Experience. Service. Community.

Judge Debra M. Giles serves in Mississippi's Ninth Chancery Court District and presides over chancery and youth court matters in Humphreys and Sunflower counties.

Meet Judge Giles

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A Life of Learning, Law and Service

Debra M. Giles is a native of the Mississippi Delta whose professional path has included education, public health, research, law and judicial service. A 1989 graduate of Greenville High School, Giles earned her undergraduate degree from Tulane University in 1993. Before entering the legal profession, she worked as a first-grade teacher and as a biomedical and social-science researcher and instructor. Her graduate studies included public health and health-related disciplines at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, as well as postgraduate study involving children's mental health and co-occurring disorders at the University of Iowa. Giles later earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2008 and served as a law clerk with the Mississippi Court of Appeals before returning to the Mississippi Delta.

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Experience Across the Legal System

Public Defense

Before becoming a judge, Giles spent years representing people as a public defender in the Mississippi Delta while also maintaining a private law practice.

Children & Families

Her legal work included service as a guardian ad litem in youth and chancery courts across Mississippi and mediation work with the Mississippi Department of Education's Office of Special Education.

Access to Justice

Her work before taking the bench included community legal service, including an expungement clinic in Sunflower County.

Serving on the Ninth Chancery Court

Debra M. Giles was elected in November 2018 and took office in January 2019 as a Chancellor in Mississippi's Ninth Chancery Court District. Her judicial responsibilities include chancery matters as well as Youth Court responsibilities in Humphreys and Sunflower counties.

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Services

Chancery Court

Judicial service involving matters within the jurisdiction of Mississippi Chancery Court.

Youth Court

Presiding over Youth Court matters affecting children and families in Humphreys and Sunflower counties.

Family-Focused Service

Her public record includes collaborations and programs addressing legal access and needs affecting children and families.

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Service Beyond the Courtroom

Judge Giles's public service has also included partnerships designed to connect children, families and communities with resources outside the courtroom.

Special Education

In 2024, Judge Giles hosted a parent and advocate panel during a free Special Education Workshop and Clinic at the Sunflower County Courthouse in Indianola.

Youth Opportunity

Humphreys County approved participation with Judge Giles in a Workforce Pathways for Youth grant serving young people ages 14 through 21.

Children & Families

County records document approval for Judge Giles to create a library nook for children and families inside the Humphreys County Courthouse.

Community Response

Following the 2023 tornado that devastated parts of Humphreys County, Judge Giles joined community volunteers assisting affected residents.

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Professional & Community Recognition

W.K. Kellogg Fellow

Selected for the W.K. Kellogg Community Leadership Network, a leadership-development program focused on children, families and communities.

Beacon of Justice

Recipient of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project's 2022 Beacon of Justice Award.

Mississippi Bar Foundation

2026 Mississippi Bar Foundation Fellow.

National Service

Member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges 2025–2026 Membership Committee.

Beyond the Robe

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Judge Giles enjoys traveling, reading, arts and crafts, creating jewelry and door hangers, and riding horses. Her community affiliations include Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church and the Progressive Arts and Civic Club. Her I Too Have A Voice podcast provides an additional personal/community dimension that may be featured here after campaign confirmation of the appropriate description, links, and media rights.

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Stay Connected with Judge Giles

Follow news, community activities and information from Judge Debra M. Giles and the Committee to Re-Elect Judge Debra M. Giles.