Case Name: MADISON COUNTY, Mississippi; Karl Banks, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; J.L. Mccullough, In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; David Richardson, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; Louise Spivey, In Her Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; Luther Waldrop, In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; W.T. Bill Banks In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; Mark Sharpe, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; and Paul Griffin, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually, v. Jessie HOPKINS, In His Official Capacity as Sheriff of Madison County and Individually
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2003-06-19
Citations: 857 So. 2d 43
Docket Number: No. 2001-CA-01152-SCT
Parties: MADISON COUNTY, Mississippi; Karl Banks, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; J.L. Mccullough, In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; David Richardson, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; Louise Spivey, In Her Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; Luther Waldrop, In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; W.T. Bill Banks In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; Mark Sharpe, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; and Paul Griffin, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually, v. Jessie HOPKINS, In His Official Capacity as Sheriff of Madison County and Individually.
Judges: Before PITTMAN, C.J., WALLER and CARLSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 857
Pages: 43–59

Head Matter:
MADISON COUNTY, Mississippi; Karl Banks, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; J.L. Mccullough, In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; David Richardson, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; Louise Spivey, In Her Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; Luther Waldrop, In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi; W.T. Bill Banks In His Official Capacity as Former Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; Mark Sharpe, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually; and Paul Griffin, In His Official Capacity as Supervisor of Madison County, Mississippi and Individually, v. Jessie HOPKINS, In His Official Capacity as Sheriff of Madison County and Individually.
No. 2001-CA-01152-SCT.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
June 19, 2003.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 23, 2003.
Gary E. Friedman, Jackson, for Appellants.
William E. Spell, Clinton, for Appellee.
Before PITTMAN, C.J., WALLER and CARLSON, JJ.

Opinion:
CARLSON, Justice,
for the Court.
¶ 1. Underlying this litigation is the all too familiar and unfortunate contentiousness which can exist between a county board of supervisors and a sheriff concerning budgetary constraints brought about by economic conditions which wreak havoc on a limited county budget and underpaid and overworked employees of the sheriffs department. We are called upon to consider today's case because Madison County has appealed to this Court as a result of an adverse judgment rendered by the Chancery Court of Madison County awarding Sheriff Jessie Hopkins partial reimbursement for legal fees incurred by him as a party in a federal court lawsuit. Finding that the special chancellor erred as a matter of law in awarding fees, we reverse the judgment entered in favor of Sheriff Hopkins and render judgment here in favor of Madison County.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
¶ 2. At the heart of this appeal is federal litigation commenced by fifty-three (53) employees of the Madison County Sheriffs Department on September 5, 1996, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi against Madison County and the individual members of the County's Board of Supervisors asserting violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"). The employees' main complaint was failure to pay overtime. The employees later amended their complaint to allege, inter alia, a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim for violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. However, of significant import was that in this same amended complaint, the employees likewise included a claim against Jessie Hopkins in his official capacity as Madison County Sheriff.
¶3. Upon responding to the amended complaint, Madison County likewise filed a third-party complaint against Sheriff Hopkins seeking indemnification from the Sheriff individually on the theory that he was an employer or joint employer of the sheriffs department employees and thus, individually responsible for any unpaid overtime to which the employees may be entitled. Sheriff Hopkins, in turn, filed a counterclaim against Madison County alleging that the County's third-party claim against him was nothing short of retaliatory action due to his cooperation with the employees in their efforts to receive unpaid overtime via the judicial process. In fact, quite interestingly, after the employees amended their complaint to add Sheriff Hopkins as a defendant in his official capacity, the Sheriffs privately retained counsel filed an answer on behalf of the Sheriff in his official capacity, admitting all of the substantive allegations which had been made by the employees against the County, Supervisors and Sheriff.
