1st woman confirmed as US judge for southern Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The U.S. Senate has confirmed the first woman to become a federal judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Kristi Haskins Johnson of Brandon is a former assistant U.S. attorney for the southern half of Mississippi. Earlier this year, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch named Johnson as the state solicitor general.

President Donald Trump announced Johnson’s nomination to the federal bench March 30. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 53-43 Tuesday for her confirmation.

Johnson will serve in the southern half of the state, with courthouses in Jackson, Hattiesburg, Natchez and Gulfport.