Claiborne “Buddy” McDonald IV, a judge in the south-central Mississippi circuit court and longtime prosecutor in the area, has died. He was 75 years old.
Mississippi Department of Justice spokeswoman Beverly Craft said McDonald died Monday at Forrest General Hospital of an undisclosed illness.
Prentice Harrell, a fellow judge on the 15th District Court of Appeals, said McDonald was known to many as “Buddy” and was described as a fair and empathetic judge who firmly followed the law. he told the Hattiesburg American.
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“He cared about people and was sympathetic to people who needed compassion, but he was also a strong supporter of the law,” Harrell said. “We will miss him. He was a good judge.”
A funeral Mass will be held at noon Friday at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Picayune, the newspaper said.
McDonald took the position in January 2016, a new court position created to reduce the caseload in the district, which covers Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Jefferson Davis, and Lawrence counties. On December 19, the Mississippi Supreme Court was notified that MacDonald would be unable to appear or sit in court indefinitely, and William E. Andrews III was appointed to fill MacDonald's seat.
Mr. MacDonald previously served as District Attorney and Assistant District Attorney for the 15th District, as well as public service positions including Prosecuting Attorney for Pearl River County and Judge and City Attorney for the City of Picayune.
Mississippi Circuit Judge Claiborne “Buddy” McDonald died Monday. He was 75 years old.
His longtime colleague, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Kitchens of Crystal Springs, said McDonald was “a man of solid integrity, a dedicated servant of the law, and a trusted servant of the people.” ”.
“As a prosecuting attorney, he was fair and formidable. As a judge, he took his oath of office seriously and was dedicated to fairness, perseverance, and the rule of law. His many years of honorable service in our state's courts will continue.'' He will be remembered and admired by all who knew him. ”
Pearl River County Court Judge Richelle Lumpkin recalled working with McDonald when he was an assistant district attorney and she was county prosecutor. As a judge, he was a man of impeccable integrity and dedication, she said.
“He had a great legal mind,” she says. “He was well-read and a well-rounded person. Any subject you wanted to talk about, he knew something about it. There's no one else like Buddy McDonald. I didn't have to talk to him to find out. He was unique.”
His public life did not end in court, his friends said.
Lumpkin said he quietly donated his time and efforts through civic work, church work and philanthropy, including supporting underprivileged children.
“There's a lot of things that Buddy did that people don't know about,” she says.
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Survivors include his wife, Susie Stockstill McDonald, four children, and 13 grandchildren.
