DeSoto County to seek state funding for new justice center to assist crime crackdown

HERNANDO, Miss. (WMC) - DeSoto County leaders plan to seek state funding for a new justice center to handle what officials say is a rising number of criminal cases as the county’s population grows.

Local and state legislators met Monday night to discuss the county’s priorities for the 2026 Mississippi legislative session, with the justice center ranking among the top needs.

“We just communicated to our legislators some of the pressing needs of DeSoto County, and we went over a bunch of them yesterday,” said Mark Gardner, DeSoto County Board of Supervisors president. “We actually put together a book for them to take back to Jackson.”

Gardner said the need for a new justice center stems from rapid population growth, which he says correlates with more court cases.

“This is definitely the growing pains of DeSoto County. All the rapid growth that we enjoy. We built 13 or 14 hundred houses every year, and with that growth comes needs, and this is a need,” Gardner said.

The county’s judicial district is adding two judges in circuit court, two judges in chancery courts and three new prosecutors. DeSoto County leads the state in both cases filed and cases closed.

“The cases going before the judges and the cases the district attorney’s office is handling, that has grown year over year, and that’s going to continue to grow,” Gardner said.

The existing courthouse cannot accommodate the additional judicial staff, Gardner said.

“Our beautiful 1940s courthouse on the square in Hernando, there’s no room to grow up or out,” Gardner said.

A new justice center would address space constraints while supporting the county’s law enforcement efforts.

“We have a great law enforcement team. Our municipal police departments, our sheriff’s department, do a great job of keeping criminals off the street,” Gardner said.

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