Marshall County Youth Court Referee and attorney Sarah Liddy has qualified to run against Oxford attorney Larry Little for the Place One seat in the 18th Chancery Court District in November.

Presiding Place One Chancery Court Judge Glenn Alderson is retiring and not seeking re-election.

The 18th Chancery Court is located in the Lafayette County Chancery Building and hears cases from Benton, Calhoun, Marshall, Tippah and Lafayette counties.

Liddy has been practicing law for 25 years, primarily taking on family law matters including divorce, child custody and support, adoptions, wills and estates and real estate issues. For the past 18 years, she’s served as Youth Court Referee and has also served as interim Youth Court Referee for Benton and Tippah counties.

“In addition to the Youth Court, I serve as Marshall County’s Master in Chancery, hearing all mental health and drug and alcohol commitment petitions for involuntary treatment at the state hospitals,” she said recently.

A University of Mississippi alumna, she received a bachelor’s degree in political science and her law degree from the UM School of Law in 1992.

She’s married to Tim Bisenius.

“A Chancery Court Judge is extremely important,” she said. “A judge’s decision can affect the parties’ and their extended families’ lives for many years to come. Such decisions must be not only fair but in the best interests of the children.”

Liddy will go up against Oxford’s Municipal Judge Larry Little who has received a leave of absence from the Oxford Board of Aldermen to focus on his run for Chancery Court Judge. Little has served as the Municipal Judge for Oxford since 1999.

The qualification period for prospective judicial candidates started on Jan. 2 and will run until May 11. Since judicial races are nonpartisan, there are no primaries and candidates will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. If a runoff election is needed, it will be on Nov. 27.

Place 2 Chancery Judge Bob Whitwell has qualified for re-election with no opposition as of Wednesday.

In the Lafayette County Circuit Court, incumbent judges Andrew Howorth, Place 1; J. Kelly Luther, Place 2; and John A. Gregory, Place 3; have all qualified with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office. As of Wednesday, no one else has qualified to run against all three judges.