Scott Colom facts for kids

Scott Winston Colom, born on December 24, 1982, is an American lawyer. He works as a top lawyer, called a District Attorney, for the 16th Judicial District in Mississippi. He was also considered to become a judge for a special U.S. court.

Scott Colom's Early Life and Schooling

Scott Colom grew up in Columbus, Mississippi. He went to Millsaps College and earned a degree in 2005. Later, he studied law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He finished his law degree in 2009.

Scott Colom's Career Journey

After law school, Scott Colom worked at the Mississippi Center for Justice from 2009 to 2011. This organization helps people with legal issues. From 2011 to 2016, he ran his own law firm, called the Colom Law Firm.

Becoming a Judge and Prosecutor

In 2011, when he was 28, Scott Colom became a justice court judge in Lowndes County, Mississippi. He was the youngest person and the first Black person to hold this job in the county. From 2012 to 2013, he also served as a judge in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He was also an interim justice court judge in Lowndes County during this time.

From 2013 to 2016, he worked as a city prosecutor for Columbus, Mississippi. He was the first Black city prosecutor in Columbus.

Becoming District Attorney

In 2015, Scott Colom was elected as the District Attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Mississippi. He won against someone who had been in the job for almost 30 years. He started his new role on January 4, 2016. He was the first Black person elected as district attorney for his circuit. He was also the first Black district attorney elected to lead a district where most voters were white in Mississippi's history.

He ran for re-election in 2019 and 2023 without anyone running against him. This means he continued to serve as district attorney.

Important Cases and Decisions

Scott Colom has been involved in several important legal situations.

Student Free Speech Case

In 2012, he represented a student named Taylor Bell. The student was disciplined by his school for a rap song he posted online. The song criticized some coaches. Colom argued that punishing a student for things they do off-campus might go against their right to free speech. A higher court later agreed that disciplining a student for off-campus activities could violate the First Amendment.

Supporting Release for Justice

In 2016, Colom supported the release of a person named Steven Jessie Harris. This person had been held for 11 years without a trial. Colom helped him get released to a state mental health facility.

Reviewing Past Convictions

In 2021, Colom dropped murder charges against Eddie Lee Howard. Mr. Howard had spent 23 years in prison, including time on death row. His conviction was based on bite mark evidence that was later shown to be unreliable.

Nomination for Federal Judge

On October 14, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted to nominate Scott Colom to become a United States district judge. This would have been for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. His nomination was sent to the Senate for approval.

Support and Challenges

Many people supported Colom for this important role. Congressman Bennie Thompson and Senator Roger Wicker both showed their support. However, another senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith, decided not to support his nomination. This effectively stopped his chance to become a judge.

Colom wrote a letter to Senator Hyde-Smith to explain some things. He clarified that he had not asked for certain campaign money and did not know it would be contributed. He also stated that he had never taken a public position on some of the issues mentioned by the senator. Instead, he had signed a letter with other district attorneys about supporting certain medical care.

Despite support from various political figures, his nomination was returned to the President on January 3, 2024.

See also

• Joe Biden judicial appointment controversies