¶ 4. Not to be outdone, Madison County filed a motion to strike the Sheriffs answer (filed in his official capacity) admitting the employees' allegations, and the County likewise filed an answer on behalf of the Sheriff in his official capacity thereby denying the substantive claims of the employees. There's more — Sheriff Hopkins, through his privately retained counsel, moved to disqualify Madison County's attorney from representing the Sheriff due to a conflict of interest. The Sheriff claimed that in representing the County and its individual Supervisors as well as the Sheriff, in his official capacity, and in further suing the Sheriff individually for indemnification of the County and its Supervisors in the event of an adverse judgment in favor of the employees, Madison County's attorney had less than undivided loyalty to Sheriff Hopkins. Indeed, the same attorney represented the County and the Sheriff in his official capacity throughout the federal district court trial and the subsequent appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The federal district court eventually denied the Sheriffs motion to disqualify the County's counsel and entered an order striking the Sheriffs answer which he had filed in his official capacity through his privately retained counsel.
¶ 5. As the federal litigation gained force, the state courts were not by any means ignored. Eighty-one (81) days after the federal court litigation had been commenced by the employees of the Madison County Sheriffs Department, Sheriff Hopkins, both in his official and individual capacity, filed this action in Madison County Chancery Court against Madison County and the members of the Madison County Board of Supervisors, both in their official and individual capacities. Sheriff Hopkins's attorney for this state court litigation was the same attorney the Sheriff had privately retained to represent him in the federal court litigation. In this state court action, the Sheriff sought chancery court relief by way of an order (1) directing the Supervisors, in their official capacity, to approve and pay for an attorney to represent the Sheriff in the federal court action; or (2) requiring, alternatively, that the Supervisors reimburse Madison County for all monies paid by the County to the attorney representing the Supervisors in the federal court litigation, and enjoining the County from payment of any further expenses incurred by the Supervisors for their legal representation in the federal court action.
¶ 6. As the state court action proceeded in a normal fashion by way of the filing of amended pleadings and discovery, the federal court action was likewise moving forward. On November 20, 1997, the federal district court, Honorable William H. Barbour, Jr., presiding, entered an opinion and order which found, inter alia, that both Madison County, through the Board of Supervisors, and Sheriff Hopkins, in his official capacity and individually, were joint employers of the sheriffs department employees pursuant to the FLSA; that the employees were not entitled to summary judgment on their FLSA liability claim, thus allowing the Madison County defendants the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence concerning overtime work; that the retaliation claims of the employees and Sheriff Hopkins would be dismissed; and, that the employees' 42 U.S.C. § 1988 claims would be dismissed. The federal court order provided that the Madison County defendants' motion for partial summary judgment would be granted in part and denied in part; that Sheriff Hopkins's third-party defendant motion for partial summary judgment would be denied; that the employees' motion for partial summary judgment would be denied; and, that Sheriff Hopkins's third-party defendant motion to strike testimony would be denied. Barfield v. Madison County, Miss., 984 F.Supp. 491, 510 (S.D.Miss.1997).
¶ 7. Having previously bifurcated the proceedings as to liability and damages, the federal district court commenced a bench trial on the liability issue on March 28, 1998, and on March 25, 1998, the district court found, inter alia, that Madison County had violated the FLSA by its refusal to pay the sheriffs department employees overtime; that the employees were due an award of liquidated damages; that application of Mississippi common law to the County's third-party claim against Sheriff Hopkins resulted in the Sheriff being primarily responsible for the unpaid overtime; and, that Sheriff Hopkins must indemnify Madison County for any monetary judgment subsequently entered against the County in favor of the employees due to the FLSA violations. Prior to the commencement of the damages phase of the bench trial, Madison County settled with the sheriffs department employees for $750,000. Consistent with its prior indemnification ruling, the federal district court entered judgment in favor of Madison County and against Sheriff Hopkins for $750,000. After the County filed a motion for attorneys' fees and expenses, the federal district court, relying once again on Mississippi common law, granted the County's motion for attorneys' fees and expenses in the amount of $264,430.32.
