A Jefferson County Circuit Court judge has issued an order halting the enforcement of a previous ruling that required Jefferson County to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to a private law firm representing several justices of the peace involved in a prolonged dispute with County Judge Gerald Robinson.
Circuit Judge Robert H. Wyatt Jr. ruled on Monday, August 4, that all proceedings in the county court case involving the payment order — Case No. CC-2025-19 — are officially stayed after a de novo appeal was filed by a separate defendant. The appeal nullifies the earlier county court decision and freezes any related payments until further notice.
The dispute stems from a conflict between Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson and eight members of the Jefferson County Quorum Court. The quorum court retained the law firm Branch & Thompson, A Professional Association, to represent them in ongoing disagreements with Robinson, who challenged their authority to hire outside legal counsel without his approval.
In July, Special Judge Efrem Neely ordered the county to pay approximately $27,000 in legal fees to the firm. That ruling, covered in a DeltaPlex News article, was seen as a major development in the ongoing power struggle between the legislative and executive branches of county government.
In the newly issued Circuit Court order Judge Wyatt made the following directives:
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All proceedings in County Court Case No. CC-2025-19 are stayed, meaning no further action will be taken on the matter until the appeal is resolved. No bond is required for the stay.
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The Jefferson County Clerk is prohibited from processing any payments to the plaintiffs (Branch & Thompson) pending further orders from the Circuit Court.
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Any payments that have already been made must be returned to the Registry of the Court until further notice.
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Because of the de novo appeal, all prior county court orders in the case are now considered null, void, and without effect.
A de novo appeal allows the Circuit Court to consider the case as if it were being heard for the first time, without giving deference to the earlier Special Judge decision. This effectively resets the legal proceedings, granting a fresh review of the facts and legal arguments.
The appeal delays any immediate payout to Branch & Thompson and prolongs a legal battle that has underscored broader tensions between county elected officials. It remains unclear when the Circuit Court will hear arguments or issue a final ruling in the case.
