Any chance someone associated with Ole Miss would try to bribe a judge?
College Football Media is gathered in Pittsboro
- Thread starter Willow Grove Dawg
- Start date
Everyone already knows the outcome. The only remaining issue, will the judge drag it out (to get more attention), or make his decision today?
Joe Judge is there as a witness? What facts can he add? Maybe confirming that Chambliss could make more money in Oxford than in the NFL next year?
Trinidad still had a nasty lingering cough when he got here 2 years later. Heck, we couldn't even get him on the field until the 3rd game because of it. **
The NCAA lawyer is currently shredding this dcctor who is a witness for Chambliss. The guy was trying to attribute his sickness in 2022 to everything from long covid to sleep apnea. Shameless, but he is being exposed.
Hopefully this judge has some integrity.
Hopefully this judge has some integrity.
Lived in Mississippi for 24 years, and honestly have never heard of “Pittsboro, MS” until today.
I grew up closeby in Pontotoc County & never understood Pittsboro (population 157 per chatgpt) being the county seat with much larger communities of Bruce, Calhoun City, & Vardaman. Mississippi!
I had to google it and lived my whole life just two counties away.
Best of recollection, Judge Lackey who hails from Calhoun County was the one that turned Dickie Scruggs in for attempted bribery. (Pittsboro is the county seat of Calhoun)
Its in the dead center of Calhoun County. When a lot of these counties were being drawn out most county seats were established based on how close to the geographic center of the county they could put them.
County seat of Calhoun County which is 18th chancery district along with Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Tippah. You file a suit in that district, it could be in any of those counties depending on your date. Same set of chancellors no matter which county you actually meet in.
It’d be a little weird Robbie if Brewpalo was in Pittsboro…
AI Summary:
The judge overseeing the eligibility hearing for Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in Pittsboro, Mississippi, today, February 12, 2026, is Robert Whitwell.
Judge Whitwell is a Chancellor for the 18th Chancery Court District of Mississippi. The hearing is taking place at the Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro and began at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Key background details regarding Judge Whitwell include:
The judge overseeing the eligibility hearing for Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in Pittsboro, Mississippi, today, February 12, 2026, is Robert Whitwell.
Judge Whitwell is a Chancellor for the 18th Chancery Court District of Mississippi. The hearing is taking place at the Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro and began at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Key background details regarding Judge Whitwell include:
- Education: He earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law (Ole Miss) in 1972 and his bachelor's degree from Delta State University.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't those cities all build squares and petition to be the county seat and the fight was so heated they compromised on Pittsboro. I feel like I heard that somewhere, but it might be an urban/rural legend.
Robert Whitwell also worked at Farese law firm, who is one of Trinidad's council
Yeah. This is all just going through the motions they have to go through. The decision on this was made a long time ago though.
Reality is that it is difficult to find a judge without Ole Miss connections in Mississippi but damned you cannot get more Ole Miss than the Farese's.
I do always find it comical that Ole Miss is always associated with Farese firm knowing that the ole man Big John Farese made his name in criminal defense. The association is ironic.
I assume the NCAA will ask Judge Whitwell to recuse himself & appeal if the initial ruling favors Chambliss.
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I believe so. Some counties do have two county seats. Laurel and Ellisville are both county seats in Jones County.
The injunction is what he's ruling on today. They haven't even started to try the case. This is just about the injunction.
Ford Dye went to OM undergrad, FWIW.
Joe Judge with the worst analogy ever maybe on encouraging those with newborns during the season to lock themselves in a room basically and refuse night feedings. I'm going to pray the clip I saw is grossly out of context and there is a lot more he explains to them, number 1 being you don't get to shirk responsibilities just because you play football and you man up when you need to.
I've lost a lot of respect for him, otherwise.
Joe Judge with the worst analogy ever maybe on encouraging those with newborns during the season to lock themselves in a room basically and refuse night feedings. I'm going to pray the clip I saw is grossly out of context and there is a lot more he explains to them, number 1 being you don't get to shirk responsibilities just because you play football and you man up when you need to.
I've lost a lot of respect for him, otherwise.
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He has been on the bench since 2013. He obviously was not a member of the firm when Chambliss was a client, so no conflict there.
It would be really inconvenient if Judges could not hear cases where their old firm is representing a party. The Rules of Judicial Ethics recommend a cooling off period before judges hear such cases. 12 years is likely sufficient.
He also has ties to UMiss, and he likely disclosed all of that to the NCAA so it could decide whether to seek recusal.
NCAA has had plenty of time to seek recusal. I dont know if it did...but you dont wait until after the ruling to raise the issue.
Now, if they asked for recusal and the Judge refused, the NCAA could appeal that. I think they could have asked for an immediate appeal, but I dont know Mississippi procedure.
Just FYI - He started his college education at Mississippi State, then went to Northwest JUCO to play football and finished at Delta State. In fact, he was signed by Paul Davis to play football at State. Facts matter.
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Not to mention, the real conflict is that he's elected. Doubt many state fans will care enough to vote against him if he rules in favor of Chambliss, but lots of Ole Miss fans will vote against him if he doesn't.
I would have taken the chicken **** way out and recused myself. Not sure what the standard is for recusal or whether judges in Mississippi have an obligation to hear a case unless the rule dictates recusal, but former law school as a party, former law firm representing that law school, I think that smells enough that I would bow out unless the judicial canon or whatever says it would be unethical or a breach of duty to do so.
The attorney for the NCAA has some connections also. Doug Minor Jr is a partner with Holland & Knight in Atlanta. Doug grew up in Oxford although he skipped Ole Miss for undergrad at Harvard and Law School at Georgetown. Doug was with a litigation firm in Jackson 20ish years ago. I think his ex-wife is the daughter of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Ruben Anderson (Raina).
Doug is a good dude. My wife was a paralegal for him for a couple of years.
Doug is a good dude. My wife was a paralegal for him for a couple of years.
Whitwell graduated law school in 1972, so he is at least in his late 70's. It is difficult to imagine that he is extremely worried about getting re-elected.
I dont know anything about this particular judge, but most judges tend to believe they can be impartial no matter the circumstamces. So, absent a direct conflict voluntary recusal is unlikely. He could step down due to the "appearance of impropriety" but these facts alone aren't really strong enough to support that.
If I were the judge, I would recuse myself because I hate UMiss sports too much to be impartial.
The whole judicial election thing is why Plaintiffs' attorneys prefer State Court, and probably the main reason there are no anti-trust claims in the case.
Life is a wild ride. Judge played at State. Many years later, had the football HC job at State. But took the Giants job. Fired. Tries to come back and apply for State job again. Not considered. OM hires him. Now he is testifying on their behalf for player eligibility.
The substance of his testimony was ridiculous. But seems smart and articulate. Not just in this court but in other press conferences with the Giants and Rebels. Far more articulate than someone else I've listened to..... but yet Selmon makes THAT decision? Maybe there was more to it...... head scratching.
The substance of his testimony was ridiculous. But seems smart and articulate. Not just in this court but in other press conferences with the Giants and Rebels. Far more articulate than someone else I've listened to..... but yet Selmon makes THAT decision? Maybe there was more to it...... head scratching.
Finebaum and crew, seems to think it over, OM and co. will win.
But it has not been announced. NCAA Attorneys have left, going elsewhere.
But it has not been announced. NCAA Attorneys have left, going elsewhere.
You mean the ole miss grad and former player that is the judge will rule in their favor? (Insert shock face)
Judge was a disaster at NYG. USM and other schools also passed on him this last round. Besides, I don't want another coach who's never ran a college program.