¶ 8. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit exonerated Sheriff Hopkins by finding that there was no support in the Mississippi common law for holding an employee of a Mississippi governmental entity liable in "tort type indemnity;" therefore, the Court of Appeals reversed the district court's judgment for Madison County and rendered judgment in favor of Sheriff Hopkins on the County's third-party indemnification claim and the County's claim for attorneys' fees and expenses. Barfield v. Madison County, Miss., 212 F.3d 269, 273 (5th Cir.2000). Sheriff Hopkins had assigned four errors on appeal from the adverse district court judgment: "(1) he was not an 'employer' under the FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 203(d); (2) the FLSA preempts the application of Mississippi common law indemnification; (3) the district court misapplied Mississippi indemnity law; and (4) the district court should have disqualified Madison County's counsel from representing any party in the suit." Id. at 271. Because of its ruling in favor of Sheriff Hopkins on the third-party indemnification issue, the Fifth Circuit stated that "we do not reach the remaining points raised by Hopkins." 212 F.3d at 273.
¶ 9. Armed with this favorable ruling in the federal court litigation, Sheriff Hopkins then turned his attention to this pending state court action by seeking and receiving from the chancellor leave to amend his original complaint. In his amended complaint Sheriff Hopkins sought relief by way of a request that Madison County, through its Board of Supervisors, approve and pay for his attorneys' fees and expenses incurred in his federal court litigation ($54,865.75), plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, as well as attorneys' fees and expenses incurred in bringing the state court action.
¶ 10. On June 18, 2001, the chancellor awarded Sheriff Hopkins attorney's fees in the amount of $35,000. The chancellor found Sheriff Hopkins was not entitled to reimbursement for his actions which were adverse to the County. The chancellor held that since Sheriff Hopkins was named as a party in his official capacity, he was entitled to representation to insure his interests were protected. The chancellor concluded that because of the conflict between the County and Sheriff Hopkins, the Sheriff was entitled to reimbursement for a portion of the legal expenses incurred as a result of the federal lawsuit. Judgment in the amount of $35,000 was entered against the County on July 16, 2001. Madison County timely appealed to this Court raising the following issues:
I. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR RELIED ON THE PROPER LEGAL STANDARD WHEN HE PREDICATED HIS OPINION ON THE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN A SUIT AGAINST SHERIFF HOPKINS IN HIS OFFICIAL AND INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES.
II. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR SHOULD HAVE RELIED UPON MISSISSIPPI CODE SECTIONS 25-1-47 AND 19-3-47 WHICH PERMIT, BUT DO NOT REQUIRE, A COUNTY TO PROVIDE A LEGAL DEFENSE FOR A COUNTY OFFICIAL ACTING IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
III. WHETHER, BASED ON MISSISSIPPI CODE SECTIONS 25-1-47 AND 19-3-47, HOPKINS HAD THE RIGHT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR HIS ATTORNEY'S FEES EVEN THOUGH THESE CODE SECTIONS GRANT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISCRETION IN DECIDING WHETHER TO PROVIDE A DEFENSE FOR COUNTY OFFICIALS.
DISCUSSION
¶ 11. This Court's standard of review regarding determinations of a chancellor is well-established.
This Court will reverse a chancellor only when he is manifestly wrong. Hans v. Hans, 482 So.2d 1117, 1119 (Miss.1986); Duane v. Saltaformaggio, 455 So.2d 753, 757 (Miss.1984). A chancellor's findings will not be disturbed unless he was manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous or an erroneous legal standard was applied. Tinnin v. First United Bank of Miss., 570 So.2d 1193, 1194 (Miss.1990); Bell v. Parker, 563 So.2d 594, 596-97 (Miss.1990). Where there is substantial evidence to support his findings, this Court is without the authority to disturb his conclusions, although it might have found otherwise as an original matter. In re Estate of Harris, 539 So.2d 1040, 1043 (Miss.1989). Additionally, where the chancellor has made no specific findings, we will proceed on the assumption that he resolved all such fact issues in favor of the appellee. Newsom v. Newsom, 557 So.2d 511, 514 (Miss.1990). The chancellor's decision must be upheld unless it is found to be contrary to the weight of the evidence or if it is manifestly wrong. O.J. Stanton & Co. v. Mississippi State Highway Comm'n, 370 So.2d 909, 911 (Miss.1979).
