U.S. District Court Judge Neal B. Biggers has died in Oxford after an extended illness. He was
88.

The longtime Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi passed away Sunday, and no funeral
arrangements have been announced. Lafayette County Coroner Rocky Kennedy confirmed his
passing to the Oxford Eagle.
Waller Funeral Home has charge of arrangements. Biggers’ death is being investigated by the
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation as a matter of protocol when any federal judge passes
away.
Biggers was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, after serving as a
circuit judge, a district attorney and a private attorney in his hometown of Corinth. He became
the chief judge of the Northern District of Mississippi in 1998 and assumed senior status in
2000.
During his tenure, Biggers presided over many high-profile cases, including the corruption trials
of  former attorney Paul Minor and
former state Auditor Steven Patterson.
He also handled civil rights cases, such as the desegregation cases in Mississippi and
the voting rights lawsuit filed by black residents of Noxubee County.
Biggers was known for his fairness, integrity and professionalism, as well as his sharp wit and
sense of humor. He earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues, lawyers and litigants
who appeared before him.
“Judge Biggers is a legend in the legal community and a role model for all judges,” said U.S.
District Judge Michael P. Mills, upon succeeding Biggers as the chief judge of the Northern
District in 2000.