Jackson Free Press

State Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson, just sent out a press release announcing his intention to run for Mississippi Supreme Court Justice in District 1, which Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. now represents. Here's the full release:

Rep. Earle Banks announces candidacy for Mississippi Supreme Court

May 11, 2012

Jackson, MS- Earlier today, Rep. Earle S. Banks announced he will be a candidate for the Mississippi Supreme Court. Banks intends to begin visiting the twenty-one counties that comprise Supreme Court District 1 this weekend.

“For far too long, our Supreme Court has acted as if its sole purpose is to protect big corporations and out-of-state interests,” Banks said. “I am entering this race because I want to be part of a judicial system that treats every Mississippian with fairness and dignity.”

Rep. Banks is a lifelong resident of Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from St. Joseph High School, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Jackson State University in 1977 and Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law in 1981.

Rep. Banks believes his decades of experience as the president of a large Mississippi business, Peoples Funeral Home, helps give him a balanced perspective on the law. While running his Mississippi business, Banks has also served as a partner in the law firm of Dockins, Turnage & Banks, utilizing his thirty-one years of legal experience in both ventures.

Consistent with the non-partisan values which govern judicial elections, Banks withdrew as a member of the Mississippi Democratic Party Executive Committee this afternoon.

Rep. Banks is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and Magnolia Bar Association. His civic affiliations include the American Red Cross, YMCA, 100 Black Men, Georgetown Community Association, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association and the International Cemetery and Funeral Association.

Rep. Banks has represented Hinds County in the Mississippi House of Representatives since 1992. He currently serves as a member of the Appropriations, Judiciary A, Public Property and Public Utilities committees as well chairman of the House committee for Enrolled Bills.

Rep. Banks has three children, Kimberly, Earle, Jr. and Yve and two grandchildren. Banks is a cousin of former Supreme Court Justice Fred L. Banks, Jr. who is currently in private practice at Phelps Dunbar, L.L.P.

PRESS NOTES:

The counties in Supreme Court District 1 include: Bolivar, Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Sunflower, Warren, Washington and Yazoo.