BILOXI, Miss. — Oxford Municipal Judge Hal Neilson has taken the reins as the new president of the Mississippi Municipal Court Judges Association. The election took place during the association’s summer training conference in Biloxi.

Succeeding Tylertown Municipal Judge Ryan Bruhl, who is now the immediate past president, Neilson will head an association that works to support and enhance the role of municipal judges throughout Mississippi.

Judge Robert D. Jones, serving as Municipal Judge in multiple jurisdictions including Scooba, DeKalb, Stonewall, and Enterprise, was elected as vice-president of the association. Hattiesburg Municipal Judge Wes Curry will serve as the Association’s secretary-treasurer.

Further filling out the leadership, Meadville Municipal Judge Bill Halford Jr. retains his position on the Board of Governors of the Mississippi Judicial College. The Judicial College is a key institution that provides ongoing education and training for state trial and appellate court judges, as well as youth court judges and referees, municipal judges, justice court judges, and court staff including administrators, clerks, and reporters.

The association’s newly elected leaders will be tasked with upholding the standards of the judicial system at the municipal level, as well as overseeing continued education initiatives for judges and court staff across the state.