Longtime 5th Circuit Judge E. Grady Jolly dies at 88

E. Grady Jolly, a longtime judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, has died at the age of 88, the Magnolia Tribune reported.

The Magnolia Tribune said Jolly was appointed to the federal bench in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan. He succeeded the late Judge James Coleman and received unanimous consent from the U.S. Senate, the Tribune reported.

The paper said former U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran advocated for Jolly’s appointment in 1981 and that a dispute between then-House Minority Whip Trent Lott and Cochran over Mississippi’s pick nearly cost the state the seat. Jolly served 35 years on the federal bench, assumed senior status at age 80 and remained active until he took senior inactive status in October 2025, the Tribune reported.

Brad White, a former chief of staff to Cochran and now executive director at the Mississippi Department of Transportation, wrote on social media that Jolly’s decades of service were “extraordinary” and that his “devotion to the rule of law leaves a legacy that will guide generations,” the Magnolia Tribune reported.

The Tribune said Jolly, a Winston County native, graduated from the University of Mississippi and worked for the National Labor Relations Board in North Carolina, served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District, worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and then entered private practice before his federal appointment. The paper added that Jolly was succeeded on the 5th Circuit by Cory Wilson, who was nominated by President Donald Trump with support from Cochran and Sen. Roger Wicker.

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