Newly appointed Chancellor Austin Terry took the oath of office on Friday, Aug. 2 in Meridian and took the bench Monday to hear cases in Meridian. He also and has a docket set in Quitman on Wednesday.
“Drawing from the goals of my predecessors, I’m going to move the docket along,” Terry told judges, friends and family who filled a courtroom at the Lauderdale County Government Center to watch him take the oath.
He said that he will provide the same fair and equal treatment that other judges have given to everyone who comes before the Chancery Court.
Gov. Tate Reeves appointed Terry, 32, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chancellor Charles Smith on June 30. Gov. Reeves will call a special election to be held on Nov. 4, 2025, for voters to fill Smith’s seat in the 12th Chancery District, which includes Lauderdale and Clarke counties.
Former Judge Smith recalled Terry’s work representing clients before the Chancery Court as “conscientious, knowledgeable, eager and respectful….He had a common sense approach to matters and his temperament is well suited for a chancellor. I feel sure he will be a good and fair judge and will serve our counties well.”
Senior Chancellor Amanda Rainey said, “The docket in Lauderdale County has always been busy. I’m thrilled to have Judge Terry appointed to the bench. I know he will bring in some fresh ideas. He is a hard worker and has always treated everyone with respect and fairness. Lauderdale County and Clarke County have always been blessed with such knowledgeable chancellors. I know that Judge Terry will be of great service to the 12th Chancery Court District.”
Before opening his own law practice in Meridian, Terry served as a youth court prosecutor and as a staff attorney for the 10th Circuit Court District. Circuit Judge Charles Wright, who administered the oath of office to Judge Terry, said afterwards, “I think that he has the background, the education, the family relationships and the community relationships to serve fairly for the citizens of the 12th Chancery Court.”
Lauderdale County Court Judge Lisa Howell recalled his work as a youth court prosecutor. “He had a good rapport with the kids. He always took the time to ask the right questions that were not too invasive but elicited the answers that we needed about home life” in cases involving children under the jurisdiction of the court. That skill set will serve him well as he deals with families and children involved in domestic disputes before the Chancery Court, she said.
Chancellor Cynthia Brewer of Madison, chair of the Conference of Chancery Court Judges, attended the swearing in ceremony. She said, “We welcome Judge Terry to the Chancery Court Conference and take pride in his entry to the judiciary.”
Judge Terry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mississippi State University and a law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.