Chancellor Vicki R. Barnes died on September 27

Chancellor Vicki R. Barnes died on September 27

October 1, 2026

Chancellor Vicki R. Barnes died on Sept. 27 at her home in Vicksburg. She was 78.

Public visitation is scheduled on Oct. 4, 4 to 6 p.m., at Lake-view Memorial Funeral Home at 2102 Clay Street in Vicksburg. Rosary and Family Hour will begin at 5 p.m. Oct. 4. A funeral mass will begin at noon Oct. 5 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1512 Main St. in Vicksburg. Interment will be at Greenlawn Gardens Cemetery, 191 U.S. Highway 80 in Vicksburg.

Judge Barnes was the longest currently serving chancellor in Mississippi, having served for more than 31 years. She was elected in November 1994 and took office in January 1995. She was seeking re-election to a ninth term on the Chancery Court at the time of her death. She was senior chancellor of the Ninth Chancery District, which includes Humphreys, Issaquena, Sharkey, Sunflower, Warren and Washington counties.

Ninth District Chancellor Debra Giles of Greenville called her colleague the epitome of a chancellor. “I am broken right now. I considered her a mentor, a colleague, a friend. She was like a mother figure.” She described Judge Barnes as smart, caring and compassionate. “She loved the law, loved what she did and worked hard to get it right. This is a tremendous loss to the judiciary.”

Ninth District Chancellor Bennie Richard of Greenville said, “She was a wonderful jurist and she leaves a very long lasting legacy.” He recalled practicing law before her, then becoming a colleague on the bench. She was smart, kind and hard-working. “She was no-nonsense. She demanded excellence, and she treated everyone the same. That was with respect.”

Circuit Judge Toni Walker Terrett of Vicksburg was inspired by Judge Barnes. “She was always a bright light and a true inspiration, not just to me but a lot of people,” Judge Terrett said. “Growing up and seeing her just showed me what the possibilities were. She was like a celebrity and hero for her breaking barriers.” Judge Barnes was the first Black and first woman judge elected to the Ninth Chancery.

Judge Terrett recalled a conversation that she had with Judge Barnes regarding her interest in a career in law. “She was very matter-of-fact but what she said was helpful.” She advised Terrett that she needed to do a lot of reading and writing to prepare. After law school, Terrett worked as a law clerk for Judge Barnes. “She had a very high standard and she wanted everyone to meet those standards,” she said. “You have to be very careful, meticulous, and at the same time keep people at the forefront of everything you do.”

Warren County Court Judge Marcie Southerland of Vicksburg said, “I knew Judge Barnes for many, many years. I practiced before her before I became a judge. I loved Judge Barnes and she will be greatly missed.”

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said, “She was one of the smartest legal minds I’ve ever known. Our county has lost a true public servant and someone who has dedicated her entire life to the fair application of the law.”

Judge Barnes earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tougaloo College. She taught biology in Jackson Public Schools before going to law school. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law. During law school, she was nominated by the University of Mississippi as the Outstanding Female Law Student for the national competition of the Judge Constance Baker Motley Award.

She was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1977. She was a solo practitioner in her early career. She served as Vicksburg city prosecutor for four years, and was Vicksburg Municipal Judge for nine years.

She was a past president of the Mississippi Municipal Judges Association and previously served as president of the Warren County Bar Association. She served on the Vicksburg Planning Commission, the Vicksburg Zoning Board of Appeals, the Vicksburg Medical Center Board, the Mississippi Service Delivery Area Private Industry Council and the Central Mississippi Planning and Development Private Industry Council. She was a member of the Board of Directors for the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Junius Ward Johnson Memorial YMCA Board of Directors and remained a member of the board.

She previously served on the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. She was a fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation and previously served as a trustee of the Bar Foundation. She was a member of the Mississippi Conference of Chancery Court Judges, the Mississippi Bar, the Magnolia Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

She was a communicant and lector at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She and her late husband, John Barnes, have one daughter, Bonita, and one granddaughter, Scarlett.

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