In re Estate of Johnson, 735 So.2d 231, 236 (Miss.1999). See also Adoption of C.L.B. v. D.G.B., 812 So.2d 980, 985 (Miss.2002). However, the chancery court's interpretation and application of the law is reviewed under a de novo standard. Tucker v. Prisock, 791 So.2d 190, 192 (Miss.2001); In re Carney, 758 So.2d 1017, 1019 (Miss.2000).
I. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR RELIED ON THE PROPER LEGAL STANDARD WHEN HE PREDICATED HIS OPINION ON THE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN A SUIT AGAINST SHERIFF HOPKINS IN HIS OFFICIAL AND INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES.
¶ 12. The County argues the chancellor incorrectly perceived a conflict between the County and Sheriff Hopkins in his official capacity because of the dual legal representation provided by the County. The chancellor held that the Sheriff was named as a party in the federal lawsuit and was being represented by the same attorney who was also representing the Board of Supervisors. However, as the chancellor noted, Sheriff Hopkins was excluded from several conversations and strategy meetings. Therefore, the chancellor held that Sheriff Hopkins "should have been and was entitled to representation to insure his interests were met." Based on this perceived conflict, the chancellor awarded Sheriff Hopkins partial attorney's fees.
¶ 13. The County argues that this question of a potential conflict when the same lawyer defends a governmental employee in his official capacity, but also sues him in his individual capacity, was addressed by the federal district court in response to the Sheriffs motion to disqualify counsel for Madison County. The federal district court held that this argument lacked merit. In his Order and Opinion the federal district judge held:
"A person sued in his official capacity has no stake, as an individual, in the outcome of the litigation." Johnson v. Bd. of County Com'rs for County of Fremont, 85 F.3d 489, 493 (10th Cir.1996).
The suit against Hopkins in his official capacity is thus a suit against Madison County, itself, and Hopkins has no interest in the outcome of the suit against him in his official capacity. Accordingly, there can be no conflict of interest involved when lawyers representing him in his official capacity sue him in his individual capacity.
The County argues that because the federal district court held Sheriff Hopkins, in his official capacity, had no stake in the outcome of the litigation, he was not entitled to be included in conversations and strategy being developed by the County.
¶ 14. The Sheriff does not address this argument in his brief. Although he does contend he had an enormous stake, as an individual, in the federal lawsuit, Sheriff Hopkins does not address his interest in the suit based on his official capacity as sheriff.
¶ 15. The federal district court stated that there was no conflict of interest as a result of the same attorney representing Sheriff Hopkins in his official capacity and suing him in his individual capacity. The chancellor specifically awarded attorney's fees to Sheriff Hopkins based on the perceived conflict between the County and the Sheriff. It is interesting to note here a specific finding by the federal district judge in footnote 3, appearing on pages 27-28 of his Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law filed on April 9,1998:
The Court realizes the apparent unfairness in its finding that although the Board willfully failed to pay [the employees] overtime as required under the FLSA, the Board will be able to shift the burden of paying the judgment, including liquidated damages, to the Sheriff, who, as the proceedings in this case have revealed, is not exactly adversary to the [employees]. Meanwhile, in all likelihood, it will be the taxpayers of Madison County who will bear the burden of paying the judgment rendered against the Board. Perhaps a more equitable result would have been for the Court to find the County and Sheriff to be jointly and severally liable. However, such a finding was not permitted in this case because the [employees] chose not to sue the Sheriff in his individual capacity. While it may seem that [the employees] are receiving a windfall as a result of what was, in essence, a political dispute between the Board and the Sheriff, the fact remains that the [employees] performed overtime work for which they were not compensated, and [the employees] are entitled to compensation and liquidated damages under the FLSA.
