Capitol Complex judges, court opening date announced by chief justice
The Capitol Complex Improvement District Court will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, in a newly remodeled facility at 201 South Jefferson Street in Jackson. Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph announced judicial appointments to the CCID Court on Jan. 24. James Holland and Stanley Alexander are full-time judges of the CCID Court, and Christopher Collins will serve as a part-time judge. All live in Jackson.
Judge Holland has a long history of civil law practice in Jackson. Judge Alexander has served as a prosecutor for the Attorney General’s office and three Circuit Court districts. Judge Collins is a former Circuit, Tribal, and Municipal Court judge.
Dr. Bryana Smith McDougal, DBA, is Clerk of the Capitol Complex Improvement District Court.
The CCID Court will adjudicate misdemeanor offenses investigated by State Capitol Police and traffic citations written by Capitol Police, as well as conduct initial appearances for felony offenses investigated by Capitol Police. All fines collected by the CCID Court will be forwarded to the City of Jackson.
Traffic court will be held each Tuesday. Misdemeanor trials will be conducted on Thursdays. Initial appearances will be conducted each weekday morning.
Funding for two CCID judges, a part-time judge, and support staff is detailed in Section 24 of House Bill 1820, the judicial branch appropriation bill adopted in 2024.
Please see Section 24 of House Bill 1820 at this link:https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2024/pdf/HB/1800-1899/HB1820SG.pdf.
The CCID Judges’ appointments are for terms which commenced Jan. 1, 2025, and continue through July 1, 2027, the date of the legislatively enacted repealer on the CCID statute, Miss. Code Ann. § 9-12-1(5).
Judicial appointment orders are at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/index.php?cn=98929#dispArea.
Here are biographies of Judges Holland, Alexander and Collins and Dr. McDougal:
Judge James Holland
Judge James Holland been a resident of the Fondren area of Jackson for more than 50 years. He has practiced law for more than 40 years and has extensive trial experience. He has defended litigation in both state and federal courts against individuals and companies in Mississippi since earning a degree in political science from Millsaps College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
He has offered invaluable assistance to the Administrative Office of Courts in helping to create this court from the ground up.
Judge Holland was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association. He is a former president of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association and was national president of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys. He was recognized as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He served on the Board of Directors of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), and was twice a recipient of the DRI Distinguished Service Award. He also was invited to join the International Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (IADC) and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC). He served as an instructor for the IADC Trial Academy at Stanford University. He served as vice-chair of the Mississippi Supreme Court Plain Language Jury Instruction Task Force and was vice-chair of the Business Court Study Committee appointed by then-Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. He also served as chair of the Mississippi Bar’s Summer School for Lawyers and has been a speaker at many legal seminars and continuing legal education programs around the country.
Judge Holland is married to Ouida Bass Holland, a Jackson native who taught school for more than 40 years in elementary and middle schools and at the college level. She continues service to her community through clubs and organizations. Judge and Mrs. Holland are involved in leadership positions at St. James’ Episcopal Church, including choir and music, parish life, children’s education, youth programs and the Vestry. They have two adult sons and three grandsons.
Judge Stanley Alexander
Judge Stanley Alexander served as a prosecutor for more than 20 years. He has served as an assistant district attorney in the Fourth, Sixth and Seventh Judicial Districts. Most recently, he served for the past three years as Senior Assistant District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District. He served as a Special Assistant Attorney General from 1995 to 2001, representing the Department of Human Services. He returned to the Attorney General’s office in 2008, and was Director of the Division of Public Integrity for the Attorney General’s Office 2009-2020. He served as an Assistant Attorney General 2010-2020. He is Chair of the Prosecutors Section of the Mississippi Bar. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science with a minor in criminal justice from Mississippi College in 1989, and lettered in varsity football at Mississippi College. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1994. He was an Earl Warren Scholar, president of the Black Law Students Association, and worked in the law school’s housing law clinic.
Judge Alexander and his wife of 27 years, Glendora Alexander, a registered nurse, are both native Jacksonians who attended Jackson Public Schools. Their parents also reside in Jackson. They are members at Greater Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, where Judge Alexander has served as a deacon for more than 20 years.
Judge Christopher Collins
Judge Christopher Collins has served as a judge since 1999, including as Circuit Judge for the Eighth Judicial District, comprised of Leake, Neshoba, Newton, and Scott counties; as a Civil Judge, Domestic Violence Court Judge and Supreme Court Justice pro tem for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; and as Municipal Judge for the City of Carthage. He has 21 years of experience as a municipal prosecutor with the cities of Union and Decatur, and as a special prosecutor for the Lauderdale and Winston County Circuit Courts. Beginning in 1995, he was one of the initial public defenders in the Eighth Circuit Court District, serving until 2016. He returned to private law practice Jan. 1, 2020, after almost four years on the circuit bench. Since 2020, he has accepted appointment as a public defender in Attala, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Neshoba, Newton, and Winston counties. His private law practice focuses on criminal defense.
Judge Collins received an Associate of Arts degree from East Central Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mississippi College. He received a Juris Doctor from the Mississippi College School of Law.
Dr. Bryana Smith McDougal
Dr. Bryana Smith McDougal recently completed her Doctor of Business Administration/ Strategic Management degree from Belhaven University. She previously earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from Belhaven University.
She served as Judicial Assistant to Supreme Court Presiding Justice Jim Kitchens for more than three years. She previously worked for almost two years as an Assistant Deputy Clerk in the office of the Supreme Court Clerk. She worked for more than two years as a Rankin County Justice Court Deputy Clerk and for a year as an Information Security Analyst. She also worked for more than three years as an Executive Assistant for the Narcotics Unit of the Hinds County Sheriff's Office.
Dr. McDougal grew up in Jackson and lives in Madison. She is married to Joshua McDougal and they have one son.