Opinion ID: 1095462
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: the attorney general's suit

Text: On November 15, 1985, the State of Mississippi, through the Attorney General Edwin Lloyd Pittman filed a complaint in the chancery court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County against Frazier and Knox seeking a declaratory judgment under Rule 57, Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, that both defendants were in violation of Section 109, and that Miss. Code Ann. Sections 25-4-105(3)(a) and 25-4-105(3)(h) (Supp. 1985) be declared null and void. The Attorney General alleged that Frazier had violated § 109 by entering into an employment contract which was authorized by the appropriation bills passed by the Legislature. The State alleged Knox was in violation of § 109 as a member of the county board of supervisors which entered into a county depository contract with banks in which Knox was an officer and shareholder. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-4-105(3)(h) is statutory authority for Frazier to be a legislator and also employed by Jackson State University. Likewise, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-4-105(3)(a) (Supp. 1985) provides statutory authority for Knox to be an officer and shareholder in the State Bank of Como while serving on the county board of supervisors, which selects the Panola County depositories. The complaint charged that these sections were at cross-purposes with and violative of Section 109. Following a motion by the State for summary judgment, the chancery court rendered an oral opinion on March 11, 1986, followed by a written opinion on March 20, holding that to the extent these code sections provided exceptions to Section 109 they were unconstitutional and void. The court also found that Frazier held a contract with Jackson State University, a governmental entity, which was authorized by laws passed while he was in the Legislature, and therefore his contract of employment violated Section 109. As to Knox, the court found that the contracts for the banks in which he was an officer, director and shareholder were authorized by the Board of Supervisors of which he was a member, and that he was in violation of Section 109. In accordance with the written opinion of the chancellor, a declaratory final judgment in favor of the State was rendered on the same date. Frazier and Knox have appealed.