a witness, which also caused them to be tossed out.

All totaled the justice court runoff included 604 absentee ballots, meaning Chamberlain tossed out approximately one-third of the total absentees counted.

“I would like to thank my supporters who listened to the truth instead of false accusations being made by some within the county,” Brown said after the most recent election.