Mississippi Code

Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-875 (2026)

Prohibitions against charges with respect to integrity of candidate

✓ current as of July 2026

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No person, including a candidate, shall publicly or privately make, in a campaign then in progress, any charge or charges reflecting upon the honesty, integrity or moral character of any candidate, so far as his or her private life is concerned, unless the charge be in fact true and actually capable of proof; and any person who makes any such charge shall have the burden of proof to show the truth thereof when called to account therefor under any affidavit or indictment against him or her for a violation of this section. Any language deliberately uttered or published which, when fairly and reasonably construed and as commonly understood, would clearly and unmistakably imply any such charge, shall be deemed and held to be the equivalent of a direct charge.

Derived from 1972 Code § 23-3-33 [Codes, 1942, § 3174; Laws, 1935, ch. 19; repealed by Laws, 1986, ch. 495, § 333]; Laws, 1986, ch. 495, § 265, eff. 1/1/1987.

Brought forward by Laws, 2023, ch. 416, HB 1225,§ 35, eff. 7/1/2023.

Amended by Laws, 2017, ch. 441, HB 467, 146, eff. 7/1/2017.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2005–2026 · leading case: Rickert v. Pub. Disclosure Comm'n, 161 Wash. 2d 843 (Wash. 2007).

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Rickert v. Pub. Disclosure Comm'n, 161 Wash. 2d 843 (Wash. 2007). “05 (West), while two require that the false statements also be defamatory or constitute fighting words, see Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-875 ; N.C. Gen. Stat.”

Rickert v. Pub. Disclosure Comm'n, 129 Wash. App. 450 (Wash. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “§ 1-13-109 (2004) (no person shall knowingly make a false statement relating to any candidate); and Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-875 (2005) (no person shall deliberately make a false statement regarding a candidate’s honesty, integrity, or moral character).”

Rickert v. State, Pub. Disclosure Com'n, 119 P.3d 379 (Wash. Ct. App. 2005). “532 (2003); Tenn.Code Ann. § 2-19-142 (2005); Utah Code Ann.”

James Calvin Parttridge, Jr. v. Panola Cnty., Mississippi; City of Batesville, Mississippi; Shane Phelps, in his Off. & individual capacities; Melissa Meek-Phelps, in her Off. & individual capacities; Matthew Brown, in his Off. & individual capacities; Josh Griffin, in his individual capacity; Lindsey O’Conner, in her individual capacity, & John Does 1-10 (N.D. Miss. 2026). “In seeking to justify his actions, Phelps also cites two Mississippi statutes, the first of them being Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-875 . This statute provides that: No person, including a candidate, shall publicly or privately make, in a campaign then in progress, any charge or…”

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