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Exhibit 31.1 CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PEOPLES FINANCIAL CORPORATION
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES  OXLEY ACT OF 2002 I, Chevis C. Swetman, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Peoples Financial Corporation. 2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in the
report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4. The registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and
procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information
relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being
prepared; b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control
over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures
and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control
over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal
quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
registrant's internal




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control over financial reporting; and 5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent
evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the
audit committee of the board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): a) all significant deficiencies and material weakness in the design or operation of internal
controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have
a significant role in the registrant's internal controls over financial reporting. Dated: May 12, 2005/s/ Chevis C. SwetmanChevis C. Swetman,President and Chief Executive Officer