Lowndes County District 2 Justice Court Judge Mike Arledge plans to leave the bench and run for sheriff.
Arledge expressed his intentions to The Dispatch via e-mail. He hasn”t qualified yet because he would be required to immediately step down as judge.
“I am going to run for sheriff but I want to work through some cases that are on my docket this month,” he said.
Arledge has 31 years in law enforcement as a state trooper, as an agent with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and as a criminal investigator with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations. He is finishing his second term as justice court judge.
“As justice court judge I hear criminal cases that originate from the sheriff”s department. I feel this experience will help me to be a good sheriff for the citizens of Lowndes County,” said Arledge.
As of Monday, Republican Wyatt Mills was the only person to qualify for the District 2 justice court judge race.
Two former candidates for sheriff — Republican Bo Harris and Democrat Sherman Vaughn — have qualified to run for sheriff. Sheriff Butch Howard plans to retire.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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