In a case of mistaken identity, the Mississippi Supreme Court has been informed that former Leflore County District 4 Supervisor Wayne Self may be dead — and, if so, that his suit challenging the results of an election in which he lost his seat be dismissed as moot.
Self, a 53-year-old resident of Itta Bena, who runs a trucking business, is very much alive, however, and he said Thursday that he is wondering how the court received information that he may be deceased.
Self said the confusion most likely stems from an obituary the Commonwealth ran Sept. 3 for Wayne Self, 76, of Cruger, who had died at his home. On Sept. 7, the Commonwealth ran a more detailed obituary for the same Self, listing his full name as Lowery Wayne Self.
Self, the former supervisor, said he believes the initial, shorter obituary for the Wayne Self from Cruger was sent to the court.
“Somebody sent that in. I can’t say exactly who or what,” he said. “When they put that article in the paper about the death of Wayne Self, they had the age and everything; they could’ve known it wasn’t me.”
Self suggested that whoever sent the obituary to the court was attempting to derail his election challenge, adding that he hopes the Supreme Court will find out who did it.
In November 2019, Self lost his reelection bid for District 4 supervisor to Eric Mitchell. Self had previously held the seat for nearly 20 years.
The former supervisor filed a petition later that month challenging the election results, alleging numerous irregularities, particularly in the handling of absentee ballots.
He asked that the court determine who has the highest number of legal votes and, if that was not possible, to order a new election between Self and Mitchell.
The official results of the election showed that Mitchell won by 16 votes, 780 to 764.
Judge Jeff Weill, who was appointed by the state to preside over the election lawsuit during a trial in February 2020, ruled that all of the absentee ballots be thrown out since a large percentage were found to be tainted or invalid.
Because these ballots were commingled with the other absentee ballots, Weill decided that all of them be thrown out to be fair.
The new results, with the absentee ballots deducted, showed Mitchell with 707 votes and Self with 680.
Self, represented by Jackson-based attorney Margarette Lafaye Meeks, appealed to the state Supreme Court this May.
In early June, Meeks was sent a letter from a court administrator with the state Supreme Court that no oral argument is required.
After the state Supreme Court was informed somehow that Self may be dead, it issued an order Tuesday requesting that both Self and Mitchell respond within 20 days as to “(1) whether Wayne Self is deceased and (2) if (1) is true, then to show cause as to why this appeal should not be dismissed as moot.”
In an emailed response sent Thursday, Beverly Pettigrew Kraft, public information for the state Supreme Court’s Administrative Office of Courts, said that the court record does not indicate the source of the information and that the order “is a ‘show cause’ order by the Court asking the parties through their attorneys whether Mr. Self is deceased.”
Self said Meeks notified him about the court’s order and the attorney is working to address it.
With the exception of the June letter and the recent order, Self said he has not heard any updates regarding his case.
“I’m very curious about what’s taking so long,” he said.
- Contact Gerard Edic at 662-581-7239 or gedic@@gwcommonwealth.com.
