Debra M. Giles

Judge Debra M. Giles, a native of Greenville, Mississippi, is the youngest of six (6) siblings born to the late James and Georgia Giles. Giles attended Tulane University where she majored in Cell and Molecular Biology. Judge Giles furthered her education earning an MSPH in Toxicology, MS in Nutritional Biochemistry, and completed all of her course work toward her Ph.D. in Health Services Research and Policy focused on children and inmates mental health.  Prior to attending law school, she worked as a first-grade teacher, a biomedical and social science researcher and science instructor at Talladega College while attending graduate school. Although Giles was first exposed to law during high school working with the Fourth Circuit Court District Attorney Office. After working as a biomedical and social science researcher, her life and career took a sharp turn in a direction that had been long awaiting her arrival. She excelled at law school as she served as the vice president of mock trial and was selected to serve as the class marshal of her graduating class in 2008.

Giles returned to the Mississippi Delta after serving as a law clerk with the Mississippi Court of Appeals. She passionately served as a public defender, mediator with the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Special Education, a guardian ad litem serving in more than 25 counties across the state in youth and chancery courts.  Giles also served as an Adjunct Professor at Hinds Community College for over eight (8) years before coming to the bench.

In addition to her private practice, she always made it a priority to give back to the community by hosting the first expungement clinic in Sunflower County, Mississippi and different programs for children and families in children in her community while serving as a legal guardian appointed by the court for more than four (4) years.  In 2019, Giles was elected to serve as Chancery Court Judge for Mississippi District 9, Sub-District 2.

For the past almost eight (8) years she has managed a full chancery docket, two youth court dockets, a juvenile treatment court, and family treatment court (awarded over 2 million dollars in state and federal grant funds) all while hosting community forums, foster care recruitment fairs, mobile driver license units, and countless other activities that promote quality of life for children and families while meeting individuals where they are with great dignity and respect.

When she is not working with her team at the court, she spends her time serving her church family, traveling and enjoying family and friends, doing arts and crafts, or developing her brand and podcast, entitled “I Too Have a Voice.”