Madison Municipal Court

Madison, Mississippi is named for the fourth president of the United States, James Madison. In the pre-Civil War era, the city of Madison began growing along a bustling railroad track, although at that time it was only Illinois’ Central Railroad station, Madison Station. Nearby Madisonville was a flourishing settlement, yet as the newly established railroad community began to thrive, Madisonville—with its two banks, race track, wagon factory and hotel—slowly began dying. Madison Station—like many southern railroad towns—fell victim to the Civil War, being largely destroyed in the 1861 Jackson siege. While no battles were fought in Madison, the command of Major General S.D. Lee was concentrated in Madison station for a time.

Following the Civil War, the Madison Land Company encouraged those from the north to “Go South and Grow Up with the Country.” The Land Company was offering prime land for a mere $3 per acre. The low price was coupled with some rather “tall tales” by the Land Company which claimed the state of Mississippi had the lowest debt ratio in the country and that residents of Mississippi were considerably healthier than those in New York and Massachusetts.

The business and residential sections of Madison were almost destroyed in 1900 when a fire roared through the city, however some of the oldest, most historic buildings did survive and are still being used and enjoyed today. There are three churches on Main Street in Madison which are prime examples of the 1930’s style of architecture (the Susan B. Montgomery Memorial Methodist Church, the St. Paul’s A.M.E. Church and the Pilgrim Rest M.B. Church.

Madison’s Main Street stopped at the railroad track until the 1930’s, when a schoolhouse was built across the track. Today, a red caboose at the corner of the old schoolhouse is a part of the Madison Square Center for the Arts. Strawberry Patch Park in Madison was once one of many strawberry fields in the area—strawberries and cotton were widely grown. In fact, at one time, Madison was known as the “Strawberry Capital of the World.” Madison remained a town until 1985 when it became a city—which has continued to flourish.

Over the past few years, Madison has become one of the fastest-growing cities in Mississippi and now has a population of more than 25,000. Just a few short miles from Madison is the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, the Antique Mall of the South, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Sweet Olive Tour Boats. For country charm with a bustling city nearby, Madison is the place to be.

Madison Municipal Court

The Madison Municipal Court is located at the Madison Justice Complex at 2001 Main Street, Madison MS. Judges Rick Mitchell, Jim Streetman and John Reeves preside over the Madison Municipal Court. The Court Clerk is Penny McElroy, Deputy Court Clerk is Renee Frazier, and Prosecutors are John Hedglin and Dale Long. The Madison Municipal Court meets every Thursday except the 5th Thursday of the month from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Initial appearances are set for 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and trials are set to be heard between 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Environmental Court is held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The Madison Municipal Court has jurisdiction over traffic and misdemeanor offenses. Initial appearances for felony offenses will be heard in the Madison Municipal Court as will City ordinance violation hearings. The Madison County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Highway Patrol can make arrests within the city limits of Madison the same as Madison Police Officers.