Neal Brooks Biggers Jr. (July 1, 1935 – October 15, 2023) was a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...

of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi The United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi (in case citations, N.D. Miss.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Fifth Circuit with facilities in Aberdeen, Mississippi, Aber ...

Education and career

Born in

Corinth, Mississippi Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,622 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee. His ...

, Biggers received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

Millsaps College Millsaps College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi. It was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. History The college was founded ...

in 1956 and was in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

from 1956 to 1960, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He received a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Mississippi School of Law The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, United States. Established in 1854, the School of Law offers t ...

in 1963. He was in private practice in Corinth from 1963 to 1968. He was a prosecuting attorney of

Alcorn County, Mississippi Alcorn County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,740. Its county seat is Corinth. The county is named in honor of Governor James L. Alcorn. The Corint ...

in 1964, and was a district attorney of First Judicial District, Mississippi from 1968 to 1975. He was also an assistant instructor at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

in 1974. He was a circuit judge for the First Judicial District of Mississippi from 1975 to 1984, serving as a special commissioner for the

Mississippi Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...

from 1980 to 1981.

Federal judicial service

On March 1, 1984, Biggers was nominated by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

to a seat on the

vacated by Judge William Colbert Keady. Biggers was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on March 27, 1984, and received his commission on March 28, 1984. He served as Chief Judge from 1998 to 2000. He assumed senior status on October 1, 2000. His service was terminated on October 15, 2023, due to death.

Death

Neal Brooks Biggers Jr. died in

Oxford, Mississippi Oxford is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 14th most populous city in Mississippi, United States, and the county seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi, Lafayette County, southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis. A college town, Oxford ...

on October 15, 2023, at the age of 88.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Biggers, Neal Brooks Jr. 1935 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges American prosecutors District attorneys in Mississippi Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi Millsaps College alumni People from Corinth, Mississippi United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan United States Navy officers University of Mississippi alumni