Mississippi Code Title 9. Courts § 9-9-14

(1) In order to relieve the crowded condition of the docket in the county court of Harrison County and particularly to facilitate and make possible the trial and disposition of the large number of causes on said docket, there shall be three (3) county judges for Harrison County provided for and elected as herein set out.

(2) For the purposes of nomination and election, the three (3) judgeships shall be separate and distinct, to be denominated for purposes of appointment, nomination and election only as “place one,” “place two” and “place three.” There shall be no distinction whatsoever in the powers, duties and emoluments of the three (3) offices of county judge, except that the county judge of Harrison County who has been for the longest time continuously a county judge of said county shall have the power to assign causes, terms and dockets.

(3) While there shall be no limitation whatsoever upon the powers and duties of the said county judges other than as cast upon them by the constitution and laws of this state, the county court of Harrison County may, in the discretion of the county judge who has been for the longest time continuously a judge of said court, be divided into civil, equity and criminal divisions as a matter of convenience, by the entry of an order upon the minutes of the court.

(4) The Governor shall appoint some qualified person from Harrison County to fill the office of county judge hereby created, who shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualified in the manner and form as provided in Section 9-9-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, and said appointment and election shall in all respects be of the same import as if the office had heretofore been in existence and a vacancy had as of October 1, 1972, occurred therein.

(5) Each county judge shall appoint his own court reporter in accordance with Section 9-13-61, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the purpose of doing the necessary stenographic work of the court.

(6) The family court judge in Harrison County shall be the county judge for “place three” from and after March 19, 1999, to serve for the term expiring December 31, 2002.