Oliver E. Diaz Jr. (born December 16, 1959) is a former Presiding
Justice
In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
on the
Supreme Court of Mississippi
The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the Supreme court, highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1 ...
representing District 2 Place 2. In 2008, he was defeated by
Randy "Bubba" Pierce.
Early life and education
Diaz graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1977 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May 1963 and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alaba ...
in 1982. In 1985, he graduated from the
University of Mississippi School of Law
The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, United States. Established in 1854, the School of Law offers t ...
, and in 2004, he received an LLM from the
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...
.
Career
Diaz practiced law on the Gulf Coast. He served in the
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...
from District 116 representing Biloxi and
D'Iberville for seven years from 1988 to 1994. During his tenure in the Legislature, he was a subcommittee Chairman for the Insurance Committee and for the Judiciary Committee. He was on the Ways and Means Committee and was Secretary for the Constitution Committee. He also served as City Attorney for the City of D'Iberville for four years.
Justice Diaz was elected to the Court of Appeals in November 1994 and served in that position until March 2000, at which time he was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor
Ronnie Musgrove
David Ronald Musgrove (born July 29, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 62nd governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he previously served as the 29th lieutenant governor ...
. In 2000, he was elected to the Supreme Court for an eight-year term beginning January 2001. Diaz lost his bid for re-election in 2008 to judge Randy "Bubba" Pierce.
Bribery and tax evasion charges
After two years on the
bench Diaz was indicted in 2003 on bribery and tax fraud charges, which he considers to be politically motivated. This was related to a case against Mississippi trial attorney Paul Minor. US District Attorney Dunnican "Dunn" Lampton, head of the US Southern District of Mississippi, prosecuted the case against Diaz allegedly at the behest of Republicans during the George W. Bush
.
In 2005, he was acquitted of bribery charges for steering thousands of dollars from trial lawyers into his 2000 campaign. Less than a week after his acquittal on the bribery charges, the Department of Justice, with prosecuting attorney Lampton at the helm, unsealed and charged Diaz with tax evasion.
In 2006, Diaz was acquitted of the charges of tax evasion although his, wife, Jennifer pleaded guilty and received two years of probation. At the commencement of the criminal trial, Lampton filed a complaint with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. Leslie Lampton, a relative of Dunn Lampton, sat on the commission during the filing. The commission dismissed the complaint.
The criminal charges subsequently kept Diaz off the bench during much of his term. It has been speculated the charges were politically motivated to aid the Republican candidate in the upcoming elections. That speculation was a topic discussed in detail in the documentary film ''
Hot Coffee''.
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955) is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 ...
has cited the bribery and tax evasion charges against Diaz as inspiration for his novel ''
The Appeal''.
Lawsuit against Dunn Lampton and Leslie Lampton
Currently Oliver Diaz and his wife Jennifer have filed a lawsuit against Dunn Lampton and Leslie Lampton that they violated several laws when he provided the Diaz's tax records to the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. The case is still pending.
Appearance in ''Hot Coffee''
Oliver Diaz's career as a Supreme Court Justice for the State of Mississippi was the subject of one of the 4 cases discussed in the documentary film ''
Hot Coffee''. In particular the documentary focused on how the
U.S. Chambers of Commerce funded campaigns against Diaz because of his resistance to tort reform.
Personal life
Diaz is
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
. He is married to the former Jennifer Oestreich and is the father of two children.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Oliver E. Jr.
1959 births
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi Court of Appeals judges
Justices of the Supreme Court of Mississippi
University of South Alabama alumni
University of Mississippi School of Law alumni
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
Politicians from Biloxi, Mississippi
People from D'Iberville, Mississippi
20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature