Your court case is likely in Lamar County, not Hattiesburg, because much of Hattiesburg and Oak Grove sits outside the city limits in unincorporated Lamar County. If you have a Lamar County court date, Lowrey, Fortner, & Miri appears in the Purvis courts; call (601) 582-5015. Understanding which building to go to and what happens in each court will save you time, money, and stress.
| Court | What it handles | Where in Purvis |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Felony prosecutions, criminal misdemeanors, and civil lawsuits | Circuit Court Building, 203 Main Street |
| County Court and Youth Court | Misdemeanors, evictions, civil cases up to $200,000, criminal matters assigned by the circuit court, and youth court cases | 107 Main Street |
| Chancery Court | Divorce, custody, child support, alimony, adoption, and estates | Gamble Chancery Building, 403 Main Street |
| Justice Court | Small claims, evictions, misdemeanors including DUI and traffic, and felony bond and preliminary hearings | 205 Main Street, Suite A |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations and minor offenses inside the city limits | Purvis, Sumrall, and Lumberton (each town has its own court) |
Addresses are from Lamar County's official website, lamarcountyms.gov. The caption on your papers or your citation names the court and the date.
This is the first surprise most people get. You live in Hattiesburg. Your case should be in Hattiesburg. But the court clerk tells you to go to Purvis.
The reason is simple: Hattiesburg city limits do not cover all of Hattiesburg. Much of Oak Grove and parts of Hattiesburg are outside the city's corporate boundaries. If your case arose in those areas, you are in unincorporated Lamar County. The county courthouse is in Purvis, the county seat, about 15 miles southwest.
If you were arrested within Hattiesburg city limits on a minor charge, you might see Hattiesburg Municipal Court. But if the offense happened outside the city, or if you are charged with a felony, your case goes to the county's courts in Purvis.
Purvis has two main courthouse buildings, the circuit courthouse and the chancery building, plus the justice court and the county court offices nearby. They sit within a few blocks of each other on Main Street, and it is easy to go to the wrong one.
Circuit Court Building, 203 Main Street, Purvis. This is where criminal felonies are prosecuted, criminal misdemeanors are handled, and civil lawsuits are filed. If you are charged with a felony DUI, drug possession, assault, or theft, you come here. If you are suing someone for money or property damage, this is also where your case starts. The court handles Lamar County's cases in the 15th Circuit Court District.
County Court and Youth Court, 107 Main Street, Purvis. Lamar County also has a county court, which the county lists at 107 Main Street. Under Section 9-9-21 it shares jurisdiction with justice court over misdemeanors and small civil cases, hears civil cases up to $200,000, takes criminal matters the circuit judges assign to it, and sits as the Lamar County Youth Court.
Gamble Chancery Building, 403 Main Street, Purvis. This building handles family law and estates. Divorce cases, custody disputes, child support modifications, adoption, and probate are handled here. A chancellor, not a jury, decides family cases. If your case involves children, marriage, or inheritance, you go here, not to Circuit Court.
Justice Court, 205 Main Street, Suite A, Purvis. Justice court handles small claims, evictions, and minor misdemeanors. Claims are limited to a few thousand dollars. If you are being evicted or have a small debt claim, this court may have jurisdiction.
Municipal Courts in Purvis, Sumrall, and Lumberton. Each of these towns has a municipal court that handles city ordinance violations and minor offenses within that city's limits. A first-offense DUI that happens inside one of these towns' limits is typically handled in that town's municipal court. These courts have limited jurisdiction and limited penalties.
If your paperwork says Lamar County Justice Court, you are not looking for the Circuit Court building. Justice court is a separate court at 205 Main Street, Suite A, in Purvis, and it handles small claims, evictions, and minor misdemeanors, and the claims it can hear are capped at a few thousand dollars.
Justice court also plays a bigger role in felony cases than most people expect. The preliminary hearing in a Lamar County felony case usually happens in justice court. The prosecution has to show a crime probably occurred before the case can move toward a grand jury, and if the evidence is weak, your lawyer can ask the judge to discharge the case on the spot. A discharge is not always the end, since the State can still present the same charge to a grand jury, but it is a real early test of the case.
Do not confuse justice court with the municipal courts in Purvis, Sumrall, and Lumberton. Those handle city ordinance violations and minor offenses inside each town's limits. Before your court date, check your citation or court paperwork for the exact location and time, and get there early.
Lamar County is in Mississippi's 15th Circuit Court District. The district covers five counties: Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Lawrence, and Jefferson Davis. It has its own set of judges, courtrooms, court rules, and case management systems.
Different districts across Mississippi have different judges, different workloads, and sometimes different practices. Knowing you are in the 15th means you are in Lamar County court, subject to the judges and procedures of that district. Some attorneys have more experience in one district than another. If you hire a lawyer, ask if they work regularly in the 15th District.
If you have been arrested on a felony charge in Lamar County, here is what happens.
You are brought before a judge or justice at the Police Department, Sheriff's Department, or county jail. This initial appearance must happen within 48 hours of arrest. The judge tells you what you are charged with, explains your rights, and sets bond. You have the right to counsel. If you cannot afford a lawyer, tell the court and you may be appointed a public defender.
Next is a preliminary hearing, usually in justice court. The prosecution presents just enough evidence to show a crime probably occurred. Your lawyer can cross-examine witnesses. If the evidence is weak, your attorney can argue for dismissal.
If the charge survives the preliminary hearing, the case goes to a grand jury. Grand juries in Mississippi meet during court terms. This can take months. The grand jury decides whether to indict you. An indictment means the case goes to Circuit Court for arraignment and trial.