¶ 16. The very perceptive federal district judge saw the situation as it was— the Sheriff was aligned with his employees in the federal litigation. If there were any doubt as to the Sheriffs alignment in the federal litigation, it was quickly dispelled when Sheriff Hopkins's privately retained attorney filed an answer on behalf of the Sheriff in his official capacity admitting all the substantive allegations made by his employees, and thus in essence admitting the Madison County defendants out of court. Not surprisingly, the County subsequently filed a motion to strike the Sheriffs answer, which the district court granted, and the County likewise filed its own answer on behalf of the Sheriff in his official capacity thereby denying the employees' allegations. It is also critical to remember that in reversing the district court judgment and rendering judgment in favor of Sheriff Hopkins, the Fifth Circuit did so on the sole basis of the third-party indemnification issue without addressing the remaining issues raised by the Sheriff, including the attorney disqualification issue. The Fifth Circuit's decision thus left intact the district court's findings on the unaddressed issues, including the attorney-conflict issue. Because the chancellor's sole reason for awarding Sheriff Hopkins partial attorney's fees was the perceived conflict due to the same attorney representing the County and the Sheriff in his official capacity, because the chancellor's finding conflicts with a ruling of the federal district court which remained undisturbed on appeal to the Fifth Circuit, and because the chancellor applied an incorrect legal standard, we find that the chancellor committed error in awarding attorneys' fees and expenses to Sheriff Hopkins for his federal court litigation.
II. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR SHOULD HAVE RELIED UPON MISSISSIPPI CODE SECTIONS 25-1-47 AND 19-3-47 WHICH PERMIT, BUT DO NOT REQUIRE, A COUNTY TO PROVIDE A LEGAL DEFENSE FOR A COUNTY OFFICIAL ACTING IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
III. WHETHER, BASED ON MISSISSIPPI CODE SECTIONS 25-1-47 AND 19-3-47, SHERIFF HOPKINS HAD THE RIGHT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR HIS ATTORNEY'S FEES EVEN THOUGH THESE CODE SECTIONS GRANT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISCRETION IN DECIDING WHETHER TO PROVIDE A DEFENSE FOR COUNTY OFFICIALS.
¶ 17. The County argues the chancellor should have relied on Miss.Code Ann. § 25-1-47 and 19-3-47 in determining whether Sheriff Hopkins was entitled to attorney's fees. The County argues both statutes provide that the governmental entity's power to employ counsel for an employee is completely discretionary.
¶ 18. Miss.Code Aim. § 25-1-47 (Rev. 1999) states in pertinent part:
(1) Any municipality of the State of Mississippi is hereby authorized and empowered, within the discretion of its governing authorities, to investigate and provide legal counsel for the defense of any claim, demand, or action, whether civil or criminal, made or brought against any state, county, school district, or municipal officer, agent, servant, employee, or appointee as a result of his actions while acting in the capacity of such officer, agent, servant, employee, or appointee; and such municipality is hereby authorized to pay for all costs and expenses incident to such investigation and defense.
(emphasis added). Miss.Code Ann. § 19-3^47(1) (Rev.1995) states in pertinent part:
(b) The board of supervisors shall have the power, in its discretion, to employ counsel in all civil cases in which the county is interested, including eminent domain proceedings, the examination and certification of title to property the county is acquiring and in criminal cases against a county officer for malfeasance or dereliction of duty in office, when by the criminal conduct of the officer the county may be liable to be affected pecu-niarily, with the counsel to conduct the proceeding instead of the district attorney, or in conjunction with him, and to pay the counsel out of the county treasury or the road fund that may be involved reasonable compensation, or if counsel so employed is retained on an annual basis as provided in this subsection, reasonable additional compensation for his services.
(emphasis added).
¶ 19. Although Attorney General opinions are not binding, they may certainly be considered by the Court. City of Durant v. Laws Constr. Co., 721 So.2d 598, 604 (Miss.1998). See Miss.Code Ann. § 7-5-25 (Supp.1997). The Attorney General has stated in several opinions that Miss. Code Ann. § 25-1-47 "permits, but does not require, a county to provide legal counsel for the defense of any claim against an officer or employee of a county while acting in his official capacity_" Miss. Att'y Gen. Op. No.1999-0468, 1999 WL 1075179, *2 (Sept. 10, 1999). See also Miss. Att'y Gen. Op. No. 96-0063, 1996 WL 650029 (Nov. 1, 1996); Miss. Att'y Gen. Op., 1993 WL 669094 (Feb. 3, 1993)(to Robert Shepard); Miss. Att'y Gen. Op., 1991 WL 578171 (Dec. 18, 1991)(to Everett T. Sanders).
