Opinion ID: 1109157
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the trial court erred in denying the farris motion to recuse the district attorney.

Text: ¶ 85. In this assignment of error, Farris alleges that the trial court erred in failing to sustain his motion for the District Attorney's office recusal from prosecution in this case. As grounds for the motion, Farris argued that assistant district attorney Rex Jones engaged in ex parte communications with Special Chancellor Shannon Clark over a potential claim by the Diamond estate against Linda Humphrey for overbilling. Special Chancellor Clark admitted to the ex parte communications, but noted instead that he could be subpoenaed as a witness. Farris also argues that the Forrest County District Attorney's Office improperly intervened in the Diamond conservatorship proceedings before the Pearl River County Chancery Court. However, Farris did not allege that the trial court erred in failing to recuse the district attorney in his motion for a new trial. He is consequently barred on appeal for failure to renew his motion. Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803, 808 (Miss.1987). Even though procedurally barred, this assignment of error is without merit. ¶ 86. Linda Humphrey was the former sister-in-law of District Attorney Lindsay Carter and served as Chancellor Taylor's court reporter during the entire Diamond conservatorship saga. The record reflects that a private attorney, not the Forrest County District Attorney's Office, filed a petition to intervene in the Diamond Conservatorship before Pearl River County Chancery Court. The basis of the petition was for the Diamond conservatorship to settle any potential claims against Linda Humphrey for a billing mistake she made in providing court transcripts. A corresponding order filed by the District Attorney does not exist in the record. The Special Chancellor held that the final accounting of Ike Farris with the Pearl River County Chancery Court and Humphrey's repayment to the Diamond estate were two separate matters. ¶ 87. As an example of a conflict requiring recusal of a district attorney, Farris relies on Wagner v. State, 624 So.2d 60 (Miss.1993), where the prosecutor had previously represented the defendant as court-appointed counsel prior to working for the State. Wagner is distinguishable to the instant case because there was no evidence offered by Farris, other than a billing mistake reported to authorities, that Linda Humphrey was part of the conspiracy. Prosecutors have wide discretion in deciding what actions will be prosecuted, and the person claiming selective prosecution carries the burden of showing that they were arbitrarily or unconstitutionally targeted. Hansen v. State, 592 So.2d 114, 143 (Miss.1991). The trial judge was within his discretion to hold that recusal of the assistant district attorney was unnecessary and that the Forrest County District Attorney's Office did not improperly intervene in the Pearl River County Chancery Court on behalf of Linda Humphrey. This issue fails.