In Circuit Court you enter a plea or prepare for trial. Most cases resolve through plea agreements. If you go to trial, a jury decides your guilt or innocence.
Family cases in Lamar County are heard in Chancery Court at 403 Main Street, Purvis.
For an agreed divorce on the ground of irreconcilable differences, Mississippi law requires the complaint to be on file for 60 days before the judge can finalize the divorce. If you disagree on property, alimony, or custody, the case takes longer and you will likely have multiple court dates.
Custody is decided by a judge using the "best interests of the child" standard. Child support is calculated as a percentage of the paying parent's adjusted gross income: 14 percent for one child, 20 percent for two, 22 percent for three.
You can modify custody or support orders if circumstances change significantly. These modifications also go through Chancery Court.
First, know which building you are going to. Check your paperwork. Felony and civil cases go to 203 Main. Family law cases go to 403 Main. Justice court cases, including DUI, traffic, and misdemeanors from arrests outside the city limits, go to 205 Main, Suite A. Do not just show up at the courthouse and ask around.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early. Find out whether you need to check in with anyone or if you just wait in the courtroom. Bring a copy of every document you have received from the court or the other party.
Dress professionally. You are asking a judge to decide something important. Judges notice what you wear. No jeans, t-shirts, hats, or tank tops.
Silence your phone. Put it away before you enter the courtroom. Do not record anything. Do not bring any weapons, even if you have a permit.
Be honest and direct. Answer questions yes or no, not with a long story. Let your attorney do the talking if you have one. If you are representing yourself, speak respectfully to the judge and the other party's attorney.
Much of Hattiesburg and Oak Grove sits outside the Hattiesburg city limits in unincorporated Lamar County. If your case arose in that area, the state courts with jurisdiction are in Purvis, not Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg Municipal Court handles misdemeanors and ordinance violations from arrests by Hattiesburg police inside the city limits.
Circuit Court handles criminal felonies and most civil disputes. Chancery Court handles divorce, custody, property division, estates, and probate. Both are in Purvis but in different buildings. If your case involves a family matter, you will go to the Gamble Chancery Building. If it is a felony or civil lawsuit, you go to Circuit Court.
The 15th District is the circuit court district that includes Lamar County, along with Marion, Pearl River, Lawrence, and Jefferson Davis Counties. It has its own judges, courtrooms, and procedures. Understanding which district your case is in matters because different districts have different judge assignments, case management practices, and sometimes different local rules.
Municipal courts handle city ordinance violations and minor offenses. You have the right to represent yourself, but you also have the right to counsel. A lawyer can help you understand the charge, negotiate with the city prosecutor, and protect your record. Misdemeanor convictions can affect employment, housing, and professional licenses.
Bring a government-issued photo ID, all court documents and notices you received, and any evidence you plan to present. Dress professionally, arrive 15 minutes early, and silence your phone. Bring copies of documents for the judge and the opposing party. Never bring weapons, recording devices, or disruptive items into the courthouse.
Small claims, evictions, and minor misdemeanors, with claims capped at a few thousand dollars. It is also where preliminary hearings in Lamar County felony cases usually happen when one is requested before indictment.
No. Purvis has two main courthouse buildings, the Circuit Court building at 203 Main Street and the Gamble Chancery Building at 403 Main Street; justice court sits separately at 205 Main Street, Suite A, and the county court offices are at 107 Main Street. Check your citation or court paperwork for the exact location and time before your court date.
Lamar County Justice Court is at 205 Main Street, Suite A, in Purvis, a short walk from the Circuit Court building at 203 Main Street; the county lists its mailing address as P.O. Box 1010, Purvis, MS 39475. Misdemeanor pleas and trials, traffic and DUI citations, evictions, small claims, and preliminary hearings in felony cases are heard there. Check your citation or summons for the date and time.
Purvis. Lamar County Circuit Court sits in the Circuit Court building at 203 Main Street in Purvis, the county seat, about 15 miles southwest of Hattiesburg. The courthouse at 630 Main Street in Hattiesburg is the Forrest County courthouse and hears Forrest County cases only. If your case arose in west Hattiesburg or Oak Grove outside the city limits, it belongs to Lamar County and will be heard in Purvis.
It depends on who made the arrest. A DUI arrest by a Lamar County deputy or the Highway Patrol in unincorporated Lamar County, including most of Oak Grove, goes to Lamar County Justice Court at 205 Main Street, Suite A, in Purvis. An arrest by city police inside Purvis, Sumrall, or Lumberton goes to that town's municipal court, and an arrest by Hattiesburg police goes to Hattiesburg Municipal Court even on the Lamar County side of the city. A felony DUI, such as a third offense within five years, is indicted in Lamar County Circuit Court. Our Lamar County DUI page covers the local details.
Lamar County Chancery Court, in the Gamble Chancery Building at 403 Main Street in Purvis. A chancellor, not a jury, decides divorce, custody, child support, alimony, and adoption cases. Lamar County is part of the Tenth Chancery District with Forrest, Marion, Pearl River, and Perry counties. Our Lamar County divorce page explains what to expect.
Defense representation for criminal charges in Purvis and across Lamar County.
Help with divorce and family cases in Lamar County Chancery Court.
Each stage of a Mississippi felony case from arrest through indictment.
You are facing a court date in Purvis or somewhere in Lamar County. You need to know what happens next. Lowrey, Fortner, & Miri P.A. represents clients in criminal defense, family law, divorce, custody, child support, and DUI cases throughout Lamar County and the 15th District. We help you understand the court system, prepare for your hearing, and fight for the strongest outcome the facts allow.
Call us at (601) 582-5015 or visit our practice pages to learn more about how we can help.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. Contact our office to discuss your specific situation.