Opinion ID: 1725587
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: State's Participation

Text: ¶ 10. The Board argues that the chancellor was bound by this Order and erred in allowing the Attorney General's Office to participate in the trial. The Board further maintains that the court had an ex parte communication with the State of Mississippi, in which it seemingly requested their presence at trial. ¶ 11. On the other hand, the State maintains that when the Board's counsel first discussed the filing of the complaint with the State, the Deputy Attorney General was not informed by the Board's counsel that the State Auditor had been involved in the case investigating improprieties of paving private driveways and roads in George County. The State also maintains that once this was learned, the Deputy Attorney General contacted the Board's counsel prior to trial and informed him that the State's waiver would be withdrawn at trial. Moreover, the record reflects that the State did in fact move to withdraw its initial waiver at the beginning of trial and that the chancellor granted the State's motion to withdraw its waiver without objection by the Board's counsel. ¶ 12. Even though there are numerous allegations propounded in both briefs alleging improprieties on both sides, this Court is bound to make its decision based on what is actually contained in the record. The record shows that the Attorney General's Office filed a Waiver of Interest in the proceedings, on May 10, 1996. However, the record also shows that Jim Steele, Assistant Attorney General notified the Board's counsel on July 16, 1996 of their intent to be present at trial representing the State of Mississippi and the State Auditor's Department. Additionally, the record reveals that the Attorney General's Office appeared at trial and promptly made a Motion to Withdraw their Waiver of Interest. The chancellor granted the State's motion and allowed their participation in the proceedings. Moreover, the record indicates that the Board's counsel did not object to the State's Motion to Withdraw their Waiver of Interest. Since the Board's counsel did not object to the State's participation at trial, we hold that the Board implicitly consented to the State's participation. Accordingly, we hold that this issue is procedurally barred and not properly before this Court.