Thompson Wins New 18th District Circuit Judgeship
Jones County District Attorney Brad Thompson won election to a new four-county circuit court seat that replaces retiring judge Dal Williamson.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Criminal Justice
Jones County District Attorney Brad Thompson won Tuesday's election for a new circuit court judgeship in the expanded 18th District. He succeeds retiring judge Dal Williamson, who served 12 years on the bench, and is expected to take the bench on Jan. 1.
Why it matters
Census redistricting expanded the 18th District from Jones County to include Wayne, Greene and George counties, and the district will now have two circuit judges who preside over felony criminal cases and major civil disputes across Mississippi's southeastern region. Thompson's win also opens his district attorney post, which Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to fill by appointment.
Thompson won Tuesday's race for the new 18th District seat and is scheduled to take the bench on Jan. 1, 2027. The second circuit judgeship in the district will go to Darryl Hurt of George County, and the successor for Thompson's district attorney post has not yet been named.
The players
Brad Thompson
Brad Thompson is the Jones County district attorney who won the new 18th District circuit court seat.
Dal Williamson
Dal Williamson is a retiring circuit judge who served 12 years on the bench in the 18th District.
Tate Reeves
Tate Reeves is the Governor of Mississippi, who is expected to appoint a successor to Thompson's district attorney term.
The details
Thompson, who currently serves as Jones County district attorney, won the race for a new four-county circuit court district created after census redistricting. He is succeeding retiring judge Dal Williamson, and he plans to bring Jones County's community service work program, in which participants pick up trash and clean buildings, to the other counties.
Timeline
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Thompson wins the circuit court election.
Jan. 1, 2027: Thompson takes the circuit court bench.
Legal Context
The 18th District's expansion from one county to four follows the statewide census redistricting that reshaped Mississippi's judicial boundaries. Adding a second circuit judgeship increases judicial capacity for felony criminal cases and major civil disputes across the region.
Residents of Wayne, Greene and George counties will now fall under the 18th District's circuit court, which handles felony criminal cases and major civil disputes. Thompson has said he plans to expand drug rehabilitation courts across all four counties as an alternative to incarceration.
The takeaway
Expanded judicial districts can change which courts residents rely on, so it is worth checking which circuit judge now covers your county. Thompson's plan to bring community service and drug rehabilitation programs to new counties signals how the district may approach sentencing alternatives going forward.
What happens next
Thompson is expected to take the bench on Jan. 1, 2027, and Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to appoint a successor to fill his district attorney term.
Further reading
Explore more coverage of Mississippi Criminal Justice to see how the state's courts handle felony cases.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wdam.
