FARRIS
FUNDERBURK
By William Moore
Daily Journal
TUPELO – The Nov. 4 general election ballot only has a handful of contested races. One of those pits Tupelo’s Paul Funderburk against Mantachie attorney Dennis Farris for the 1st District circuit court judge place 2 position.
Funderburk has held the position since he was appointed by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove in January 2002 to fill out the unexpired term of Judge Frank Russell. He graduated from the University of Mississippi law school in December 1976 and started practicing law in early 1977.
“I practiced for years in all levels of courts – chancery, circuit and federal court,” Funderburk said. “Toward the end, I had narrowed it down to circuit and federal.”
He was appointed Tupelo municipal judge in 2001 by Mayor Larry Otis. The following year, he moved to circuit court in January and ran successfully for the office the following November. Funderburk said his experience on the bench makes him qualified for the job.
“There is nothing like experience and there is only one way to get it,” he said. “I have judicial experience as a municipal and circuit judge. I handled both criminal and civil cases in circuit court from the time I graduated until I was named to the bench.”
His challenger in the non partisan race, Dennis Farris, took the long road to becoming an attorney. He was a military policeman in the U.S. Air Force for two decades and used the G.I. Bill to help go back to law school at the University of Mississippi later in life. After passing the bar, he went to work as an assistant district attorney and spent the next 16 years working for District Attorney Johnny Young.
“I tried in the neighborhood of 200 cases in front of circuit court juries,” Farris said. “I disposed of another 5,000 or more felony cases through pleas or other agreements.”
He handled circuit court cases involving drugs, murder and sexual assaults for mainly Lee and Itawamba counties while working as an assistant district attorney.
“My education, experience in the court system and my life experience of being an officer for some 20 years qualify me for the job,” he said. “I understand people. I grew up in a small community and grew into a man in the military.
“I will treat the people who come into my courtroom just, fairly and with respect.”
The 1st Circuit Court District covers Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties. Under state law, circuit court judges must be a practicing lawyer for five years, be at least 26 years old, a resident of Mississippi for at least five years and a resident of the district they would serve.
The three other 1st District circuit judges, Thomas Gardner III, Jim Pounds and James Roberts Jr. are running unopposed.
william.moore@journalinc.com