SOUTHAVEN, MS (abc24.com) - A Mississippi judge has finally agreed to hear the traffic case against Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.
Davis was arrested in March for passing a stopped school bus and using flashing blue lights. His court hearing has been on hold ever since DeSoto County's judges and prosecutor refused the case. That was in May.
It's been difficult finding a judge who doesn't have a personal history with Davis, or one who agrees to handle the high profile case.
The court made several requests before finding the judge who just agreed, but there's still no prosecutor.
"I'm surprised they found anybody that would do it really," says resident Peggy Jones. Why? "Politics," Jones says.
Davis' traffic hearing has been a political hot potato. A judge in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi - almost two hours from DeSoto County - has just agreed to hear it.
It's been close to two months since the county started looking for a replacement.
None of DeSoto's five justice court judges wanted the case. Clerk Shirley Beshears says a replacement is usually picked from an adjoining county.
"Marshall, Tate or Tunica," she says. But judges in other counties didn't want the case either.
Tallahatchie Judge Steve Ross is the first to say yes. Ross tells abc24, until being asked, he didn't know anything about Davis' case.
That's exactly what the county's been looking for, someone with no attachment to Davis.
The court is still searching for a special prosecutor who can say the same.
"Let's get this all behind us and let Southaven move on," Jones agrees.
Davis' new trial date will be set once a prosecutor is found. Both the judge and prosecutor will travel to Southaven to hear the case in DeSoto County's Justice Court.
