A Sunflower County Circuit Court judge has upheld the decision to fire former Indianola City Attorney Derek D. Hopson Sr., ruling the city’s Board of Aldermen acted within its rights and did not violate statutory or constitutional protections in the June 2025 termination (Cause No. 2025-0207).
Circuit Judge W. Ashley Hines issued the ruling Nov. 4, affirming that Hopson, who challenged his dismissal after a special call meeting, was employed as an at-will attorney under the terms of a retainer agreement. According to court documents, the contract allowed the Board of Aldermen to terminate the city attorney’s employment at any time, with or without cause, by providing written notice.
The court found that “the decision of the Board was not arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory, was not illegal, was not without substantial evidentiary basis, and did not violate any statutory or constitutional right.” Judge Hines specifically rejected Hopson’s arguments of a due process violation, citing Mississippi Court of Appeals precedent that at-will public employees do not have a protected property interest in continued employment unless specifically granted by contract or statute.
Hopson was terminated during a June 17 special meeting, with the mayor officially notifying him of his dismissal the following day, according to the order. Hopson appealed, arguing he was entitled to additional process, but the court disagreed, finding “no merit to this claim.”
“It is therefore ordered and adjudged the decision of the Board of Aldermen for the City of Indianola, Mississippi, to terminate Derek Hopson Sr.’s employment shall be and is hereby affirmed,” the ruling stated.
The order ends a months-long dispute over the city attorney’s seat and clarifies the authority of Indianola’s governing board over contractual appointments and at-will personnel decisions.
