Contact: Michele Musto, HSLDA, 540-338-5600, michele@hslda.org

PURCELLVILLE, Va., April 7, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, the Supreme Court of Mississippi granted the Emergency Motion to Vacate or Stay Judge Joe Dale Walker's March 23 order that required school attendance officers in the Thirteenth District to provide him with the names and addresses of all homeschoolers in the district. 

The Supreme Court's order gives Judge Walker until April 18 to respond. The response must "specifically address[ ] the issue of under what authority the March 23, 2011 order was issued."  In the meantime the order may not be enforced.

HSLDA associated with Mississippi lawyer Sharkey Burke of Anderson, Crawley & Burke, pllc in Ridgeland to file an emergency writ of prohibition in the Supreme Court of Mississippi on April 5th asking the Supreme Court to declare Judge Walker's order to be void.

"We are pleased that the Supreme Court acted so quickly to grant the Emergency Petition," said Michael Farris, Chairman of HSLDA.  "We believe that the order was an inappropriate use of judicial power."

For more information, contact Michele Musto at (540) 338-5600.