¶ 20. Sheriff Hopkins does not disagree that the County is authorized under these statutes to pay attorney's fees; however, the Sheriff disregards the discretionary aspect of the statutes and looks only to Richardson v. Canton Farm Equipment, Inc., 608 So.2d 1240 (Miss.1992). Sheriff Hopkins argues the holding in Richardson states that if a public official has a color-able defense and acts in good faith in bringing that defense, the supervisors must authorize payment for the expense of that defense. The Sheriff contends that because he had a colorable defense and prevailed in that defense, he is entitled to attorney's fees.
¶21. In Richardson, this Court addressed the matter of awarding attorneys' fees to the Board of Supervisors paid by the County for the defense of an action brought against the Board.
Without doubt, supervisors are empowered to employ counsel and defend themselves when sued in causes arising out of their official position whether they be sued in their official capacity, individually, or both. See, e.g., Miss.Code Ann. § 19-3-47 and 25-1-47 (1972). Public officials are often public targets, and this is a price we are willing to pay, lest the prospect of lawsuits deter solvent citizens from seeking public office. Where they have a colorable defense and present the same in good faith, Supervisors pay expenses of defense out of the public coffers, notwithstanding an adverse judgment. This right coexists on principle with the board members' qualified official immunity from suit regarding acts within their discretionary authority. See Barrett v. Miller, 599 So.2d 559, 567 (Miss.1992); Starnes v. City of Vardaman, 580 So.2d 733, 737-38 (Miss.1991); Grantham v. Mississippi Department of Corrections, 522 So.2d 219, 223-25 (Miss.1988).
Richardson, 608 So.2d at 1253. In Richardson, this Court found the Board of Supervisors did not defend the liability phase of that action in good faith. Id. at 1254. Therefore, this Court ordered the Supervisors to repay one half of all attorneys fees and expenses to Madison County. Id.
¶22. The County argues this case is not as clearly on point as Sheriff Hopkins would like this Court to believe. In Richardson, Madison County exercised its discretion in deciding to pay for the Board's legal expenses. However, this Court held the County abused its discretion by providing a defense to the Board when the Board acted in bad faith in its defense. Unlike the case sub judice, there was no question in Richardson as to whether the County had discretion to provide a defense for the Board, but whether the County had abused its discretion in providing that defense.
¶ 23. Miss.Code Ann. § 25-1-47 and 19-3-47 without question allow a county to provide legal counsel for the defense of any claim against an employee of that county. However, to assert that Richardson held legal counsel must be provided to all employees with a colorable defense who act in good faith completely disregards the statutorily granted discretion provided to the counties.
CONCLUSION
¶24. As noted at the outset, we are ever mindful of the fact that quite often supervisors and sheriffs do not see eye-to-eye when it comes to law enforcement budgetary issues. Also, without question, supervisors should act responsibly in the exercise of sound discretion concerning expenditures as authorized under the applicable statutes. This is imperative to assure that our county sheriffs as well as all our dedicated public officials are not exposed to personal bankruptcy in having to defend claims filed against them in the lawful performance of their official duties. However, the supervisors by law are charged with control of the county's purse strings. Pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 25-1-47 and 19-3-47, a county has the discretion to provide a defense of any claim against its employees. Because the chancellor erred as a matter of law in ordering the reimbursement of attorney's fees, the judgment of the chancellor is reversed, and judgment is rendered here finally denying Sheriff Hopkins claim for attorney's fees and expenses with prejudice.
¶ 25. REVERSED AND RENDERED.
PITTMAN, C.J., SMITH, P.J., WALLER, EASLEY AND GRAVES, JJ., CONCUR. DIAZ, J., DISSENTS WITHOUT SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. COBB, J., CONCURS IN PART AND DISSENTS IN PART WITHOUT SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. McRAE, P.J., NOT PARTICIPATING.
. The dismissal of the retaliation claims was not an issue on the subsequent appeal to the Fifth Circuit.