High court fines Byers $1,500 and assesses her $2,023 in costs 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: mccaleb4thdist@aol.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com

JACKSON - A former Washington County Circuit Court judge has been publicly reprimanded by the Mississippi Supreme Court for misconduct on the bench. 

Shirley C. Byers stood silently with her attorney Thursday as the reprimand was read by Chief Justice Lenore Prather. 

WHO WAS THE ATTORNEY OF THE ATTORNEY???

Byers, who practices law in Columbus, served one term as circuit judge in the Fourth Circuit Court District of Mississippi, from 1995 to 1999. She ran for re-election but lost to Circuit Judge Margaret Carey-McCray. The district includes Washington, Sunflower and Leflore counties. 

Byers refused to comment after leaving the Supreme Court building following the 10-minute proceeding. 

In February, the state's high court voted 6-3 to find Byers had committed judicial misconduct and to reprimand her. The action was taken at the recommendation of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. 

Byers was fined $1,500 and assessed $2,023 in costs associated with proceedings before the commission. 

Among the acts for misconduct cited by the commission were the 1996 jailing of a Metcalfe woman, who explained she was merely leaning on a bench in the Washington County Courthouse when Byers ordered her arrested, and the 1997 jailing of Cynthia Jeffries, who was then a reporter for the Delta Democrat Times newspaper of Greenville. 

THE MISSISSIPPI JUSTICE SYSTEM 
"PROTECT OUR ATTORNEYS AS ALL COST"

Jeffries was locked up on a contempt charge for reporting in the newspaper elements of a defendant's juvenile record which had already been read in open court. 

CAN A PERSON FILE A LAW SUIT AGAINST AN ATTORNEY?
AND IF SO, IS THERE AN ATTORNEY WHICH CAN BE HIRED TO TAKE ANOTHER ATTORNEY TO COURT?

The commission had recommended that Byers be removed from office. While the commission proceedings were pending before the Supreme Court, Byers was defeated for re-election. 

 Mississippi Supreme Court for misconduct on the bench. 
Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. 
I FEEL SURE THE COMMISSION WOULD STILL BE WAITING IF THE PROCEEDING WERE STILL PENDING.

I BET SHIRLEY C. BYERS IS STILL PRACTICING LAW IN COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI!!

STEVEN A. McCALEB