A new judge is sworn in at Lauderdale County Court House.

The Lauderdale County Courtroom was a packed house as several cheered during the swearing in of Judge Robert Bailey.

“This time last year I qualified to run on the secretary of state’s website; and beginning around March 12th, we started our campaign, and we went door to door. We went to every event we could go to and ran a really hard, tough campaign.”

Bailey says his inspiration to become judge comes from his father.

“I always wanted to do what my dad did; he played football at Meridian High School and at Ole Miss. I wanted to follow in his footsteps, I didn’t make it to Ole Miss for football, but I played for Meridian High School. He was a player, I wanted to be a lawyer. In 1988,I believe he was right up here, he got sworn in to be judge, and I knew at one point I was going to put my name in a hat to do the same.”

As Circuit Clerk Judge, several duties must be carried out in transitioning to the new role.

“Well, it’s to along with my senior judge, Judge Wright, it’s to help move the docket along and just try to clean up some backlogs on the criminal side and to fairly and partially decide the cases.”

Bailey says he’s no stranger in the area.

"I’m proud of my community, I’ve grown up here my entire life, and I don’t see that changing.”

He says he hopes to make the multiple counties that are served safe.

“My District is Lauderdale, it’s Wayne, It’s Clarke, and it’s Kemper. Counties and communities thrive when a crime is low, they thrive when people are wanting to go out and be in the community without any kind of fears or any founded or unfounded.”