Man arrested in March 2020 shooting of a judge

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi man has been arrested in the March 2020 shooting of a Chancery Court judge.

Ernest Edwards, 41, faces an attempted capital murder charge for shooting Judge Charles Smith.

The shooting happened outside the Lauderdale County Courthouse when Smith arrived for work on March 16, 2020, WTOK-TV reported. Smith was shot by a high-powered rifle while he was standing next to his truck.

The judge was in critical condition and underwent surgery at a Meridian hospital. He was later transported to Jackson for treatment, according to WTOK-TV.

After two months of healing, Smith returned to the bench in May 2020. Smith’s district includes Lauderdale and Clarke counties. Among subjects that chancery judges in Mississippi handle are divorces, child custody cases, adoptions and guardianships.

Edwards, of Meridian, is being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center. He is not eligible for a bond “due to the nature of the crime and other pending charges,” according to a press release from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Smith became a judge in January 2019 after more than 20 years as a youth court and county court prosecutor.