--- title: "James Donald Maxwell II | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-donald-maxwell-ii" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # James Donald Maxwell II U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi - State: Mississippi - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2009-present - Associate Justice, Mississippi Supreme Court (2016–2025) - Judge, Mississippi Court of Appeals (2009–2015) - Assistant U.S. attorney, Criminal Division, Northern District of Mississippi, 2002-2009 - James Donald “Jimmy” Maxwell II is an American judge serving on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi ### Education - University of Mississippi School of Law — J.D. (2001) - B.B.A. — University of Mississippi — 1997 ### Additional information - Private practice, Jackson, Mississippi, 2001-2002 - Born May 4, 1975, in Metairie, Louisiana. - Date of birth: 1975-05-04 - Maxwell’s federal appointment followed his tenure on the Mississippi Supreme Court. - He succeeded Michael P. Mills, who had vacated the seat. - Mississippi regarding the Capital Complex Improvement District, ruling that Chief Justice appointments for inferior courts violated state constitutional provisions ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### electronic media coverage Scope: statewide Mississippi allows electronic media coverage of public judicial proceedings in appellate and trial courts of record, subject to the rules and presiding judge control. Evidence excerpt: Electronic media coverage of public judicial proceedings shall be allowed in the appellate and trial courts of record in this state subject to the conditions below. [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### presiding judge discretion Scope: statewide The presiding Mississippi justice or judge may limit or terminate electronic coverage when necessary to protect rights, witnesses, dignity of the court, or orderly proceedings. Evidence excerpt: The presiding justice or judge has the discretion to limit or terminate electronic coverage at any time during the proceedings [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### advance notice for media Scope: statewide Mississippi media representatives must provide advance notice for electronic or photographic coverage under the court rules. Evidence excerpt: Rule 5 ... requires that media representatives give at least 48 hours [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### electronic media coverage Scope: statewide Mississippi allows electronic media coverage of public judicial proceedings in appellate and trial courts of record, subject to the rules and presiding judge control. Evidence excerpt: Electronic media coverage of public judicial proceedings shall be allowed in the appellate and trial courts of record in this state subject to the conditions below. [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### presiding judge discretion Scope: statewide The presiding Mississippi justice or judge may limit or terminate electronic coverage when necessary to protect rights, witnesses, dignity of the court, or orderly proceedings. Evidence excerpt: The presiding justice or judge has the discretion to limit or terminate electronic coverage at any time during the proceedings [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### advance notice for media Scope: statewide Mississippi media representatives must provide advance notice for electronic or photographic coverage under the court rules. Evidence excerpt: Rule 5 ... requires that media representatives give at least 48 hours [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762095) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762095) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762095) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [FJC Education relational dataset](https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/history/education.csv) - [13762095](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762095) - [FJC Professional Career relational dataset](https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/history/professional-career.csv) - [Mississippi Secretary of State official judicial roster](https://www.sos.ms.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Entire%202026%20Judiciary%20Directory%20and%20Court%20Calendar.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7674/james-d-maxwell-ii/) - [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7674/james-d-maxwell-ii/) - [Official biography source for James D. Maxwell II](https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/ed_pubs/pubs/2026JD/JD%20and%20Court%20Calendar%202026.pdf) - [Wikidata: James D. Maxwell II](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47428143) - [Court of Appeals of Mississippi current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7675/jimmy-maxwell/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7675/jimmy-maxwell/) - [FJC Education relational dataset](https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/history/education.csv) - [13762095](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762095) - [FJC Professional Career relational dataset](https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/history/professional-career.csv) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-donald-maxwell-ii", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-donald-maxwell-ii", "name": "James Donald Maxwell II | KnowJudges", "description": "James Donald Maxwell II, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.