Three Mississippi Court of Appeals judges will be sworn in on Jan. 6, 2025, at 1 p.m. in the Court of Appeals Courtroom on the first floor of the Gartin Justice Building.

Court of Appeals Chief Judge Donna Barnes will administer the oath to newly elected Judge Amy Lassitter St. Pe’ of Pascagoula, incumbent Presiding Judge Jack L. Wilson of Madison, and Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks of Lexington.

The ceremony coincides with the Court of Appeals’ 30th anniversary, which will be marked with special events on Jan. 9. A panel discussion featuring Chief Judge Barnes, original members Presiding Justice Leslie D. King, and Judge Leslie Southwick will be held from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by a reception.

Judge Amy Lassitter St. Pe’ Joins the Court

Judge-elect St. Pe’ will represent District 5, Position 2, making women half the 10-member Court of Appeals. She joins Chief Judge Barnes, Presiding Judge Virginia Carlton, Judge Westbrooks, and Judge Deborah McDonald.

St. Pe’ has 22 years of legal experience and founded her law firm in Pascagoula, specializing in governmental law. She served as city attorney for Moss Point for 15 years and held roles with the Pascagoula and Moss Point Redevelopment Authorities. She also served as a municipal judge for Gautier.

Licensed in Mississippi and Alabama, St. Pe’ earned her law degree magna cum laude from Mississippi College School of Law, where she was Senior Editor of the Law Review. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Presiding Judge Jack L. Wilson

Judge Wilson, representing District 3, Position 1, has served on the Court of Appeals since 2015 and was reelected in November 2024. He has been the presiding judge since 2019 and serves on the court’s executive committee.

A Harvard Law School graduate, Wilson practiced law in Jackson and Washington, D.C., focusing on appellate litigation. He previously served as Chief Counsel to Gov. Phil Bryant and has taught as an adjunct at Mississippi College School of Law.

Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks

Reelected in November 2024, Judge Westbrooks has served since 2017 in District 2, Position 2. She was Mississippi’s first African American woman Assistant District Attorney on the Gulf Coast and has held roles in private practice, city attorney positions, and public defense.

Westbrooks earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and has been recognized by the Mississippi Women Lawyers’ Association as the Outstanding Woman Lawyer.

30 Years of the Court of Appeals

The Mississippi Court of Appeals was established in 1993 to address a backlog of cases in the Mississippi Supreme Court. It began hearing cases in 1995 and remains a cornerstone of the state judiciary.

The upcoming events honor the court’s legacy and the contributions of its judges, past and present, as it enters its fourth decade.