Federal judge shares impact of the U.S. Constitution with DAR

Monroe Journal

Federal judge shares impact of the U.S. Constitution with DAR

By Ray Van Dusen, Monroe Journal

ABERDEEN - Following the prior week's celebration of Constitution Day, the Daughters of the American Revolution's Tombigbee chapter hosted U.S. District Court Senior Judge Sharion Aycock Sept. 24, who shared a few implications of the Constitution on society and the founding fathers' vision in drafting it.

"When we talk about the Constitution, we see it play out a lot in our line of work. We have criminal cases that may have constitutional law implications. We have civil cases and sometimes they, too, will be in a situation where we're interpreting the facts to the law," she said, adding no information she shared was meant to be political. "In 1789, with the Judiciary Act, Article III of the Constitution, the judicial power of the United States was one Supreme Court. That section goes on to ordain and establish lower federal courts, which is where I am."

Aycock was sworn in as Mississippi's first female U.S. District Court judge Oct. 26, 2007. She later became chief justice for the northern district in 2014 and attained senior status in April 2025.

She said the U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi is comprised of 33 counties.

"From here, if a case is appealed, it goes to the 5th Circuit Appellate Court and from there goes to the Supreme Court. It is amazing to me the founding fathers that many years ago had such clear vision and such understanding of society, as well as human nature, that there had to be a structure," Aycock said.

She also spoke about the rule of law, as opposed to the rule of man.

"We follow the rule of law and with everything you see and gauge, always remember it's important to stick with the rule of law," she said. "We follow the system we've had in place since the 1700s, and that's the way it needs to stay."

She said following the law isn't always popular, but questioning how others would react when weighing decisions follows the rule of man.

Aycock touched on several rights, such as those protecting speech, the press and the ability to assemble; due process, fair trials and right to counsel; and birth rights and equal rights for women.

"We talk about these particular amendments but don't think we often bring them home. We don't think about them sitting here today, like what the Constitution does to protect me, my family, my church and how it gives me the right to go outside on the sidewalk and say, 'I feel strongly enough about this belief and can stand here for 14 hours and raise this sign that says that I want to be heard,'" she said.

She also recapped the effort to secure federal funding to renovate the Thomas G. Abernathy Federal Building to remediate mold issues. It was closed from 2017 to 2023, and Aycock noted Oxford's FBI office was more recently closed due to mold and mildew as well.

"We had a scare we may lose this courthouse and we fought hard for that, and it's good to be back," she said.

The future with flight

Additionally during the meeting, Andrea MacDonald and Ariana and Ana Lopez of Aberdeen High School's flight academy were honored.

DAR chapter regent Connie Hamilton recognized the Lopez sisters with women in history awards for being the first to earn their pilots' licenses through the program.

"I think it's wonderful you're leading in this and showing others. In my experience, it has been young people who have said, 'By example, I see I can, too, do this,' and you're setting an example," Aycock later said.

MacDonald noted Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith as being instrumental in securing $1 million to start the program, which operates through the U.S. Department of Labor.

"Because it's under the department of labor, we now have the ability to extend it out past just our high school students. We are able to take anyone who will be 17 by April and older to join our program. Aberdeen High School students get it for free, and we can take them as far as we can," she said.

Monroe County residents can enroll for $2,500, and Mississippi residents can enroll for $5,000. The cost of the written exam and the roughly $800 check ride are the only costs passed along to those who register.

She said there are currently five AHS students in the program, with the majority being females.

"Seven percent of all certificates are held by women, and only two percent of commercial certificates are held by women," MacDonald said. "It's never been that anyone kept women out, it was something women didn't realize we could do."

The Lopez sisters deferred college for a year in order to continue their instrument certificates, with plans to pursue commercial and flight instructor certifications, which can open opportunities, such as being commercial or charter pilots or instructors.

"The goal for us is to turn this into an area where people come to get their flight training. There's a lot of flight training happening in America right now, and the Monroe County Airport is the perfect spot it," she said.

The flight academy has plans in the works for a fly-in the first Saturday of December open to the community, including pictures and cookies with Santa Claus.